The Portland daily press., 1864-12-30
From tas Hss Yort Essasng Posi- stt
nBs Firm. Moses.n

~ ~6 be f1rm, Mosess
At time when the Jews In Portugal were
used for fuel on the festive occasions which, in
the language Of that country, were called A,I-
tos da Re, or acts offaith, poor Jew was led
through the streets of Lisbon, to be burned at
the stake, followed as he went by numerous
rabble, all eager for the sport. and impatient
for the klndling of the pile. Fearing, how
ever, lest they should be baked OF their
amusement by q recantation. of his errors and
. declaration of his conversion to Christianity,
some one of the crowd would from time to
time come close up to the Jew, and, BY way Of
encouraging him 70 persevere in his faith,
would clap him on the back and say, "Be
Arm, Moses-be firm, Moses"
If the EVENING Posr should, by chance,
fall into the hands of Mr.. JEFF. Davis and his
Secretary. Mr.. JudahP. Benjamin, we would
address them In words of like encouragement,
concerning their scheme OF putting arms into
the hands Of their slaves and rewarding them
with theft liberty. It Is an uncomfortable
thing that you are about to do. we would say
to them; it must be, to use familiar compar-
ison, like pulling teeth, but never mind
screw mp your courage to the sticking point,
and give the world an example of constancy
and fortitude. "Be firm, Jeffy; be firm, Jul.
dab p. or, using the Greek form of the latter
name, "Be firm, Judas" i s5s8 bs8asgr1 rodi
The aboiitionists of the North, including
Wendell Phillips and Lloyd Garrison, are al
ready chuck ling over the conversion Of so
many Of the bigots Of slavery, as they call
then, to the creed of universal liberty. They
will be almost beside themselves with delight
when they see the rebel government, by a. sol
emn act, breaking the chains OF a hundred
thousand slaves at once, taking them away,
from the, plantations, putting arms into their
hands, and thus giving them the means of de-
mandine the liberty Of their wives and chill:
dren before they lay them down. II would be
cruel to deprive these philanthropists Of the
pleasure Of seeing the shareholders govern
'ment resolving itself into an abolition society.
Wetherefore coDjure the rebel leaders, in the
old Portuguese formula, to adhere unHinch-
ingly to their purpose: 4 Be firm, Jeffy; be
arm. Judah"
Thesouthern apologists for slavery have all
along maintained that the negro is happier in
state OF bondage than In a state Of liberty |;
happier ina condition In which he is driven 70
his work every morning, and logged whenev-
er his oyerseer or his master, Or any member
OF his masters family, may take fancy to
administer the lash; happier in condition to
winch ms wiie ana children may Dc soid rom
him or ne sold from them, than II ne were
master o. hiso@n time and person, working
Tor wages, ana certain OF passing MS lie with
ais own family. 10 oner NM hDertyas the re-
WARD for taking up arms for, the rebel govern
ment Is acknowledging slavery to I've an evil
and liberty good. It tells the negro that he
has been kept hitherto in condition of hard,
ship and debasemeht, and that II heB willing
to hghts he shall be relieved from it, But let
the rebel leaders consider that the more their
present practice contradicts their former pre-
fences. the greater viii be the fun. They have
astonished the world by their rebellion against
q government which has never given them
cause Of complaint; let them now astonish it
by practically retracting all they have said in
favor OF the very institution for the propaga-
ton Of which they desired to- form separate
eoternment. We therefore say again Be
arm Jeay; be arm Judah. u sl4lg44lNHK
n, MI. Lincoln, two wears since. issued broc-
lamation declaring all the negroes in the reb-
81 states emancipated. II will Give that uen.
tletnsn great pleasure ia sea his examnle an
handsomely followed and justified by these
who have 50 furiousiy detained against il.
He will be much Obliged to them IL ,tbey will.
In this manner. show the world that he wisely
I anticipated them, by first beytowiug the boon
I of liberty on the negro, and without any con-
dition of military services, so tha. the negro of
the rebel states is already free. If he but knew
It, as thousands OF them DO, without taking up
arms TOR bis master. We therefore repeat the
phrase of encouragement BE firm Jefy; be
nrm Judah" aasI *sa odi % otah "a; /,
It's true that there 10 great danger that the
blacks, thus armed, may not choose to employ
their weapons against the federal government.
They may say, Let US fight for those who
nrst acknowledged our freedom. They may
say, Let us not murder cur brethren Of the
African race, who have been freed and enlist
60 In sne federal army by our friend Lincoln"
iney may snoot tneir own oficers Instead or
inc iederai soldiers. sihey may saystoi their
ia'e masters; You nave acknowledged the
wrong Oh slavery Dy setting US nee nee; now set
iree our eht're kindred-every man OF color
"isnln your ii lIl we lay your country
waste But the greater the risk, the greater
aom n1 VIVA ia'l 70 tne snare OF those who
consciously take 1t. BE firm, therefore JEFF
~, % n1m 1uoan. sassI .s.s.,ts sss 81 i
IA SNORT, tne Wnole civilized world Is look
ing on WIN an eager curiosity, 70 see the lead
step. They have not distinguished themselves
Of late by any act or measure which COM
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