Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1863-01-09
TunE FINAL pEonER.

The one hundred days which the President
had given the Rebels TO lay down their arms
aud return TO their allegiance to the Government
having expired he, in accordance with his no.
tificaiion, on the frst day of the present month
issued Proclamation of freedom to the slaves
Of rebels in arms. He had waited patiently,
during the time Of probation which he had al |
lowed befnre acting upon the necessities Of the
case, but having received no answer save gra-
tuitous and savage threat of retaliation on the
part Of jefferson Davis, he has launched the
bolt. He has said to the lNboring masses Of the
seceeding states that they need no longer work
iuvolnntarily in the interests of masters who
are at war with the nation, that they are absolv-
ed from all obligation to supply the rebel armies
with food, and that henceforth and forever they
shall have a right to regard themselves as free
men, and entitled to the protection of the Gov
eminent as such.
That this action Of the President is Constitu-
tional, justifable and necessary, (not bringing
an question its humanity and justice to the
down-trodden and enslaved people whom it of-
fects) in the present condition and state of the
country no man, who is at all regardless of his
condition fop saueness and loyalty, will for
moment question. 1t is an inherent right Of
every people to protect and maintain their na-
tional existence, and to do this, they can take
life destroy property, lay waste the enemys
country, and to cripple him in every vulnerable
way. And as slavery is one of the most pow
erful auzillaries Of our enemy,-feeding his ar
my, preparing his munitions Of war, and
Transporting them to the different battle-felds
lit is perfectly right and proper that we should
deprive him of this immense superiority over
us by winning the slave over TO our side.
Mr.. Lincoln, we think, should have taken this
ground long since. We have advocated in the
JoURSAL from the first, the necessity of his 80
doing, in fact that he n,Nst do it, if we expected
the favor of God on our cause, aud the ultimate
triumph of our arms. He should have from
the first used all the force against the rebels
God and nature had placed at our command;
and in the effort to suppressit it should have rs
cognized no classes of men known to our poll.
tics or social customs but friends and enemies
The friends he should have welcomed to our
lines, appropriated their assistance, and render
ed them in return such services as the alliances
of war suggest, while the enemies he should
have subdued with his utmost might and ener-
gy But we hail his acceptance of the true
policy none the less fervently because it comes
so late. II is not too late TO derive from it es-
sential and momentous advantages. 1t will not
command the universal assent that it would
have commanded in the days of our earlier en-
thusiasm, when there was but one sentiment in
the hearts of the people, and that was the spec
dy, efficient and permanent extinction of the
causeless and malignant revolt Of the slavehol-
ders-before semi-secession sympathisers had
yet sown the seeds of disaffection, and the de-
lays and mistakes of military command had
.abated our hopes: but it will still commend it,
self to every Intelligent perception Of the needs
of our case, to every enlightened conscience and
to every humane and generous instinct.
of course, much will now depend on the
treatment of the blacks of the South by our of
fcers and soldiers. If these shall repel, insult
and abuse the poor victims of centuries of OPP
preston and degradation, the lies poured into
their ear by their chivalrous masters affirming
ourpurpose to kill them, sell them into Cuba,
&C., DC, viii obtain more less credence, aud
will prevent many Of them from doing any thing
in our behalf But treat them humanely and
justly, and they will prove immensely service
able to us in many ways, even though we should
not arm regiment of them. Only let the slaves
feel that triumph is their liberation, and they
become from that hour a burden instead of
bulwarlI to the ReCellion.
That this measure of tn> President will meet
with an outcry of dsapproval on he part of ma
ny of his political enemies we have M doubt
Though some of them have shut themselves out
as objectors by denouncing it beforehand as ut
terly futile, others have been more cunning
They have saved themselves place for assault
They win take the opposite ground of denounc-
ing it as incendiary and cruel, designed to stir
up servile war, and to provoke sanguinary de-
vastation OF southern society. His right to
save the nation by destroying slavery will be
disputed; to save the constitution will be as con-
venient a howl now as TO save the church used to
be- and we should not be surprised to see the
southern leaders and their coadjutors here take
measures to give partial fulfllment to their
own prophecies. The slave may be goaded in
TO insurrectidfs. But all these fetches will have
but a temporary-effect. The good sense of the
nation will discern that the President acting as
Commander-in-C Chief Of the armies, must be
guided by the laws Of war, and that he has as
much reason to take away the negro of rebel
as he has to take away his horse for the sake of
the national defence; and the same code which
empowers him to desolate fields, burn houses,
or kill scoresof citizens with the bullet or sword
empowers him to dispose of other chartles: and
that if he is right in instituting blockades to
stop the supply OF arms and sustenance of the
rebel army, he is no less right in paraly yzing the
black muscles which dig other supplies from
the earth and carry them to the camp. The
good sense Of the nation viii also discern that
TO confer freedom upon men does not render
them greater brutes than they were beforef does
not inxtgate them to acts of outrage, but rather
to acts Of gratitude and kindness; does not take
them out Of the domain Of law by taking them
beyond the task-niasters' caprice; and finally,
does not promote wild disorder, but a pro-
founder tranquility. .,.a.
PREsEDENT's PROCLAMATION.
The Emancipation Proclamation Of the Pres.
ident viii be found the first page Of the Jour.
nal Any man who does not thank God and re.