The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-10-29
Rebels Aiming Slaves.-Earnes
Of the Policy.

Rebels Aiming Slayes.-Earnesf
Of the Policy.
There is no doubt Of the genuineness Of
the following article. We have in our pos
session copy OF the Richmond Eaoairer
Icontsinins it.-hls, Conn.,.
coSscRIPTiNa TEE SLAvEs.--'The propo-
sition is extended the ;conscrirt law to tho
slaves of the States WAS first formally adj
yanced by the Enquirer in the issue of the
5th instant. Since that time we have RAJ
celved many assurances OF its popular IA
vor, and none whatever in opposition to i.
We learn that the planters in the extrep,a
sSoalhern States isvor the proposition, and
some have slgnihed their readiness to free
i've, ten or fifteen OF their slaves If thew will
enter the army. The near approach Of the
time when Congress meets again. REQUIRES
that expression be given 10 the sentiment
OF the country upon this important meas
IRE. We therefore, earnestly invite its dis
[cussion, ana open or columns to oppo-
nents as well as friends of the propositions
The result of the late elections is still in
doubt, and whether Lincoln or Mcclellan
Will be elected, it is yet impossible to de-
ternine, but there is no uncertainty as to
the question of carrying on the war.
Whether Lincoln or Mcclellan be the next
President, the voice, anu the almost ,lnan.
imous voice, of the people is for vigorous
prosecution of the war. Tho duty OF pre-
pairing to meet that issue will be before the
approaching session OF the Confederate
Congress; that body will have before it. for
consideration, the ways aud means, as we'll
of men as of money, for carrying on the
war, on our part @
The war-cry of the enemy. ssno parley
with rebellion in the tield--no. compro-
mise with slavery in the readjustment."
fully inform our people that, in plain YER
nacular, the whites OF these States are TO
subjugated to slavery, and their slavery.
and their slaves reduced TO the miserable
condition Of Yankee free negroes. This is
and this will be the result Of. the war,
whether ended by Lincoln or Mcclellan, if
the people Of these States permit them
selves to be suhjugated.
The CONSUMPTION of negroes should be
accompanied with freedom and the priv
ilege OF remaining IN the States This is no
part OF abclitionism it is the exercise by
the master Of the unauestionable right Of
mannmission; ii IS remunerating those
who defend our cause with the privilege Of
freedom. Nor is this important subject to
be prejudiced with questions about put
ting the negro on an equality with our
friends, brothers, and fathers. Many OF
the soldiers in their childhood were fon-
died and nursed by faithful negro nurses,
and yet no question Of equality was ever
raised. Many man has msnumitted
slaves without ever being subjected to the
suspicion OF being an Abolitionist.
The issues involved III this war are too
exalted III their. Importance and character
for us TO permit them to be compromised
by being degraded to a question Of proper
ty. The liberty and freedom Of ourselves
and Of our children, the nationality O; our
country, the right OF enjoying any kind
Of property. the house over our heads, and
the very graves of our children and friends
are involved in the. struggle. Failure
,1,~,- F>n L..
all ofproperty, real and personal; divides
our lands among our conquerors, who
will pillow up the very graves of our dead
as fertalized ground, for making money!
We have in our midst a half million Of
fighting material which is property-shall
We use that property for the common
cause? Justice and sound policy demand
that we make freemen Of those who fight
for 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 for freedom
By conscripting the negroes, we show to
the world the earnestness that is in our
people; we prove to our enemies that at
the moment Of our supposed exhaustion,
in the fifth year OF the war, we shall meet
them with larger armies than we have be-
fore raised; and we explode the false ac-
cusation that we are fighting for slavery,
or slave-holder's Confederacy.
There are those who doubt whether
sound policy would trust negroes with
arms. We are not Of those who entertain
any fears upon that subject. Drill and
discipline makes valuable soldiers of Rus
sian serss, and no negroes in these States
are so ignorant and brutal as the serfB.-
Between service with the Confederacy and
with the Yankees, between living among
US, with all their strong local attachments,
and going among strangers, who are now
openly buying and selling them to recruit
ing officers, our slaves will find no din
Guilty in choosing. And when once it is un-
derstood that freedom and a. home in the
South are the privileges offered by the
Confederate authorities, while the enemy
extend the beggarly inequalities Of Yam
kee philanthropy, not only will desertion
from our ranks be unfrequent, but the
drafted negroes Of the Yankee armies will
exchange services.
This subject addresses itself to the con-
sideration Of our people, at this particular
four more years of war, are before our
people; the enemy will not even ''parley
with AZ without unconditional surrender"
I the fruits of which would be confiscation
of all property, the deportation Of whole
communities, the degradation Of the PEG.
pie. and the dominion and tyranny Of
Yankee masters. There can be no recon-
struction which does not embrace Q sur
render first viii b will not permit confis-
cation afterwards; which does not insure
enslaving the whites, without freeing the
blacks. II there are any Weakened peo-
pie who imagine they can save their prop
erty by reconstruction, let them study the
shiboleth of all parties in the United States
mo parley with the rebellion in the
field no compromise with slavery in the
adjustment" Unconditional surrender is
first demanded, before even parley. We
are to lay down our arms and submit to
the kindness Of the Buffers, Grants, Sher-
mans, and Sheridans, to the fate Of New
Orleans, the condition of the Valley, the
misery Of Atlanta, and after all that degra-
dation, to give up al our slaves In the adj
justment. II there are any reasons against
Extending the conscripiton to slaves, We
should like to have them stated but we
are decidedly Of opinion that the whole
country will agree to the proposition, and
that, at an early day, the next Congress
will be called upon to provide for it by
Law. Rickns0s:d Enquirer.
lrnp08TANT oRDRR ny aRNERAL CANRY-