Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-03-04

lis asserted BY ThurlOw Weed and that
alas, AZ so.esIled conservatives, that the
,glole poliev Of eonfscatiOn and smanoiPa-
,;on ;s vroue-thai, although there may
\. .ons Dresent military advantages con-
80 With it, still it interpOses insuPera-
Ne obstacles to the paeifeatiOn Of the South
.vsn should we succeed ina military point
~ visw in putting down the rebellion
Ts.t ,bs South would ever remain hostile
- m, poliey, and, as a consequence, hos
die to The Union, and could never be Pdei-
fs5 and come back as loyal States; but
would necessarily have to be governed as
subject territories. It was in this point Of
view that Mr.. Weed made the discredita-
Bile prophecy that the Union never would or
could be restored under that policy.
This whole argument against the Eman-
cipation Proclamation, and the policy OF
which it is the crowning part, rests upon
tbs assumption that the sJdUshoIdiHg interest
will continue to control the South, in its
social and political life, as it has hereto
fore done; and that therefore this interest
must be eoacil;ated in order to the ultimate
pacihcstion of the South. The argument
assumes: 1st. That under our free form Of
government, a policy must be adopted,
upou which the South can be pacifed and
won back to the Union, after the rebellion
shall have been put down; and I'd. That
this medication can only be secured BY q
policv which shall conciliate the slaVehoId-
inc iatsrsst-it being assumed that this viii
remain and continue as a controlling pow
sr ct the South.
There might be great force in this rea-
soning, If there were any foundation in
fact for it to rest on; but this it utterly
lacks. It is not true that the slaveholding
interest will remain after the rebellion is
crushed out. 1t is the great merit Of the
transcription Proclamation, that while it
brings to our side great military aids and
advantages, it destroys slavery, step by
Step, as our armies advance-destrOys the
eauss Of the rebellion just as fast as the
rebellion itself is being put down, so that
when q final success shall be granted to
our arms, and the rebellion shall haveb been
"erushed out" slavery, Itself, a0iH Peri'h
forever Vi.h t.
The rebellion must be put down, and the
Union established upon some safe basis,
and slavery is not that basis. The Govern
meut must take its stand beside the non
Sls7e-hOlding masses Of the people, and
show them that their rights and interests
win be secured and protected; that they
have been misled by fraud, violence and
falsebood: that the rebellion was shell
born" conspiracy against free govern
ment, and the dearest rights, and the well
fare Of the people; that it was instituted
in the interest Of slavery aud sustained
BY it, and that slavery deserves to peri6
with il; that free schools are the birth
right Of the people, and absolutely essen
tiaI to the maintenance Of free govern
ment; and that this among other blessings,
shall be secured to them. Thus would the
government surely draw the people to the
side of the Union, never again to be cor
rupted and alienated from its benefcent
authority, BY the evil genius and despOtic
ambition of slavery and its allies.
It is only through the emancipation
policy that any real eoneiIiatiOn" can ever
Be effected with the South. The people,
and not the slave-holding interest are to
be eoDciliated; not upon transient preju-
dices, but upon the enduring interests and
welfare Of the people. There can be no
real pseifcation of the South based upon
that interest. That interest is now in ha-
grant, atrocious rebellion; and yet while
the nation is sweating great drops oi
blood" in the agony through which it il
now passing, we are gravely told that this
Union can not be restored, nor the South
pscifed, now or hereafter, except upon the
basis Of this same slave-hOlding interest.
We have thus endeavored to expose the
fGllacy of the opposition to the emancipa
tiOn policy, from this point Of view, ant
we ask Conservative men to think Of thes'
things. We believe that the only safety
for the Union lies in the most vigorous
prosecution Of the war upon this policy
The conservative policy, so called, has beer
fully tried, and failed now let this have &
full and fair trial