, 1863-05-21

country, have ter centuries past been held
fre" and acknowledged free by ju licia} aecis.
ions Of European countries, ',,cu thnrEh tn"
municipal aw OF the country in wbitk. the
s4u>e Lad taktn tctuge acknowledged SLAVERY
within its own dominions.
Therefore. In Il war between the United
States IND belligerent nh 'ch admits Of
slavery, if L pereun Aeia IN bondage By that
belligerent be captured BY or comes US Q fu-
gi,ivc under the protection Of the military
Immediately entitled to the right and priTi-
leges Of freeman.
To return such person into slayery would
amount to cnelayiDg free person, and neith-
ct tie United States nor any officer unuer
their authority can enslaye any human being.
Moreover, the person so made free ~ the
Inv Of war is under the shield Of the Law Of
nations, and The former owner or state eau
lave, by tAr law Of postlfnlinT, no belGger-
cut hen or claim Of service.
i traitor, uuder the law Of war, or war
traitor, Is 4 person in place OF district under
tary commander, gives information Of any
kind to the enemy or holds intercourse With
him.
The wer-traitor is alway IS severely punished.
If his ofiense consists In betrayinE to the
enemy anything concerning the condition,
safety, operations, or plans Of the troops
holding or occupying the place or district, his
punishment is death.
If the citizen or subject of 4 country or
PLACE invaded or conquered gives Information
to his own government, from which he is
separated By The hostile army, or 10 the army
If Ills government, he is war traitor, and
death is the penalty Of his otfense.
All armies in the field stand in need Of
guides, and impress them If they cannot OBJ
tain them otherwise. No person having been
furced by The enemy to serve as 4 guide, is
punishable for having done so.
If citizen OF hostile aad fn7aded district
voluntarily Eeryes us guide to the enemy, or
cfler; IT, do so, he is deemed war traitor,
| and shall suffer death.
a citizen serving voluntarily as guide
| against his own country commits treason,
and will be dealt :" it'll according to the law of
| his country.
Guides, when it is clearly proved that they
| lIye 1nisl.d Intentionally, may be put to
death.
All unauthorized or secret communication
| with sAc cnt1uy il considered reasonable by
the law It wur.
Under the head of 'Insurrection, Civil
| War, Rebellion" the instructions say: 1arn.
ri or ullarned resistance by citizens Of the
United States against the lawful movements
q their troops i ,le,ysing var against the
NEW York, May 20.-The New York 1ri
Iuhr's Washington dispatch states that "she
Government i disposed tO credit the report
that the rebels have cvacnated Vieksburg.
"noshy, with few men, turned up neal
Coles Store, on SUNDAY. got whipped, anG
rel rtatc0 towards White Palms.
Tie Secretary OF War las. within three o1
four da, declared seyera! times That he hat
concluded to consttue the tllrre hundred dol
lar claute in the Conscription act TO he per
1nissiye, aid not mandatory upon hin, ant
should ignore it; but the arguments whici
convinced the Secretary and Senator Wilson
of the correctness Of this view, failed IL con
vinre Solicitor Whiting, whose opinion OF
tht question of the law Is justly valued, no
is there any evidence that the President, wht
has Ee,etotore considered the clansc biudin:
upon the Secretary, concurs i'll th: latter
view that its enforcement is optional viii
him. II will thus be seen that the Govern
mert las not yet anthoritaslyely decided III
question, auG it is not improbable, in view q
. its exec lding importance, that it may yet b
referred to tie Attorney General. Possibly
either In lien Of such reference or in additta
| to it, the several members Of the Cabinet ma
: bc called uron to 1ay their opinions in wrltin
before tic President. 1t Is understood tia
tie views Of the Attorney General are III:
metrita1ly opposed to those entertained b
the Secretary OF War. and that liz hold. tbs
The law oblgcs the Secretary to tiS sum, b
the 1.aynicnt Of which, to properly a2pointe
pers obs. the drafted man may discharge hin
tclf The eventual determination Of the Co
rlnn,rnt. under these circumstances, is,
| coQrse Il matter uf uncertainty.