Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-08-13
Abolition.

made OF it by secession sympathiser
throughout the loyal States. 1t is exacti
SO. ns the General says, that unless Their
is evidence to the contrary it IS fair t
Dresume. when you hear man extensively
mounting the word, that be is secession
sympathiser. That Is his Prtma yfdete stat
us, nnu II Is 1ncumbent on him " prove
that he is not. This is so because the
word has lost its original meaning and
now as much as anything else only serves tc
designate those who are decidedly loyal
from those who are in more OF less sympa.
thy with the rebels.
Has it occurred to those who use this
word SO frequently and SO increasingly that
their stock in hand is about exhausted p
Do they recognize the fact that there is but
precious little slavery at this time in the
United States to abolish2 Just so surely
as these same persons who mouth the word
abolition, live and breathe, and hate Patri-
otto men, just so surely is slavery de-
stroyed institution, and all they can do or
say or think will never bring it ackHgain.
appreciate it, for it is a great truth
The Presidents proclamation, issued in
pursuance of his constitutional power as
Commando r- in. Chief of the armies of the
uation, abolished slavery in every rebel
State. If this nation stands that proclama-
ton will stand, and no power on earth can
ever repeal or modify it. 1t is a fnality.-
1t soemuIy announced to the world and to
history that from the date of its issue,
"Aencefortoard and .forevsr" slavery in the
rebel States was abolished.
What is the use or the sense then in any
man, pretending to be loyal, talking about
certain persons being 'abolitionists; )"
when slavery is already abolished. Especi-
ally what is tho sense in any loyal man
in our nidss-in West Virginia here-us-
ing the word? Nearly all the loyal men of
West Virginia voted not long ago to abol-
isA slavery in the new State and they sue
cceded in doing so. They were to that
extent simply practical nbolitionists. They
did what very few people in this generation
have done, they abolished slavery by their
votes. a great many people have talked
abolition but the people of West Virginia
have both talked it aud voted it. They
abolished slavery and there is no escape
from the fact that they did so. Itdoes not
therefore become any loyal man in West
Virginia to be talking about abolitionists,
1t comes with bad grace from him anc
he ought to be ashamed to initiate the Sc
cessiouists by using the word let those
ed and that, therefore, the Presidents
proclamation is good for nothing, talk
about abolition. To them slavery is some
thing that has future in it, and they APP
propriately fend of all attack upon it by
cudeavoring to make all Reproduction of il
odious in the eyes of the people. But
with loyal men the case ought to be en-
tirely different. They ought to know and
feel that the Presidents proclamation j:
lust as sure, and binding, and valid ant
immovable as the national salvation
There exists no more power to restore sla'
very to life than there does 10 restore
the dead who have fallen in this slave
holders rebellion. We're this nation
when saved base enough to Gttemp
TO reduce again to slavery those VIII
have contributed to its salvation,
would bring down on itself the CONSUMING
scoru of ever hristian and pagan natlo,
tn tho world. History hae recor
of ever nations doing such thing
The commouest recognition of mors
providence teaches US that this nation coul
never do such thing From the barbar
GUS days of the barbarous ages it has bee
an inviolable principle of written and uu
written law that those once made free Gu
never be deprived of their freedom exceE
by :heir own consent. The supreme exe1
utive authority of this nation has solemn
pledged the freedom of the America
slaves. The world has written down th
fact. 1t is this day recorded in th
archives of every nation in the civil
lied world. In return for the
guaranteed freedom, those slaves are con
ing forward by tens of thou sands and al
being enrolled under the flag of the natl o
for its rescue from the destructive hand
of their late owners. They are 6ghdn
bravely for that flag They risk death o
the battle field and they risk iguoble deaf
in the hands.of their captors if taken
And all for what? For the sacred right
of citizenship? Mol For any OF the priv
iI4ges of our higher manhood? No! Fo
what then? Simply Tor the poor, God Civ
en- right of being allowed their liberty, Q
being allowed to enjoy the fruits OF thei
own labor, of being allowed to work for pa!
and not for lashes. That is all. Are all thei
risks for nothing? Are they to go bach