Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-09-01
Slavery and the Rebellion.

The National lntelllgencer publshes a let
ter from gentleman who has just returned
from an extensive tour through the rebel
states, and who represents that the southern
people generally are sick of rebellion and
ANXIOUS to return to the Union. The Inteli-
gencer strongly endorses this gentleman as
man of Intelligence and honor" and says his
statements are "entitled to full credit" We
have already published telegraphic abstract
of his letter, and we now refer to it in order
to call special attention to what he gives us
as the principal reason for this change of feel
ing in the south. This reason is ''the crush
ing effect of the war upon the slave states"
and the certainty that, if the war continues,
''the institution of slavery will not only be in
danger of humiliation, but that their former
slaves will be drafted into the army of the
United States for the purpose of continuing
the war on the south. This one single fact
bears more heartily upon them than anything
else connected pcith the uar."
Those men at the north who have de-
nounced the presidents proclamation of free
dom to the slaves, and his policy of arming
colored men and using them as soldiers,
should carefully consider this statement and
see their mistake. 1t will be seen that these
war measures have hurt the rebellion in a
vital place, and are producing results which
fully justify the president in adopting them.
Instead of producing the disaster so fiercely
predicted they are killing the rebellion. In
stead of making restoration of the Union
hopeless, they are creating in the southern
people desire to renounce their ''confedera-
cy,' and became loyal. And the testimony to
this effect of the presidents emancipation policy
comes, not from abolltionists, but from south
ern men, those engaged in rebellion
and is endorsed as strictly true by the Soon
sentative" National Intelligencer There can
be no reasonable doubt of its truth for slavery,
which trained southern men to hate free in
stitutions and bred the rebellion, has been the
main dependence and support of the ''confed-
eracy." No man really desiring to crush the
"eon1ederacy" of treason can easily fail to see
that the measures employed against slavery
are among the wisest and most effective weap-
ons of loyalty.
report comes to us in southern newspa-
pers that the JEFF. Davis government at Rich
mond have resolved to raise an army of five
hundred thousand colored men from the
slaves in the rebel states. Each slave who
enters this army is to be emancipated and re-
ceive fifty acres of land for homestead. So
the story runs, but there is nothing to warrant
faith in it. The rebel leaders dare not adopt
this policy; and they could not do it, if they
would. Moreover, within the territory now
held by the rebels, there are not prob
ably one hundred thousand able bodied
slaves. But this report circulated by
rebel newspapers, is another testimony
in favor of the presidents emancipa-
ton policy. 1t shows that the rebels
feel this policy as a great disaster, and are
studying devices to counterfeit its influence.
The leaders are desperate and will not be
very scrupulous; but they can not adopt the
policy of emancipating and arming the slaves
without destroying the last hope of the in
stitution and tearing away the chief corner
stone of the conlederacy itself. They would
find it easier to arm five hundred thousand
slaves than to disarm them, and would have
more to fear from such an army than to
hope. The rebel confederacy is evidently
going to destruction, but its authors and
managers are not likely to raise such an
army in the hope of saving it, and if they
were mad enough to do SO, their followers
in the rebel states would not allow them to
try such an experiment
Southern men, it said, find that the war is
likely to crush the institution of slavery.
And why should it not be crushed? 1t is the
source of our national trouble; it is the con-
slant foe of free institutions, the mother of
treason and rebellion, the corruptor and curse
of the nation; and why should it be allowed
to live and prosper? We can not preserve
and cherish the slave power, and also have
peace and safety for the republic. Seeing
how intimately slavery is connected with the
rebellion, the president proclaimed emancipa-
ton. Treason feels this blow and reels under
it. Let it reel and stagger into the abyss of
darkness where it belongs, and let the de-
struction of slavery be complete and hopeless,
in order that the peace and safety of the ma
ton may be permanent
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