The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-05-17


of most of the North was "the Union
it must be preserved" General Grant,
whom the North idolised and honored,
was himself d dia1e owner and lived of
of their hire in St. Louis until freedom
came. Some of Mrs. Lincoln's kindred
in Kentucky were slave owners and her
brother served as staff officer in the
Confederate army. Mr.. Lincoln him
self declared that be only signed the
emancipation proclamation as q war
measure to suppress the rebellion as it
was called and to save the Union. He
repeatedly refused to take such a step,
though urged by the members of bis cab
met to do so. General Fremont, in Au-
gust, 1861, issued military order that
emspcipated the slaves of rebels in Mis-
souri,. Mr.. Lincoln promptly revoked
this order. In May, 1862, General Hun.
ter issued similar order declaring all
slaves in Georgia, South Carolina and
Florida forever free. So soon as Mr..
Lincoln heard of it he issued procla-
nation declaring it void and in his letter
to Horace Greeley in August, 1862, he
said: "My paramount object is to save
the Union and not either to save or de-
stroy slavery: If 1 could save the Un-
ion without freeing any slave would do
it; ifI could do it by freeing all the
slaves I would do it, and if I could save
it by freeing some and leaving others
alone would do that" In the minds
of both Lincoln and Grant there was but
little sentiment concerning slavery as an
institution, but after emancipation they
very naturally accepted all the. honor
that the North and England showered
upon them and entered heartily into
plans for the safe adjustment of the mat.
ters that this sudden enfranchisement in.
volved.
Such, my young friends, were the
causes and consequences Of the institu-
tion of slavery in Georgia. For half q
century it had proved blessing to both
races-a blessing to the negro because it
had brought him from savage state into
that of semi civilization and had elevated
his posterity and given them chance TO
live as human beings and to worship God
as Christians-a blessing to the white
race in clearing up the forests and ad-
vanciug agriculture and in building our
railroads. But as the years rolled on it
seemed to be manifested that the institu.
ton had run it's course and the time was
near at hand when it would cease to be q
blessing to either race. Before the late
war its doom was inevitable, for even had
secession succeeded and slavery contin-
ued it could not have been maintained
against the convictions of the unfriendly
North end the nations that sympathized
with her.
Why this wonderful change in the
status of 100000 of slaves had to be
baptized in blood and in tears to make it
reality is known only to that Provi.
dence who doeth all things we'll. We
might as we'll ask why Cain was permit
ted to kill Abel, or why Napoleon WAS
permitted to ravage Europe and destroy
millions of lives, and after all accomplish
no good that we can see.
But the negro was safe during all the
struggle. Whether he stayed or fed he
vas in no danger. he seemed to have
no deep concern about his freedom or a
continuation of his bondage. Thousands
of them followed their young masters in
the war-many of them were captured,
but would not stay. "Gwine back to
Dixie" was their song. Never was such
mutual affection shown between master
and servant; never such proof that in
the main the master was kind and the
servant loyal. During all these bloody
years when our men we're in the field
and wives and mothers and daughters
were unprotected at home not single
act of violence was heard of from the
Potomac to the Rio Grande. As General
jackson go beautifully said: "fhey de.
serve a monument that should reach the
stars, and on 1t I would inscribe, To the
loyalty of the slaves of the Confederate
States during the years 1862-63-'64.'"
What monument will be deserved by
their children is the unsolved problem
They are still on probation.
BILL ARP.