Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1864-03-23

! signed to avoid apprehended instructions.
The purpose of the President was to dimin-
| lsh the support furnished to the rebel cause
I by the slave. This purpose might have
| been strengthened in the honest heart of the
President by some kinder sentiment than a
cold military policy, and if so | will leave it
to others to see that he is properly denoun-
| ced 1t is enough for me to know that it
was master stroke of military strategy
which no general has to my knowledge as
| yet publicly condemned. As far as possible,
the slave has since brought us not only his
labor, but an army Of one or two hundred
thousand men. Who wants this promise
| recalled fnot recalled, who wants it VIC
lated in the future? Who wants the color
ed army disbanded and sent back to their
rebel masters and white men drafted in their
| stead VIII you of the neutral party dare
to answer these questions in the affirmative =?
II you carry the next election Will you violate
the Presidents S promise to the slave? Will
you say to the negro soldier, Leave the
battle-fields ofour country and seek again the
corn fields of your rebel master Your
blood has stained, though not dishonored
the one, the unpaid sweat of your brow shall
hearatter moisten and enrich the other ?''
Again, the President saw, or rather the
people SAVIOR our cautious President, [
am glad to say, does not attempt to do the
people thinking, and sometimes hardly
keeps out of the way of the wheels of rap
Idly advancing popular sentiment-that
every State redeemed from this unrepubli-
can system of labor was thus placed bevond
confederate desire. Such State was con-
sldered by the rebel builders unfit for an ed
lflce whose cornerstone was slavery They
wanted no free State in their confederacy to
preach anti-slavery by a prosperous example
They sad this at Montgomery when they
made their constitution, and have always
sald 1t since. We knew it was true if they
had not said it at ALL If the border States
become free they do not want them in the
c0nfederacy, while without them their terri
tory becomes 50 insignificant they do not
want confederacy.
The Administration, therefore, encoura-
ged emancipation in the loyal slave States
as the best mode Of bringing the war to a
successful issue Under that announcement
slavery has been abolished In the District of
Columbia and three or four States The
neutrals have opposed and denounced this
progress step by step. IF intrusted with the
power at the next election they are pledged
TO undo all that has been so wisely done.
They will re-establish slavery in the District
OF Columbia, and. so far as their influence
Will go, IN all the border States They
HiUSl, " bS COlSlStcilt, 0UdCU Utle slave
code and rebuild the slave prison, and hav-
ing got all things in readiness, they must
call upon their party friends, and armed with
lassoes and handouts, start out upon grand
hunt for the emancipated and scattered
bondsmen.
On the other hand, the Union party have
resolved that, with the blessing Of God, this
country shall not only remain an undivi-
ded country, but, now that the necessities of
the war and the humanity of the age require
it, it shall become free country. The
shadow of your flag shall never grow less,
nor shall it darken the life of the humblest
man beneath it. The Union shall be restor-
ed, and the United States, the simple name
that Washington gave us, shall be the name
and indicate the character of this country
for all time to come. And it shall bea name
that the poor will love and the proud fear
all over the world