The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1862-10-17
The Presiden US Proc Iametion.

The Presidenvs reclamation.
The emancipation proclamation OF tn,
President is working well in the South, ant
in parts Of the North. Southern papers fes
10 publish IL. They have an enemy at hom,
whom they fear much more than they dc
the very polite Generals at the hesd OF N.
nstionsl army, and who they know may .,
any time seize the battie.axe and make q
strike for freedom. at the expense OF life and
property TO their oppressors.
The sremarks on the proclamation, made in
the Southern Congress and papers, show
that they really fear its effects. They men
ton "coward, assassin child and wsman
murderer. savage, fend." sssppropriate ep.
ithets for Lincoln, and then admit that they
have expressed only a part OF W hat they feel.
At the same time they state that there is
great danger that call will bs lost" unless
they call out their "whole strength for the
tremendous shock" Well they may fear,
for the knowledge that they may escape from
the evil threatened will send, is now send.
| ing, thousands back 10 their allegiance 10
the National Government.
II is, il must be conceded to lie, severe
remedy. 1t may possibly turn loose upon
the South soma Of the savages which they
have nurturej.
The system Of negro education in the
South. is, unhsppily, not calculated TO ele
,ate their character aud under the mis-.
taken notion that liberty, as proclaimed by
the President, Is but another name for licen
tiousness and anarchy, they may commi,
some excesses. That the slaves should so
mistake is no great wonder, wh,n their
masters examples have always illustrated
the mistaken definition.
Hut while the remedy is severe, it suits
the desperate case to which it is applied
For more than year we tried the method Of
guarding Southern property and sending
back slaves TO their masters. The result
was defeat. a huge and in part needless ne.
tional debt - mourning at almost every
Northern hesrth--and general want OF conf.
dence in our cause. And II we give up, we
see nothing before us tut . history OF ex.
pense, Of crime, OF treoch,ry, oceans OF
blood, and the broken fragments OF once
glorious Republic. So that whethsr we
fight on the old principle or give up. ruin
and bankruptcy await US. Is it any wonder
that in this state Of facts severe meaaures
81 ould be adopted Is not the wonder that
such measures should be SO long delayedl
Though a severe measure. there is snple
warning given. II after looking the bloody
specter Of "servile var, women murdered
hends let loose" &C., steadily in the face
for one hundred dsya. they say 'let it come
who shall pity them Our Government
with oren arms say, 'Come and be safe'-
the fathers whose sons they have murdered
say Come and be safe --tLe history Of the
past, both their and our past, says Return
to duty; come and be safe their wives
aud ohildrsn's safety sdmonish them 10 re-.
tu-n to the Union. The kindness that has
borne with them through eighteen months
OF crime and murder, is sufficient suaraniy
that they will be received back with all the
affection that marked the return Of the prod :.
igal son. The OLD CONSTITUTIONS which hss
stood unbroken in the Union States, still
Offers to throw its egis over the mighty
crime Of slavery. They have absolutely no
excuse 10 remain out Of the Union, and
when that specter Of negro freedom comes 10
devoor them and "wiii not down." we can
say with greater truth than did Macbeth /:
"Thou canst not say did il. Never shnke
thy CORY locks a, me.''
| The measure is Just. Would that il had
been adopted when Justice frs; de.audsd
III We might have been ssved three hun.
dred millions of dollers. fifteen months o
time and one hundred thousand lives We
said il may possibly turn upon the South
some Of ITS own savsges. II that posi- ibiiity
becomes . reality. still the measure is Just.
A social system which requires part of its
members TO be savsges, deserves the treat
ment which savages give their foes. Hut
the measure 10 just without reference to its
effects upon the Southern people. II is but
giving effect 70 The srsst Democratic psinci-
pie that "nen are born FREQ and equal and
endowed by their Creator with certain in.
slienable rights" DO. 1t 10 Just to the
black man Of the South. who has never been
disloSai, whose heart has always bounded al
the sight OF the
"Flag Of The free hearts hops and homs."
and whose services have been 1 assiduousl,
and ohssIfully offered 10 his country o. the,
have been fooljshiy and scornfuily Ispslled
Its just to our soldiers on the battle. feldi
Of the far South. Who need the sss,stsncs oI
mon Injured To to in that hot climate. !,
is just to the nation which supports the a.
my. for 1t gives hope that the war may sfIec
results wsrthy-its sissnr,e proportions, .nt
thst il may soon b. ended.
II 10 q Dsmocrstio aud phiianshropi,
] measure. II hisgs the brsad Aay Of free
Il