New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-03-16


trary notw outstanding. The war now devas-
tatins our country is waged on the side of the
Rebels to dissolve and destroy, and on our
side to restore and maintain the Federal Union.
If they beat US, the Union is no more; if We
beat them, it will be re6stablished 10 nll its
original extent and integrity. That is the is
sue we are trying by this War, and the whole
of it. Whoever asserts or insnuates tho
contrary is o virtual ally of JEFF. Davis, aud
prima faeis dishonest one.
Nv. Slavery is an element OF this contest
through the purpose and acts of tho Traitors.
1t was their chief Indictment to treason, their
wedge for dividing the Union. Had there
been no Slavery. there would have been no
Rebellion. Wherever Slavery is strong, there
the Rebellion is strong; where there is little or
no Slavery, there is no original, hearty, intol-
lerant Rebel sentiment. Witness, West Vir-
ginia, East Tennessee, and the mountain dis
tricts of North Carolina, Georgia, &c. And
shareholders have been repeatedly required to
furnish slaves to construct Rebel Notifications
aud batteries on the express ground that the War
being waged on that side in the interest and for
the advantage of Slavery, they ought to be espe-
cially jealous and generous in its support. Slavery
is, in fact, the motive, guide, original and end
of the Rebellion. Hundreds of thousands who
regarded DisunOn with adherence have been
forced into the Rebellion by their dread of the
peril and odium of being held up as Abolition.
AID oth ar hand tho ITninriatz If
the South for years steDmed the tide Of Dis
union sentiment by truthfully affirming that
Secession is Abolition that q Disunon
War must use up Slavery.
V. These aud thousand kindred truths
rendered tho Emancipation Policy of President
Lincoln an imperative, urgent necessity. Ii
ought to have been adopted at least earlier
than it was, but Democratic and Border-State
I repugnauce long overrued tho plainest dictates
, Of National safety and Military necessity. The
$ Poor Whites Of the South were being driven
or dragged into the Rebel armies on tho as
d, sumption that they were thus UNFOLDING the dig
NIFTY aud superiority Of the White Race, while tue
Blacks were made to grow the food, dig the
guns. &C., &C., Of the disunionis:s, ON the
assumption that their masters interests de-
: manded this appropriation OF their services.
. The South was thus nodded into a compact
mass Of active, effective treason, which must
bs broken or the Union lost. Hence the
Proclamation Of Freedom.
vi. That every slave who shall have prac.
tically closed with the profers OF the Pfesl.
dent, deserted the Rebels, and rendered or
rendered any service to the Union cause, will
have thereby established . valid claim our
Government for the maintenance and yindica-
ton Of his right to life, liberty, aud the pur-
suit Of happiness" we do most fully believe
and maintain. We're there any room for doubt
on tho subject, the following provision of an
old but still unrcpeaed law of South Carolina
ought to disspatc 1t. Said State enscts that
Amy slave killing I'LL enemy in time OF inya.
sion shall be granted bis freedom. Any slave
that gets wounded in the attempt 10 Nil al
enemy shall be supported at the public eI-
pen.e. In either case, the master shall be
+ paid for bis slave from the public treasury"
Col. Tai. 7. shailner a Southron, in his
book on "The American War" (p. 2G5), quote.
this act as passed in 1903, and still unrepealed
1t seems n very sensible proyisioD; and We
have no doubt that hundreds If not thousands
of slaves have tried 10 earn their freedom
under it in the present war. Why should they
not If we propose to keep them in Slavery
why should they not work for their Rebel
masters in the hope Of thus winning their
liberty Toucey or Tom Seymour, who
tells you no does Mt want the Rebels whipped
and put down 10 consistent and rational IN OPP
posing the Proclamation Of Freedom; but hs
who pretends to wish the Rebellion crushed
yet denOunces that Proclamation seems to US n
manifest dissembler or many. SO long as the
Rebellion shall DO persisted in, we hold 1t the
imperative duty Of the Government to persist
in its prohcr Of Freedom to all slaves III.
cluded within the limits Of the Seeded States
aud thus presumptvely used-at all events,
liable to be used-for the support Of the Re
bellion.
VII. But suppose the Rebels were to-mor-
row to lay down their arms and return ~ un-
conditional loyalty, ard their several States to
be thereupon recognized and accepted rs MEM
bors of the Federal Union, md suppose them
thereupon to renfirm and recnnct the laws
under which slaves arc now held BY them 10
spectively. what is to override and subvert
those laws within the sphere OF their legitimate
action Suppose, even, that every slave now
held in Georgia were actually set free, and