Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1862-12-26
THE EMANCIPATION PRoCLAMA-
TION.
For the Gazette.

For tne uaLcUe.
The proclamation issued by the President
emancipating the slaves of those States, and
parts of States which shall be found in rebel
lion against the Government on the first dav
Of January next, is destined to produce the
most important results not only in relation
to the rebellion itself, but in relation to the
social condition Of that portion of the Union
where slavery now exists. Although slavery
is undoubtedly the prime cause of the rebel
lion, and so avowed by all loyal men of the
North, and tactly confessed by the South
itself, yet the President, for more than a
year and half after its commencement, made
use of every means within his reach, except
ing the powerful weapon of emancipation, for
the purpose of suppresslng it. The people
Of the loyal States rcsponde with IL Q utmost
alacrity to his every requisition for men and
money. Our army, from few thousand,
has increased to more than million men,
Our Navy, from few inefficient vessels, has
increased to hundreds. Both upon land and
sea we stand upon an equality, if not vastly
superior to the most powerful nations of the
earth. We have astonished Europe by the
extent and rapid development of our national
resources, and have deferred even those ma
tions which were, few months ago, so sud
denly impressed with the necessity of inter
vention from considerations of humanity and
not from jealossy ct our national greatness,
from the prosecution of their designs. For
that year and half we have sustained and
supported our government. But, we can
boast of having done but little more. We
have not yet suppressed the rebellion and
until the President, by his Proclamation OF
Emancipation, struck blow at it's founda-
ton, which causes the system of slavery to
trcmbc from base to summit, the people
Of the North felt somewhat dshcartened, but
the promise which that blow has given them
more cticctual than all other means COM
bincd-has given them new life, new energy,
and they are railying around the standard of
the administration, without distinction
Of PARTY, determined at all hazards to sus-
tain the Constitution and Laws 1t is the
zone thing necdfur' for which the loyal pco,
pie Of the loyal States have been praying and
pettionng the Executive since the rebellion
began, and it matters but little now, that the
rebellion exists what may or may not have
been the cause. The administration should
be sustained in the use of every means con
sonant with humanity and the dictates of
justice, in suppressing that rebellion And
in the name of Heaven, what act could be
more humane or just than the proclamation
which gives to millions Of the human race
th.t liberty which we have most solcmnly de-
cared belonged to all mankind, and if the
Executive has incurred or deserved censure
from the people of the North, it was because
he delayed that act of justice so long. 1t is
taking from traitors the most powerful wea-
pom for committing treason. Thus far they
have possessed nearly the same means of
sustaining themselves during the rebellion,
as they previously enjoyed. Take from them
this wcapon--proclaim freedom 20 their
bondmen-c compel the aristocracy of the
South to cultivate their own soil, or beg for
bread, and they will soon beg for peace
Without the aid Of that proclamation the
army and navy were comparatively inefti-
cicnt. With it, although traitors may man,
ifest unusual exaspera.ion and excitement,
and pledge themselves to the commission
of still more iniluman and atrocious acts to-.
wards the people of the north than have been
experienced by those who have heretofore
been unfortunate enough to fall into their
hands, and who have so uniformly been the
recipients of treatment which "ould disgrace
the nation even the most remote from our
standard of civilization, Yet the result must
be the entire and unconditional snbiu.
cation and submission of the States in re-
bellion. Our army is in the feld--our navy
is bullt-Cur resources are unbounded-Our
revenue from taxation, and other sources will
SOOn De enormous. ne administration has,
at last, graspcd the rebellion by the throat,
and the people are determined that that hold
shall not be relaxed until the traitors yield.
Whether the first day of January 1863 will
bring peace to our country, or a more deter
mined resistance to our government in its cf.
forts to sustain the Constitution and the Laws
is NOW uncertain. But we believe that the
Presidents proclamation, backed by more
than million Of troops, and three hundred
vessels of war, will exert powerful inhu-
ence upon the public mind in the South
The government has the ability to overrun
and take possession Of the South-parcel
out the land to settlers from the free States,
and from Europe, and hold possession Of the
same until the time shall come whcr these
States in which the system of Slavery now
exists, shall contain population pledged to
freedom, and able to sustain themselves
Until then let them remain territories, and
strictly under the control and supervision of
the Federal Government. Whether we have
war or peace, we must hereafter, for many