The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1863-09-10

their own to keep it from the enemy.
Civilized belligerents do all in their
power to help themselves or hurt the
enemy, except few things regarded
as barbarous or cruel. Among the ex-
tceptions are the massacre of van
quished foes, and noncom batants, male
and female.
| But the Proclamation, as law, either
is valid, or is not valid. If it is not
valid it needs no retractien. If it 10
valid it cannot be rstracted any more
than the dead can be brought to life.
Some of you profess to think its retrac.
ton would operate favorably for the
Union. Why better after the retrac-
,ion than before the issue! There was
more than year and half of trial to
suppress the rebellion before the Proc
lamation was issued, the last one hun
dred days of which passed under an
explicit notice that it was coming, un-
less averted by those in revolt return
ing to their allegience. The war has
certainly progressed as favorably for
us since the issue of the Proclamation
as before. 'ssa
I know, as fully as any one can
know, the opinion of others, that some
of the commanders Of our armies 10
the field, who have given as some of
our most important successes, believe
the emancipation policy and the use of
the oolored troops, constituted the
heaviest blow yet dealt to the rebellion,
and that, at least, one of these impor-
tant successes could not have been
achieved at the time it was but for the
aid of black soldiers. Among the com.
manders holding these views are some
who have never had any affinity with
what is called abolitionism, or with
Republican party policies, bat who
hold them purely as military opinions.
submit these opinions as being enti-
tied to some weight against the obiec-
tions often urged-that emancipation
and arming the blacks are unwise as
military measures, and was not adop-
ted as such in good faith.
You say you will not fight to free ne
groes. Some of them seem willing to
fight for you; but no matter. Fight
you, then, exclusively to save the Union.
| issued the Proclamation on purpose
to aid you in saving the Union.
Whenever you shall have conquered
all resistance to the Union, if ! shall
urge you to continue fighting, it will
be an apt time, then, for you to declare
you will not fight to free negroes.
l thought that in your struggle for
the Union, to whatever extent the ne
groes should cease helping the enemy,
to that extent it weakened the enemy
in his resistano to you. Do you think
differently? l thought that whatever
heroes can be got to do as soldiers,
leaves just SO much less for white sol
diers to do in saving the Union. Does
it appear otherwise to you?
But negroes, like other people, act
upon emotions. Why should they do
anything for us, if we will do nothing
for thems If they stake their lives
for us, they must be prompted BY the
strongest motive-even the promise of
freedom and the promise, being made,
must be kept.
The signs look better. The Father
of Waters again goes unvexed to the
sea. Thanks to the Great Northwest
for it-nor yet wholly to them. Three
hundred miles up, they met New Eng
land, Empire, Keystone and Jersey,
hewing their way right and left. The
Sunny South, too, in more colors than
one, also lent a hand. On the spot,
their part of the history was jotted
down in black and white. The job
was great national one and let none
be banned who bore an honorable part
in it. And while those who have
cleared the great river may we'll be
proud, even that is not all. It is hard
to say that anything has been more
bravely or ably done than at Antietam,
Murfreesboro, Gettysburg, and ON many
fields of lesser note.
Nor must Uncle Sans web feet be
forgotten. At all the the watsry mar.
gins they have been present. Not only
on the deep sea, the broad bay, and
the rapid river, but also mp the narrow
muddy bayou, and wherever the ground
was little damp, they have been, and
made their tracks. Thanks to all. For
the great Republio-for the principle
it lives by, and keeps alive-for mans
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