The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-06-19

The revelation came, doubtless, "by due course
of mail" Judging from that (which is writ
ten" it amounted to TINS : That In portions of
Virginia and Louisiana, in Delaware, in Mary
land. in Kentucky, in Tennessee and Missouri,
it was lawful for traitors who had accepted the
amnesty provided by the cOnfiscation law, and
all other persons, to hold slaves; but that in
the tide-water regions of Virginia, and in that
part of Louisiana which had not been conse-
Grated to slavery by the military occupation of
General Butler, as also in North Carolina,
South Carolina, Florida, Georgia. Alabama,
Mississippi, Arkansas, and Texas, it should no
longer be lawful for the Union men, women,
and children to hold our African fellow citi-
zens to service or labor. And yet there are
those of the Copperhead persuasion who pro-
fess not to see the wisdom of this great master
stroke of our most noble and exalted President.
Sirs, did it not Immediately divide the South
and unite the North? Were not our camps
forthwith crowded with countless myriadS of
bold and ardent recruits? Have not our Amer
lean brethren of African descent crowded by
thousands into our ranks, inspiring our soldiers
with q wild enthusiasm, and rendering night
vocal with the songs of entranchised Dinahs
and muling and puking Sambos? And have
not our arms been victorious everywhere since
the dawn of the negro millennium of 1868?
know that men like General M Brayman
who commands in your vicinity Cat Bolivar,
Tennessee, are guilty of absurdities of speech,
which afford the enemies of our sagacious Pres
ident excuses for complaint and criticism. For
instance, ON the 14th of last March that officer,
then in command at Bolivar wrote as follows
in regard to the Proclamation of Freedom with
which our illustriOus and far-seeing President
greeted the advent of the new year: 1.-The
loyal man is equally helpless with the disloyal
in fact, more so: for the rebel takes his
slaves south, or hires them in the army in
which he himself serves, while the slaves of
loyal men flee to our camps beyond reclamation.
Under this process the rebel holds his slaves by
carrying them into a State in which they are
declared free, while the law-abiding citizen
loses his by retaining them in q State where it
is lawful to hold them. AS it is now, the 10y
atty and good conduct Of these men avail them
nothing"
In speaking of the elcvating effects of this
system upon our armies and the negroes, Gen
eral Brayman shocks our sensibilities by the
use of such language as this ''Their expense
to the Government is enormous. 1t requires
soldiers to gusrd them. They scken and die
in crowded and filthy corrals. They become
debased and dcmoralized. They debase and
demOralize the army
Now among the resolutions you will adopt at
the Memphis meeting, there should, by all
means, be one censuring General Brayman for
the use of language so insulting to ''our fellow
citizens of African Descent" and so justly cal
culated to incense the slave owners in Tennes-
see who have SO stubbornly refused to join the
rebels.
Why, sifs, this license of speech must be
suppressed. What right have men who do not
support the Administration to criticise its pol
icy or the consequences of it? Within the last
few days have heard persons in this city-in
this Capital which bears the sacred name of
Washington, and which for the present is the
home OF our ilustrious Chief Magistrate-draw
seeming lnvldlOuS distinctions between the fate
OF Jesse D. Bright, of Indiana, and that of John
Minor Bolts, of Virginia How my blood
- boiled with pous indignation when, a few
days ago, l heard Il certain individual of the
straightest sect of the COpperheads discoursing
thus: Jesse D. Bright, of Indiana, was eX-
PEELED from the Senate Ofthe United States last
year, charged with reasonable practices. He
then owned farm and negroes in Kentucky
still owns them. He accepted the amnesty
provided in the so-called contiscation law which
passed Congress last July He is now propos-
ing to accompany his family On trip of pleas
ure to Europe, leaving his large properties in
Indiana and his slaves in Kentucky under the
protection of the law. John NJ. Bolts is just
out OF Libby Or some other Confederate
prison, where he has been incarcerated for his
devotion to the Union and his undying hostility
to the sO-called Southern COnfederacy Ten
days ago his slaves were enticed within the lines
OF our armies in Virginia Mr.. Bolts demanded
that they be surrendered or returned and re-
celVed TOR answer, direct from Washington
that he had no right to thcm-that our wise
and law-abiding President has set them free!'
l confess that when ! heard this long and
complaining rigmarole, l was indignant a. this
PERSONS stupidity. He could not see the wis
dom of this wise policy Of our noble Exccr-
tive. lie was almOs incOrrigiblc as James
L.. Pettigru, OF South Carolina. who. when he
read the grand proclamation of the most illus
trous successor of Washington, took the oath
OF allegiance to the Confederate Government,
nvoHn
aid them in making war upon the armies of
the subllmest man OF modern times of Nelson,
OF Tennessee, who, with sons in rebel captiy-
lty, published an appeal to the people of that
State to take up arms against our freedom
loving President; of Houston, Henry and 9TH
crs, who Immediately went over to the rebel
cause. Away with all such men. \ good
Union man loves his country per Sc. He cares
nothing TOR liberty or property, fame or for
tune, consideration or contracts, office or Opin-
ION. The true test is simply this: Who is the
greatest, wisest and best of mankind? Who
is the first natural military genius of the world?
Who dceth all things wisely and well? Who
should be elected President as long as he will
accept the office? If to all these inquiries the
respondent answers with a firm, unfatering
voice, abraham lincoln ESQ.,, he may be set
down as good Union man. fit to join 10y
al League" receive Il contract accept COM
mission or office, and to vote But if, like
Nii''ohutii, vi hcHtuchy, ne is ever talking
about the Constitution and such WORKOUT
themes, he ought not to be trusted for mo-
ment.
A Union man must have an abundance of
falth-fath in the saving grace of our exalted
President-fath that he will yet prove the pO-
litical Moses to lead our armies across the Rap
pahannOck-faith that under his leadership,
could he be induced to take the field, the
mighty hosts of rebeldom would flee from Ma
rye's hill and drown themselves, like pos
sessed' swine, in the adjacent stream.
How is recruiting now in West Tennessee?
Last summer only q few thousand enlisted in
our ranks but very few, 1 believe, in Mem
phis. You were so amply protected within the
lines that you quite forgot, 1 fear, the sorrows
of those who had not yet had an opportunity of
greeting the flag which brings certain security
to loyal men, women and children; such inev-
liable protection TO property, including such
trifiing articles as negroes and cotton bales.
Hurry up the volunteers. Give the lie to those
who intimate that Tennesseeans will not go in.
to the Gulf States to fight for their brethren of
African descent True, most of our citizens
have sons, daughters, sisters, fathers, or broth
ers there but they ought never to have settled
so far South. Besides, when you have secured
freedom to our African fellow citizens south of
us. you may possibly have the honor of taking
part in carrying the same boon to similar