The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1864-03-16


Seward, in confidential Instruction to Nj
Adams, the Minister to Great Britain, on the
10th Of March 1852 said; "If the Governmet
Of the United States should prceipifatelly, de
cree the immediate abolition of slavery, it
would ldreinvigoratet the declining insuu ection in
every part of the South.'' 49, rge -
Subsequent reverses and refractory rebel
licusHess of the seeded States caused change
of policy. aud Mr.. Lincoln issued his famous
and celebrated proclamation a mere brutuns
Jalanea, liberating, the slaves in the "insprrec
tionary districts" On the oath Of june.
1776. one of the reasons assigned by Pennsyl-
warm fer her sepsration from the mother conn
try was th. t, in her sister colonies, the 'sKing
had excited negroes to revolt and to Undue
their hands with the blood of their masters,
in a manner unpracticed by civilized nations.
This probably had reference to the proclama-
tion of Dunmore the last royal Governor of
Virginia, in IT'S, declaring. freedom to all
servants or negroes. if they would join f:for
the reducing of the colony to a proper sense of
its duty"
Ihetinvitation to the slaves to rise against
their masters, the. suggested insurrection,
caused says Bancroft. GA thrill of indignation
to run through Virginia, efacing all differences,
of party, and rOusing one strong, impassioned
purpose to drive the insolent power by which
7
nalist, adverting to the same proclamation,
said. alt was received Yith the greatest hor-
ror in all the colonies.
:The policy adopted By Dunmore," says
Lawrence in his notes on Wheaton, "cf arming
the slaves against keir masters, was not pur
sued during the var of the Revolution; and when
negroes were taken by the English, they were
not considered otherwise than as property
and piunder.', Emancipation of slaves as a
war measure has been severely condemned and
and denoun led by the most eminent pnbicists
in Europe and the United States.
TIE United States. "in their diplomatic re-
lations, have maintained" say the Northern
aatberity just quoted, tsthat slaves were pri-
yate property, and for them, as such, they
have received compensation from England y
Napoleon 1. was meyer induced to issue proc
lamation for the emancipation of the serrs In
his war with Russia. He said: l could
have armed against her part of her popuia-
ton, by proclaiming the liberty of tho serf.
A great pumber of villages asked it of me, but
| refused to avail myself of measure which
would have devoted to death thousands OF
families" In the discussions growing out OF
the treaty of peace of 1914 aud profered mo
diation of Russia, the principle vas maintained
by the United States that, "thes emancipation
of enemy's slaves is not among the acts of le-
climate warfase- -
: 10 the instruction from John Quincy Ad-
ans, as Secretary of State, to MIR. Middleton,
at ST. Petersburg, October 18 1920, it is said:
The British have broadly asserted the right
:of emanciprting siaves( (private property as a
legitimate right of war. No such right is &C
knowledgsd as law of war by writer's who
admit any limitation. The right of putting to
death in cold blood; and without special cause,
might as WI be pretended to be a law of war
or the ight to use poisoned weapons, or to
assassinate."
Disrcgarding the teachings of the approved
writer's on international law and the practice
and claims of his own Government, in its pu-.
rer days, President Lincoln has sought TO con-
vert the south into St. Domingo, by appeal
ing to the cupidty, lusts, ambition and fsroc-
ity of sla yes. Abraham Lincoln is but the lin
cal defendant of Dunmore, and the impotent
malice of each was foilsd by the fidelity of
those who, by the meanness of the eonspirators
would only if successful. have been seduced
into idlepess, filth, vice, beggary and death
But we tire Of these in1ignities and enormi-
ties..: They are too sickening for recital.
History will hereafter pillory those who cem-
mitted and encouraged such crimes in iEmor-
tai infamy.
General Robert e. Lee, in recent battle or
der, stated to his inyincib,e lsgions, that
that seeks the ''cruel foe tbsredpcc our fathers
and mothers, our wives and children, to ap-
ieet slavery" He does not paint too strongly
the purposes Of the enemy or the eqHsequ .nces
Of subjuaation. What has been done in GER
tain districts, is but the prologue Of the bloody
drama that will be enanted. It is well that
every man and woman should have some just
of the horrors of conquest The
ate of Ireland at the period of its conquest,
md of Poland. distinctly foreshadows what
would await US. The guillotine in its cease
81 work Of bio ID, would be revived for the
of thet rebel leaders
The heroes ofour con est would be required
o lay down their proud ensigns, on which are
ecorded the baftle-6eids of their glory, to
;ack their arms. Yer their heads in humih |
Itiens and dishonor, and pass nader the yoke
# abolition misru.e and tyranny A hateful
nquisition, made at-ocious by spies and in
ormers staF-chamber courts, enforcing their
decisions by confscatiop, imprisonments, ban
shments and death a band of detectives |
rreting our secrets, lurking in every family, i
xisting in every conveyance the suppress
ion OF free speech the deprivation of arms
nd franchises; and the ever present sense of
nferiority would make our condition abiect |
nd misera bic beyond what. frcemcus can ;imag- |
ne. oSubjugation involves every thing that |
he torturing malice and devilish ingenuity of |
ur foes eah suggest. as ~e1} .ssgj
The destruction of our nationality, the
qualization of whites and blacks, the obliter-
tion of State lines, degradation to colonial
assalage and the reduct on Of many of our
itizens, to dreary, hopeless, remediless bond
GO. a hostile police would keep "order"" in
very. town and city, Judges, like, Bpsteed,
rould hold our courts, protected by Yankee
oldisrs. Churches would be filed by Yankee
torv prnacharc rfSoa would he ha. i
towed on aliens. Absolptism would curse us
nth all its vices. Superadded to these, sink
ng us into lower abyss of degradation, we
7ould be made the slaves Of our slaves, hew-
RS of wood and rawers of water for those
pon whom God has stamped indeljbly the I
marks of physical and intellectual inferiority.
rhe past or foreign countries need not be |