Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-11-23
Emancipation of Slaves by the Sohieuei"'o
Government.

Emancipation of Slaves by the Coniedera'e
Government.
Usnrnation is ever prolific. When the
Confederacy, by the Confederate Congress,
claimed omnipotence over the States and
its citizens. including the officers OF the
States in its military resources, by the con-
scription law, any one conversant with
human nature must have known that this
might not be the end of its usurpatlons-
A Constitution is like dyke keeping ont
the sea. Ont it and the influx Of the wa
tors mnst be endless. This usurpation was
soon followed by the direct tax act, by
which the Confederate government clam
ed to be omnipotent and consolidated IN
it's taxing, as it was by the CONSUMPTION
law in its military powers. We are now
at a third stage of its usurpatlons, soon to
be accomplished if not promptly met by
the States power to emanclpate our
slaves.
States who met at Augusta on the 18th
instant, passed the following resolution:
ResoZvea. That the course Of the enemy
in appropriating our slaves who happen to
fall into their hands to purposes Ut war
seems to Justify change of policy on our
mart: and whilst owners of slaves under
the circumstances should freely yield them
to their country, we recommend to our
authorities under proper regulations, to
appropriate such part Of them to the pub
lie service as may be required.
This resolution, recommending that sour
authorities" doubtless Confederate au-
thor;ties, as they only control the war;
should "app'Spriatsa or Slaves "to the
ment of them as ostlers, wagoners and
cooks in camp-for this, a law of Congress
already authorizes. They must mean some
, thing more than this. What they mean
the following extract Of the Richmond
ENQUIRER, seems pretty clearly to expose:
s'The proposition to extend the conscript
law to the slaves Of the States, was first
formally advanced by the Enquirer, in the
issue of the 9th ult. The near approach
of the time when the Congress meets
again, requires that expression to be given
to the sentiments Of the country upon this
important measure. We therefore earn
estiy Invite its discussion, and open our
columns to opponents, as we'll as friends,
of the proposition.
The CONSUMPTION of negroes should be
accompanied with freedom and the privi'
lege of remaining in the States. And,
when once it is understood that freedom
and home in the South are privileges
afforded by the Confederate authorities,
while the enemy extend the beggarly hos
pitality of Yankee philanthropy, not only
will desertion from our ranks be unfre-
quent, but the drafted negroes of the Yam
kee armies will exchange services.
We have in our midst half million of
fighting material which is property-shall
We use that property for the common
cause? Justice and sound policy demand
thct we make freeman IF those who fight
Tor freedom. We conscript the master
and we impress his horses, cattle, wheat
and every other property except slaves
This very exception is an imputation that
this war is for slavery, and not freedom.
If there is any reasons against extend.
ing the CONSUMPTION to slaves, we should
like to have them stated, but we are de-
cidedly of opinion that the whole country
will agree to the proposition, and that al
an early day the next Congress will be
called to provide for it by law"
Here the proposition is, that the Con
slaves as soldiers; and shall emancipate
them.
Now, if there was any single PROPOSE
tion that we thought was unquestionablt
in the Confederacy it was this-that the
States, and the States alone, have the
exclusive jurisdiction and mastery owe
their slaves To suppose that any slave
holding country would voluntarily leave
it to any other power than its own, t.
emancipate its slaves, is such an absurd
ty, that we did not believe single intelli
e gent person in the Confederacy could enter
tainit. Still less could we believe, afterwha
had taken place under the United States
with respect to slavery in the Southern
States, it was possible that any pretensio,
to emancipate slaves could be set ND TO
the Confederate States. 1t was becaus
the exclusion of slaves from our Terrific
ries by the. government of the Unite,
States, looked to their emanci patton, tina
we resisted it.
The power to exercise it W. neve
claimed by that government. The mere
agitation in the Northwestern States t.
effect the emancipation Of our slaves large
ly contributed to- our separation from
them. And now, before Confederac
which We established to put at rest forev We
ali such agitation, is four years old we fin
the proposition gravely submitted that tn
Confederate government should emanc
pate slaves in the States. South Caroline
acting upon the principle that she and sh
| alone had the power to 'emancipate he
y slaves. has passed laws prohibiting thei
= emancipation by any of her citizens, III
\ less they are sent out.of the State; and II
/ tree person of color already free, VIII
y leaves the State, shall ever afterward
! enter it. She has laws now in force, Dir