Brownlow's Knoxville Whig, and rebel ventilator. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1863-1866, 1864-02-06

idcncy [Applousc]
But great deal is now being said about
tho mto Emancipation ProcIamaton and
you desire to hear me on that subject
[Crics Of yes, let us hear,] | will deal In
IeandorNpon this, ~ upon all other subjects
i The proclamation can have no other bene-
fetal effect than 10 quiet tho abolition ele,
ment of the country who wcro calling for
it, as policy We cant now enforce tho
most simple post Office or revenue law in
the scccdcd States, and Of course wo can't
enforce the proclamation, ] do not think
it will put down the rebellion. 1t is thD
Popos bull against the Conset 1t will not
produce any instructions in the South, us
many Of you calculate upon, Half of all
the slaves in the Contodcracv will fight on
the side Of their owners, and to pcrpetuat5
their own bondage The rebellion must
/ first be put down before the government has
any power to put down slavery in the re-
bcIious States. Till the rebellion is crushed
/ by The sword il is idle to talk of what is to
be done with slavery Let us do one thing
at time. think it may be said in this
matter that Mr. Lincoln has taken the start
Of Jeh. Davis The rebels are not fighting
/ for II principle, and when YOU put them to
/ the wall thoy would issue proclamation of
universal emancipation, and then demand
the protection Of England and France
As military measure ! endorse the pro
cIamation but in no other sense. When
war is declared, the power which may be
exercised is stated in these words by inter
national law writer:
From the moment one State is at war with an
other, it has, general principles, II right to sezs
all Ihc cncmys property, of whatsoever kind and
whcrcsoever found, and to appropriate the property
thus taken to its own USE or that of the captorS."
VATTEL an international law writer of
acknowledged ability, says
"As,oon rs we have declared war we have right
to do against the enomy whatever we find necessary
for the attainment Of the end Of the war"
Again, he says
1--WE havo u right to deprive our enemy of his
possessions, Of everything which may augment his
HlTtNEll illb VINuie NM ~ nuke war,
read only these extracts, and these be-
cause they are succinct statements Of what
the rights Of war are, covering all the
States has established the same aJtutuJ,
and it is also laid down by commentators
upon the Constitution Of Che Unitod States
Judge STORY rays, in his able commentary
on the Constitution, that Congress has tho
power TO declare war and that this powor
includes within tho authority to pass all the
l1tcs necessary to make the war efToctiye--A
that Congress can, undor this grant, pass
laws to carry out bclhecrent rights; and
ono bolligorent right is tho right Of confs-
cation Of property of ovcry kind Chief
Justice MARSHALL, n Southern man, says in
n case decided forty years ago, "that war
gives the sovereign full right to take the
persons and conliscatc the property of tho
enemy wherever found
Thoro is no dispute among legal writer's
upon this grave subject The power to
make war is given in the Constitution, and
to make the war efficient, and to accomplish
the end for which it is declared. Isay con-,
fscate the land, the money, the negroes Of
all rebels in rebellion against this Govern.
mont, and then turn round and confscatc
tho tccks Of the internal leaders. Zap
pau'c.
| will now call your attention to some Of
the many cruoltios, murders and abomina-
bic atrocities committed upon Union men in
the South for their loyalty. You can form
no correct idea here, cithor from newspa-
per reading, from hearing me, or from any
and all sources, Of the horrors of this war
at the South. 1t is an easy matter to live
here in Michigan and be Union man but
it costs man his property, his life and his
all to adhere to the Federal Government in
the South. In loyal, down troddcn, long
neglected East Tennessee, our mon have
been tied to trees and whipped, they have
been shot down like dogs whilo in their
fields at work, they have been crowded into
loathsome dungeons and they have been
suspended at the end of ropes for their
principles But thank God they still re.
main firm Yes, let me say to these clergy.
men who surround me, that neither whip.
ping AT the post shooting down in fields,
crowding into Jail, hanging upon trees, con.
fscatiug Of property principalities
nor powers, things present nor things to
come. neither heights nor depths, nor any
other creature, has been abc or ever will
be able, to separate these gallant people
from the love of God and the Constitution
of the United States Prolonged applausc.]
Here the speaker gave instances of cru
city in detail which caused tears to flow
freely from the cves of stout men. But