New Oregon plaindealer. (New Oregon, Iowa) 1859-1866, 1862-10-03
THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMA.
TON


fully strong in the confidence of the country,
not because OF his military conduct of the war,
for, in the opinion of all men, that had been
disastrous, but because he had steadily mani
tested aa apparently inflexiblc determination
to adhere faithfully to the constitution in the
political management Of the war and in the
general administration of the government 1t
was the merit Of this adherence that in the
minds of all good and right thinking men.
covered his multitude of sins in the military
conduct Of the war. So long as he seemed
to be fast anchored to the constitution good
and right thinking men never ceased to hope
and believe that experience would teach him
to correct and overcome his military mistakes,
and that finally the government Of the consti.
tuition would prevail over rebellion, and that
The UNION would be re-established.
Now that he has cut loose from the consti-
tution-now that he has resorted to the same
higher law than the constitution for the pro-
fessed purpose of suppres~ing the rebellion by
which the rebellion Justifes itself-good and
right thinking men know not what to think
or believe, or whittier to turn for anch orage
They are smitten with sense Of alarm and
dismay. They feel that the foundations OF
the government ore unsettled, if not broken
up-that the ship is adrift without master,
compass or rudder, AID that the chances Of
wreck are vastly greater than of safety.
If the policy of the proclamation were any
more defensible than the Presidents consti.
tutional power to issue it, the shadows which
1t has east over the land would not be SO i'm
penetrable. 1t is On act of as bad faith to
every conservative man in the North as it is
terrible blow to the Union men of the border
slave States The President has himself ap-
pretended that it might drive fifty thousand
soldiers, belonging to the border slave States
from the Union armies! We trust and prey
that it will not but that it will not work
most injurious revolution in the sentiment of
those States we dare not hope and as to
Kentucky and Tennessee, what time is this
to hazard such revolution! We wait intel
ligence gifts effect in those States with the
most painful anxiety.
live desired more conclusive arguments
against the mere policy of the proclamation
than any we have elsewhere seen, We should
seek them in the answer of the President to
the memorial of the religious fanatics of this
city, contained in our yesterdays ISSUE
"What good,' asked he, 'would proc'ama.
ton of emancipation from me do, especially
as we are now situated ! dc not want to
issue document that the whole world will
see must necessarily be imperative, like the
Pope's bull against the comet. Would ma
: ,cord free the slaves, when cannot even
enforce the constitution in the rebel States I?
Is there single court or magistrate or in
{ dividual that would be influenced by it there?
And what reason is there to think it would
haye any greater effect upoa the slaves than
the late law of Congress, which approved
and which offers protection and freedom to
the slaves of rebel master who come within
our lines Yet cannot learn that that law
has caused c single slave to come over to
us. And suppose they could be induced, by
u proclamation of freedom from me, to
throw themselves upon us, avhat should are
do nth them How can we feed and care
for such a multitude General Butler
wrote me, few days since, that he was is
suing moro rations to the slaves who have
rushed to him than to all the white troops
under his command. They eat and that is
ALL" Before the President issued the proc
lamation he would have done we'll to publicly
answer these objections to the policy of it.
If utter desperation had not before seized
the people of the rebel States, as eouse-
quence ofthe abolition and con6scation meas
ures of the Congress at Washington, it will
seize them now. The war hereafter, on their
part, will be contest fer existence as COM
munities and individuals.
We protest against the proclamation, in
the name of the constitution, in behalf Of good
faith to the conservative millions of the north.
ern and border States, and for the sake of
the only means by which it has at any time
been possible to restore the Union. We pro.
test against it as monstrous usurpation. q
criminal wrong, and an act of national sui
cide.
Nevertheless democrats and ether con-
sentative people will NOT withdraw from the
war. They will Eight in and support it as
before, not to preserve the government, for
that is subverted, but to maintain govern
ment To do otherwise is to invite internal
revolution, anarchy and confusion, and to
sink into disgrace as a people in the eyes of
Christendom. The southern rebellion is not
-Aeia>eLlo haaa.,so <,E Ah;.s most