The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1863-01-15

1st. The aristocracy who own the
slaves, and have the deepest interest
in the establishment of the new order
of things; and -
I'd. The ignorant and debased nom
slaveholding whites of the South, who
are too proud to work, and too poor to
buy laborers; but, nevertheless, still
live in hope that, by some means OF
other, at some time they may attain to
the high felicity of owning slave.
The leading traitors, therefore, have
been able to appeal powerfully TO all
the worst passions of every class. To
the aristocratic stakeholder they have
promised, not only security for the
present position, but greatly increased
wealth, dominion and power. The re-
result of the rebellion, if successful,
we easily understand is to be strong
military government, in which himself
and his associates will be the only rul-
ing class; and in the not far distance
he beholds principalities and powers,
stars and carriers, aud all the parapher-
halia of despotic empire. Shall we
wonder that men taught in the school
of the plantation, the ideas of absolute
power, and scorn of control, fight des-
perately for the accomplishment of
these magnificent objects. While such
ideas prevail wait the men of wealth
and position, they promise the ignorant
class that when the hated Yankees are
once put down, and the old government
destroyed, there will be nothing left to
prevent them from rising to the class
Of masters then The slave trade shall
be re- opened, and negroes plenty and
cheap shall reward their valor, and Sc
cure their position in the ruling class.
Stimulated by these ideas, combined
with the always popular notion of in
dependence, the Southern people have
endured priyations and hardships, and
put forth exertions, which would be ad-
mirablyjf done in a good cause. Nor
can it be controverted successfully,
that thus far their system has been a
a tower of strength to them. 1t has
not been necessary for them TO with.
draw their laborers from the field, to
any considerable extent, to aid them III
carrying on the operations of war.
The slave has continued, as heretofore,
to till the soil, and by his unpaid labor
to produce the means to enable his
master To take up the sword in behalf
of the rebellion. He really feeds and
clothes the soldier, buys the arms and
munitions of war, and supplies the fuel
to the tremendous flame that is con-
Stunning our country. And yet the re-
bellion offers nothing to him. 1t does
not even allow him to hope that at
some time away in the far off future,
the sweat and The toll aud the bondage
may cease. On the contrary, the very
foundation of the Confederate system
is that his degradation shall never end,
but grow deeper and more unbearable
from generation TO generation, and for
ever.
Here, then, lies the incurable weak
ness of the South, aud our own irwin
chile strength. Their despotism we
must fight with liberty. This servile
class, composing almost the entire body
of the producers of the revolted States,
must necessarily be our friends, loyal
in feeling and anxious to become loyal
in action, whenever we will allow them
the smallest rights of men. The only
price they ask in freedom; a price
which we can easily pay, bnt which the
rebel government cannot offer without
Il art,rn 20
Remove these millions of workers
from the plantations aud work shops of
the South, and it is plain that rebellion
cannon last a year. One chief diff
Guilty thus far has been, not in reposses-
sing the Southern country, but in hold
ing it afterwards. Our armies have
passed over and taken formal posses
sion of extensive regions of the South
ern territory, driving out the organized
forces of the Confederacy, but leaving
the property OF the people untouched,
and existing institutions undisturbed.
Upon this system it has been found
necessary to keep as large a force in
such regions to hold them, as it did to
take them in the first instance. Ii
the army passes on, these people i'm
mediately rise in its rear, cut off its
communications, destroy its munitions
and supplied, seize its reinforcements
in small attachments, and thus become
more dangerous than before. 1t fol-
lows that the further We progress, the
more difficult our task becomes. The
army is constantly reduced by detach-
ments for garrison duty and keeping
open communications, until it becomes
too weak tor offensive operations. Al
the same time our occupation does not
harm the rebel government materially;
its people adhere firmly to that cause,
and their means of warfare remain
much the same. Unless this condition
of things can be changed our cause is
plainly hopeless, without long years of
war, accompanied by sacrifices appall
ing to contemplate, and which We can
hardly expect our people to make.
Seeing this clearly, and after year
and half of effort to subdue the Re
belliOn without disturbing existing laws
aud institutions in the iusurgent States,
the government OF the United States
has adopted the two great remedies Of
emancipation and confiscation. We
are about to strike hands with the en-
tire loyal population of the South,
whether white or black. We shall no
longer respect the claim OF a white
traitor to connel q black lOyaliSt to aid