Washington telegraph., 1864-06-08


Of any belligerent to rend suck amongst Us.
The case Of the freed negro must rest upon the
same basis as that Of the slave, and he must
share his fate, whatever that may be.
I It is equally we'll settled by the uuiversal
sentiment Of mankind in all ages, and BY the
practice of military nations since the dawn of
civilization, ancient and modern, that it is dis
graceful and Inhuman to excite servile insur-
| rection in the communities of the enemy. No
belligerent co1ld concede that right and live.
1t has no sanction is the Law of uatioas. No
power has the right to receive into its ranks
the soldiers even Of another and throw over them
ths aegis Of its protection against the penalties
Of treason in case Of capture. Much less its
slaves. The duty Of subordination and obedi-
ence in the slave il more fixed and determinate
than that of the soldier. Hostile powers have
ever been considered bound to respect the
reciprocal relations which subsist between diff
ferent classes Of society in the eneny's coun-
try, and have never claimed the right to alter
them by edicts or proclamations to such an ex
tent as to enforce those changes by retaliati on.
Whilst government stands it has the right to
regulate the status Of its subjects. Hostile
powers may seduce or take away by force q
portion Of those subjects. and protect them
whilst under their power, but have never
the right to return them to the government to
which they belonged, with the naughty man
date that they should be absolved from the laws
Of that government, and placed in Q condition
dictated by the hostile powers. The statement
| Of the proposition carries along its own aksur-
dity. Had Napoleon sent to the Emperor
Alexander Russian serf after the invasion,
! with a mandate that he should be considered
free, and treated as freeman. il would have
brought on him the derision ofiEuroPe. Nor
wcrld sending a number Of them, with arms in
their hands. have altered the case. When
captured in Russian territory they would be-
come subject to Russian laws. sa
When Lincoln's emancipation proclamation
Was published to the world, il excited o smile
1t was der:ded as magnificent piece Of ''bru-
TEN fplmen." The vags advised him to issue
bull to the moon. How would the world be
astonished to learn that we ourselves give full
efficacy TO this impatient assumption, and ad-
init every slave who Insy have Joined the Fede-
raj army. to be entitled TO the rights Of free
man should he fall again into our hands.
1t follows irre.istibly that we cannot treat
negroes taken in arms as prisoners Of war,
without destruction Of the social system for
which We contend. In this We must be firm,
unco mpromising, and unfaltering. We must
I! claim the full control Of all negroes who NAV
fall into our hands, to punish with death, or
any other penalty, or remandto their owners.
II the enemy retaliate, we must do likewise;
aud If tile Jlask Rag follows, the blood be upon
their heads.
Meanwhile, until tn, fate of all such is de-
termined by some definite action Of our gov
ernment, cur soldiers arc not bound to reeeire
their surrender, and perhaps will not. By our
laws any slave resisting white man in law
ful efforts to capture or control him, may be
killed without crime Any slave seeking the
life Of white citizen, may also be destroyed.
What our soldiers do in fight has the sanction
Of law.
Bot it is to be hoped that the safety of our
cause may be found consistent with a more
hnlnane course. Perhaps it may be found suf-
fcient to punish the most guilty and danger
Gus with death, to condemn others to hard labor
on public works under guards, and perhaps to
pardon some who have been forced into ranks
and restore them again to their masters
These points Fe are for the present willing to
submit to the wisdom Of our government. Our
present object is to remove sll idea that the
negro is entitled to the privileges Of war.
Space wiz not admit Of the discussion of the
polio, 20 be observed towards them when taken
towards white men commanding. They are
hoth grave and anxious questions, and may be
touch ed hereafter. .T