Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1863-09-17
greater taxation to save the Union
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iStiaIttu. lou say III 10 UilIouot'tu-
tional. think differently think
the Constitution invests the Comman.
derin-Chief with the law of war, in
time of war. The most that can be
said, if so much, is, that slaves are
property. Is therc-has there ever
been-any question that by the law Of
war, property, both of enemies and
friends, may be taken when needed z
, And is il not needed whenever taxi
ing it helps us or hurts the enemy !?
, Armies, the world over, destroy eno~
mics property, when they cannot usd
it, and even destroy their own to keep
it from the enemy. Civilized bellg-
erents do all in their power to help
themselves or hurt the enemy, except
a few things regarded as bartarous
or cruel. Among the exceptions are
the massacre of vanquished foes, and
non-combatants, male and female.
But the Proclamation, as law, either
is valid, or is not valid. If it is not
valid it needs no retraction. If it is
valid it cannot be retracted any more
than the dead can be brought to life.
Some Of you profess to think its re-
striction would operate favorably for
the Union. Why better after the re-
traction than before the issue ? There
was more than year and half Of
trial to suppress the rebellion before
the Proclamation was issued, the last
one hundred days Of which passed
under an explicit notice that it was
coming, unless averted by those in re-
volt returning to their allegiance. The
war has certainly progressed as fa-
vorably for us since the issue Of the
Proclamation as before.
know, as fully as one can know
the opinion OF others, that some of tho
commanders Of our armies in the field,
who have given US some Of our most
important successes, believe the
emancipation policy and the use of
the colored troops, constituted the
heaviest blow yet dealt on the rebel
lion, and that, at least, one of these
important successes could net have
| been achieved at the time it was but
for the aid of black soldiers. Among
the commanders holding these views
are some who have never had any af-
tinity with what is called abolition.
ism, or with Republican party poll
tics, but who hold them purely as mill.
tary opinions. l submit these opin-
ions rs being entitled TO some weight
against the objections often urged
that emancipation and arming the
blacks are unwise as military meas
ures, and were not adopted as such in
good faith.
You say you will not fight to free
negroes. Some of them seem willing
to fight for you but no matter. Fight
you, then, exclusively to save the Un-
ion. | issued the Proclamation oil
purpose TO aid You in saving the Un-
ion. Whenever you shall have con-
qucred all resistance to the Union, if
shall urge you to continue fighting,
1T will be all apt time, then, for you To
declare you will not fight to free ne
groes.
thought that in your struggle for
the Union, to whatever extent the ne
groes should cease helping the enemy,
to that extent it weakened the encmy
in his resistance to you. Do you think
differently? thought that whatever
negroes can be got to do as soldiers,
leaves just so much less for white sol.
diers to do in saving the Union. Does
il appear otherwise to you? .....
But negroes, like other people, act
upon emotions. Why should they do
any thing for us, if we will do nothing
for them ! If they stake their lives
for US, they must be prompted by the
strongest motive--even the promise
of freedom and the promise being
made, must be kept.
The signs look better. The Father
of Waters again goes unvex xed to the
sea. Thanks to the great Northwest
for it-nor yet wholly to them. Three
hundred miles up, they met New Eng
land, Empire. keystone and Jersey.
hewing their way right and left. The
Sunny South, too, in more colors than
one, also lent hand. On the spot.
their part of the history was iotted
/ down in black and white The Job
was a great national one and let
none be banned who bore an honora-
BILE part in it. And while those who
have cleared the great river may we'll
be proud, even that is not all. II Is
hard to say that any thing has been
more bravely or ably done than at
Antietum, Murfreesboro, Gettysburg,
and on many fields of lesser note.
Nor must Uncle Sans web feet bc
forgotten. At all the watcry margins
they have been present Not only on
the deep sea, the broad bay, and the
rapid river, but also up the narrow,
muddy bayou, and wherever the
ground was little damp, they have
been and made their tracks. Thanks
to all. For the great Republic-for
the principle it lives by, and keeps
alive-tor mans vast futurc-thanks
to all.
Peace does not appear SO distant as
it did. ! hope it will come soon, and
, come to stay, and so come as to be
worth the keeping in all future time.
, 1t will then have ben proved that,
among freemen, there can be no sue
cessiul appeal from the ballot to the
bullet and that they who take such
appeal are sure to lose their case, and
pay the cost, and then there would bc
somc black men who can remember
that, with silent tongue, and clenchcd
teeth, and steady eye, and well poised
bayonet, they have helped and MAIN
tanned on to this great consummation /;
while there will be some white ones.
unable to forget that, with malignant
hearts, and deceitful speech, they have
striven to hinder it.
], Still let us not be over sanguine oi
a speedy, final triumph Let us be
quite sober. Let us diligently apply
/: the means. never doubling that JUS,
/ God, in his own good time, will give
, us the rightfnl result. .,.s -
o. Yours, truly, A. LINCOLN.