The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1864-12-03
The Negro.
Inc negro
From the Springfield Republican.

ident. He might say it with equal truth
during I present campaign. No man who
spells ne with two g's can be elected.
There is blinking the rights and wrongs
of this negro question, and no magnifying
or cheapeniug its importance. The fate of
four millions of human beings, whose lot,
W hen the war commenced, was that of sla-
very, is to be DECIDED by the war, rightly
or wrongly. Il is every human BEINGS
right to be free aud any man, we care not
to what party he belongs, who treats these
unfortunate four millions with contempt,
and is willing that their bondage shall be
perpetual, must institute a fight with nature,
with God, and with all his best impulses
and instincts. The man who can say "nig-
ger,'' and who really feels in his heart the
contempt for the race which the word con-
veys, is brute. There is more consideFa-
ton for the negro among the shareholders
themselves than among these low-lived and
beastly Northern men who imagine that
they say aevere thing of man, when they
call him by some name which shows that
he has no respect for the rights of the black
man.
It is quite the habit of loyal and humane
men to speak of the necessity of destroying
slavery, in order to save the Republic. We
follow the lead of the President himself in
this, who, in his famous letter to Mr.. Gree
ley, said that he held the negro question so
far subordinate to the Union that if it be-
came necessary, in order to save the Union,
be would save slavery. As President of
the United States, he did not feel st liberty
to take any other ground. Since then, he
has determined that the destruction of sla-
very is essential to the salvation of the Re
public. This is military judgment, or a
political or State decision, and we believe
it to be thoroughly sound. 1t has nothing
whatever to do with moral principles. Il
has no connection with the humane impuls-
es of the nation, or with the Christian teach
ings of universal brotherhood. tits a mat
ter of policy altogether, and the rebellion
now reeIing under blows which the negro
arm has helped to strike, is proving every
day that the policy is q true one. There is,
undoubtedly, respect for the rights of the
negro, aud hatred of slavery in the heart
OF the President but the decision is po :
ltical matter entirely, and must stand OF
fall on its merits as the policy of war and
craftsmanship.
The people, however, are at liberty tc
look upon this matter in another light
They are at liberty TO respect TIE negro az
man, to count his natural rights to b.
those of a man, to regard his slavery IS
great personal, social and moral wrong, anC
to hold as unsafe all those counsellors wht
treat him with persistent contempt. They
have been trying to learn the lesson of th
war. They believe that it has a lesson
~, - IL.
diSregarded or lightly lost. They know
that to slavery, and to slavery alone, is tn
war attributable, with all its horrors. The
know that the Slave Power is the only TO
of the Republic. They know that4h va
was instituted in behalf Of slavery AM
/ they believe that this terrible conflict i
Gods judgment on a nation that has grown
fat on wrongs inflicted upon millions Q
slaves. They nave watched the negro a
he has assumed the position of a man
? They have seea him plunging into the thick
3 est of the fight, and maintaining mis- posi-
ton by the side of his white brethren. AM
calamity defending the flag that defend
, him. They have learned to spell his nam
/ with single g.
i What can Christian government hop
=. for from a set of men who will learn moth
] ing from such a war az this What can
: ops for from men who glory in trampin
e upon the rights of four millions of the
: fellow beings. What can it hope for frol
: those who have always been in league wit
e the Slave Power-for whose success in tn
+ campaign the Slave Power is praying, wh
t have no word of cheer for the negro Wh
{ has achieved his liberty, and is now fgh
C ing for the maintenance of the Government
!. who count It a calamity that slavery is [
e be disturbed, who are willing and anxiou
S to have it remain for their political benefit
!, A way has been made by this war for IL
0 progress of ideas. Slavery has forfeited e.
7 cry right which it held under the Constitl
. ton of the United States. Slavery Use
e has no rights. Il has throDn array every
: ga! right It ever held. It has proved itse
the enemy of the Republic. 1t is an opel
b bloody rebel. Its hands are red with Il
" best blood of this nation. And now, poll
, ical obligat ion to treat slavery tenderly Z
It gone, We have a right to bring humani
i and Christianity into full play, and to d
Of clare that slavery shall die-that it sh;
J. never have another opportunity to destrc
n our national life, aud that those who ept
le negro with two g'S are not safe men to tru
D with the Government. Contempt of t
to Negro has been the crying sin of the Mort
D for which the North is now suffering wi
Of the still contemptuous South. Let us I
lie spect him and his rights, and claim it
r the glory of the Republican party that it
,r struggling for the freedom and the rights
} every man, of every color, in all the
ic States, over which the stars and striu
be have foated-over which in browning t
be umph they shall soon float again.