Year: 1863

chief with the law of war, in time Of
war. The most that can be said if so
much, is that slaves are property.


Has there ever been any question that.
by law OF war, property, both OF enc
mics and friends, may be taken when
needed Is il not needed whenever IL
helps us or hurts the enemy? Armies the
world over destroy the enemy's property
when they cannot use il, and even de-
stroy their own to keep il from the enc
my. Civilized belligerents do all in
their power to help themselves or hurt
the enemy, except a few things regarded
as barbarous, and among the excep-
| tions are the massacre of vanQuished foes
and non -combatants, male and female
but the proclamation, as law, either is
valid or is not valid. If il is not valid,
1t wants no retraction; if valid, it cannot
be retracied any more than the dead can
be brought 20 life.


Some of you profess to think that re-
traction would operate favorable to the
Union. Why better after the retraction
than before the issue? There was moro
than ayear and half of trial to sup.
press the rebellion before the proclama
tion was issued--the last one hundred
days of which passed under explicit no.
tiCe that it was coming Unless arrested
by those in revolt returning to tleir al
legiance.


The war has certainly progressed as
favOrably to us since the issue of the
proclamation as before. | know as
fully as one can know the opinions of
nNha.a hnt ,r -
our armies in the field, who have given
us our most important victories, believe
the emancipation policy and the aid of
the colored troops have constituted tie
| heaviest blows yet dealt to the rebellion,
and that at least one of those important
successes could not have been achieved,
but for the aid of the black soldiers.
! Among the commanders holding these
views are some who have never had any
| affinity with what is called abolitionism,
or with the Republican party politics,
but who hold them purely as military
opinions. Isubmit their opinion as being
entitled to some weight against the oo-
jections often urged that emancipation
and arming the blacks are unwise as mill
tary measures when not adopted in good
faith. You say that you will not tight to
free negroes. Some of them seem TO be
willing enough to fight for you, but no
matter. Fight these exclusively to save
the Union.


issued the proclamation on purpose
TO aid you iu' saving the Union. When
ever you shall have conquered all re-. ist-
ance 10 the Union, if | shall urge you to
| continue fighting, il will be an apt time
then for you TO declare that you will not
! light TO free negroes. | thought that in
your struggle for the Union, to whatever
extent the negroes should cease helping
the enemy, TO that extent it weakened
the enemy in his resistance to you. DO
you think differently?


thought that whatever negroes can be
got TO do as soldiers leaves Just so much
| less for white soldiers TO do IN saving the
Union. Does it appear otherwise to you?
But negroes, like other people, act upon
motive. Why should they do anything
for us if we will do nothing for them?
if they stake their lives for us they must
be prompted by the strongest motive
even the promise OF freedom-and the
! promise being made, must be kept. The
signs look better. The Father of Waters
again goes unveXed TO the sea. Thanks
to the great Northwest for it, Nor yet
wholly to them for, 800 miles up, they
met New England, the Empire, the Key
stone, and New Jersey threading their
way, right and left.


The sunny South, too in more colors
than one, also lent a hand on the shot.
Their part of the history was jOtted
down in black and white. The Job was
a great national one and let none be
harmed who bore an honorable part in
it; and, while those who have cleared
the great river may well be proud, even
that is not all. 1t is hard to say that
any thing has been more bravely and bet
ter done than at Antietam, Murfreesboro,
Gettysburg. and on many fields Of less
note. Nor must Uncle Sans webbed
feet be forgotten. AZ all the waters
ma gins they have been present,
not only on the deep blue sea, the broad
bay, and the rapid rivers, but also up the
marrow, MUDDY bayou, and wherever the
ground was a little damp they have been
and made their tracks. Thanks 20 all,
all for the great Republic and tor the
principles by which il lives and keeps
alive tor mans 7ast future. Thanks to
all, peace does not appear 80 distant as Il
did. hope i: will come soon, and come
TO stay, and 80 come as TO be worth the
keeping in all future time. 1t will then
have been proved that among freemeu
there can be no successful appeal from
the ballot to the bullet, and that they
who take such appeal are sure to los,
their cause and pay the costs. And ther
there wall be some black men who car
remember that with silent tongue auC
with clenched teeth ana with steady ey,
aud fixed bayonets they have helped OF
TO this great contamination, while (, a
there will be some white men unable L
forget that with malignant heart anC
dcceitfnl speech, they have strlyen I


hinder it, Stlll, let us not be over san


gulne Of aspeedy final triumph. Let u
be quite sober. Let US diligently apul,
the means, never doubling that jus


God IN his good time viii give us th
rightful result


. Yours, very truly,


ABRAHAM LISCcLE.


A VINEGAR SpREG. The correspond
! ! ont OF the LrayenWOrth CODseryatly