Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-09-04

the enemy's property when they cannot use
it, and even destroy theil own to keep it from
the enemy. Civilized belligerents do all in
their power to help themselves and hurt the
enemy, except few things regarded as bar
barous and cruel. Among the exceptions are
the massacre of vanquIshed foes and nom
combattants, male and female.
But the proclamation is law, and valid. If
1t is not valid, it needs no retraction. If it is
valid, it cannot be retracted any more than
the dead can be brought to life. Some ofyou
profess to think that retraction would operate
favorabiy to the Union. Why better after the
retraciiolrthan before?
There was more than year and q half
OF trial to suppress the rebe lion be-
fore the proclamation was issued, the last
one hundred days of which passed under an
explicit notice that it was coming, unless
averted by those in revolt returning to their
allegiance. The war has certainly progressed
as favorable to us since the issue Ct the proc
lamation as before know, as fully as one
can know the opinions Of others, that some
OF the commanders Of cur armies in the field
who have gwen us our most important vic
tories, believe the emancipation policy, and
the aid OF colored troops, constitute the heav-
lest blows yet dealt to the rebellion. and that
the least of these important successes could
not have been achieved but for the aid of the
black soldiers. Among the commanders
holding these views are some who have never
had any affinity with what is called abolition
ism, or with Republican party politics, but
who hold them merely as military opinions.
submit their opinion as being entitled to
some weight, against the objections often
ursed that emancipation and arming the
blacks are unwise as military measures, and
were not adopted as such in good faith. You
say that you will not fight to free negroes
Some of them seem to be willing enough to
fight for you; but no matter, fight you then
exclusively, to save the Union. I issued the
proclamation on purpose to aid you in saving
| the Union. Whenever you shall hav. con-
quered all resistance to the Union if shall
urge you to continue fighting it will be a
good time for you then to declare that you
will not fight to free negroes. thought that
in your struggle for the Union, to whatever
extent the negroes should cease helping the
enemy, to that extent it weakens the enemy
in his resistance to you. Do you think diff
| ferently! thought that whatever negroes
can be got to d" as soldiers leaves Just so
much less for white soldiers to do in saving
the Union. Does it appear otherwise to you?
But negroes, like other people, act upon mo-
tives. Why should they do anything for US
if we will do nothing for them? If they
stake their lives for us they must be prompt
ed 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 England, the Empire State, Keystone
State and Jersey, hewing their way right out.
The Sunny South, in more colors than one,
also lent hand on the spot. Their part Of
the history was jotted down in black and
white. The job was a great national one,
and let none be blamed who bore sn honora-
BILE part in it.; and while those who have
cleared the great river may we'll be proud,
even that is not all. 1t is hard to say that
anything has been more bravely and better
done than at Murfreesboro, Antietam, Gettys.
burg and on many fields of less note. Nor
must Uncle Sans webbed feet be forgotten.
At all the waters margins they have been
present-not only in the deep sea, the broad
bay and the rapid river, but also up the mar
row. muddy bayou, and wherever the ground
was little damp they have been and made
their tracks. Thanks to all for the great Re.
public, for the principles by which it lives
and keeps alive for mans vast future
Thanks to ALL peace does not appear so
distant as it did. hope 1t will come soon
and come to stay, and so come as to be
worth the keeping in all future time 1t will
then have been proved that among freemen
there can be no successful appeal from the
ballot to the bullet, and that they who take
such an appeal are sure to loose Their cases,
pay the cost, and then there will be some
black men who can remember that with silent
tongue, and with clenched fist, and with
steady e. e, and we'll poised bayonet, they
have helped mankind on to this great consul.
nation; while fear there will be some white
men unable to forget that, with malignant
heart and deceitful speech, they have striven
to hinder it. Still, let US not be over-sanguine
Of speedy and final triumph. Let US be
quite sober. Let ps diligently seek the
means, never doubtihg that a just God in
His own good time, will give us the rightful
result.
| Yours, very truly,