M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1862-12-18

AuO ohhh Vi OONODOAp Aoo@'
We trust not one Of our readers viii
fail to peruse the following extracts
from a speech delivered at Syracuse
New York, 10y Judge Comstock, on'
Of the ablest jurists Of that State.
EXTRACTS from Judge ComstOcks speoch.l
FELLOW CITIZENS: On tho 22d o
September last the intelligence anc
patriotism Of the country we're surpris
ed and startled by proclamation o.
the President of the United States
which throws of the mask oil conser,
vatism under which the policy OF this
Administration seems tu have been in
some degree disguised, and embodiea
in the actual measures of the Govern.
ment the widest dreams and hopes Of
fanaticism. In order that this docu.
ment may be understood, | give its
language 80 far as mater ia to the pre-.
sent purpose. Mr.. Lincoln, as Presi.
dent OF the Unitod States and Com.
mander-in chief Uf the Army and
Navy, declares:
"That on the let day of January,
in the year Of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and sixty-three, all
persons held as slaves within any
State, or designated part of State
the people whereof shall then be in
rebellion against the United States,
shall be thencetorward and forever
free, and the Executive Government
OF the United States, including the
military and naval authority thereof,
will recognize and maintain tho free
dom OF such persons, and will do no
act to repress such persons or any Of
them in any efforts they may make
TOR their actual froedom:"
At the time which this proclama.
ton was issued. the revoltod States
bad maintained their government for
more than eighteen months. Our ar.
mics bad bean driven fiomtheir soil,
and the rebels were, as they had rca-
son to I've, more confident than ever OF
ultimate success. 1t is reasonable,
therefore, to assume that the Prcsiden!
did not exl ect thcm tn lay down their
arms before the first CT January. 1t
was as certain as the future ever can
be that they would not, and it is now
certain. On the first day Of January,
then, this decree goes into actual OF.
feet. The President knew it would,
and if we are TO believe that he means
what he has said, he intended it should
We may, therefore, speab Of the sud
den emancipation of nearly four mil
lions Of slaves as q fixed fact, con.
clusion in the policy of the govern
ment, 81 far as a Presidential edict
can make it 30. 1t is not only fixed,
but permanent, because the proclama
ton pledges the government to main.
tain it forever with all the power Of
the army and navy.
| now demand of the supporters Of
this proclamation that they shall pro
duce the warrant of the Constitution
for this stupcndous assumption OF
power; and if they cannot, | call upon
them to return to their allegiance to
the Constitutional Government OF this
country, and unite with rs in con.
demning an act 80 revolutionary, SC
pregnant with mockery and destruc
ton.
There is no such authority. This
will first establish by the author of the
proclamation himself. When Mr..
Lincoln delivered his inaugural ad.
dress on the 4;h OF March, 1861, six
Of the States had already passed ordi-
nances of secession and withdrawn
from the Union. These were South
Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ala
bama, Georgia and Florida. On that
angus. occasion, and Immediately at
Ter taking a solemn oath to maintain
and defend the Constitution of the
United States, the President said -
"If tue. destruction of the Union BY
all orby part only Of States be law
fully possible, the Union is less per.
feet thar before, the Constitution hav.
ing lost its vital element of populari
ty. 1t follows from these VOWS thai
no State, upon, its mere motive, car
lawfully get out Of the Union, thai
/, masses ana ordinances to that efec,
are equally void, and that acts Of vic
lence within any State against the au
thority Of the United States, are in
surrectionary or revolutionary, accord
ing to circumstances. | therefore
consider that 10 view Of the Constitu
Gon and laws, the Union is sunbroken.' ,
These sentiments met with approval
nearly or quite unanimous at the
North. What is the doctrine thert