Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1862-10-30


dents Emancipation Proclamation, by II. w.
Emerson, is published in the Atlantic Monthly
for November:
STEPS IN THE HISTORY OF POLITICAL
LIBERTY.
"In so many arid forms which states encrust
themselves with. once in century, it so often,
a loetc act and record occur These are the
lets of thought into affairs, when, reused by dam
ger or inspired BY genius, the political leaders
of the day break the else inSurmountablel on inc
of class and local legislation and take step tor
ward in the direction of catholic and universal
interests. Every step in the history Of political
liberty is sally of the human mind into the
untried future. and has the interest of genius,
and is fruitful in heroic anecdotes. Liberty is
slow fruit. 1t comes like religion, for short
periods, and in rare conditions, as if waiting
culture of the race which shall make it organic
and pcrmanent Such moments of expansion
in modern history were the Confession Of Augs-
burg. the plantation of America, the English
Commonwealth of lUiS, the Declaration OF
American independence in l776, the British
emancipation of slaves in the West Indies, the
passage of the Reform Bill. the repeal OF the
Corn Laws, the Magnetic Ocean-Telegraph,
though vet imperfect, the passage of the Home
stead Bill in the last C.ntrcss, and now emf
ncutly. President Lincoln, Proclamation on the
twcnty-sccond OF September These are acts of
great scope, working on long future, and an
permanent interests, and honoring alike those
who initiate and those who receive them. These
measures provoke no noisy JOY, but are received
into a sympathy so deep as to arprisc us that
mankind are greater and bet er than We know.
AT such times il appears as iii new public were
created to greet the new event 1t is as when
an orator, having ended the compliments and
! pleaSantries with which he coYciiatcd attention.
and having run over the superficial fitness and
commodities of the measure be urges, suddenly,
| lending himself to some happy inspiration, an
| n0urceS with vibrating voice tie grand human
principles inyolved-the brayoes and wits who
| greeted him loudly thus far are surprised and
overawed a new audience is now found in the
! heart Of the assembly-un audience hitherto
pas>i and unconcerned. now at last search
ed and kindled that they come forward every
one representative of mankind, standing for
all uulionalilies.
TIE PRESIDENTS POSITION.
THE extreme moderation with which the
President advanced to his dcsign-his long
avowed eXpectant policy, as if he chose to be
strickly the executive of the best public senti
ment OF the country, waiting only till it should
he unmistakubly p.omounced-so fair a mind
that none ever listened patiently to such eX
treme varieties of opinion--so reticent that his
decision has taken all parties by surprise, whilst
vet it is the just sequel OF his prior acts--the
firm tone in which he announces it, without in
| tlammation or surpluSage-all these have be-
spoken such favor to the act, that, great as the
popularity of the President has been, we are be-
ginning to think that we have undcrestimnted
the capacity and virtue which the Divine Prov
idence has made an instrument ofbeneft so vast
He has been permitted to do more for America
than any other American nun. lie is well en-
titled to the most ndulgent construction. For
get all that We thought shortcomings, every mis-
take, every delay In the extreme cmbarraSs
mpnts of his part, call these endurance wisdom,
magnanimity, Illuminated, as they now are, by
this dazzling success.
"When we consider the immense opposition
that has been neutralized or converted by the
progress of the war (for it is not long since the
President anticipated the resignation of large
number of officers in the army. and the sccesS-
ion of three states on the promuga ion of this
policy we see how the great stake which
foreign nations hold in our affairs has recently
brought every European power as a client INTO
this court, aud it became every day more appar-
ent what gigantic and what remote interests
were to be affected by the decision OF the Pres
ilent lone can hardly say the deliberaton was
too long. Against all tmorous counselS he had
the courage to seize ;he moment and such was
his position, and such the felicity attending the
action, that he has replaced government in the
good graccs of mankind. Better is virtue III
the sovereign than plenty in the season, say the
Chinese. Ills wonderful what power is, and
how i'll it is used, and how its i'll use makes life
mean, and the sunshine dark. Life in America
had lost much Of its attraction in the latter Years
The virtues of n good magistrate undo world
Of mischief, and, because nature works with rec
titude, seem vastly more potent than the acts OF
bad governors, which are ever tempered by the
good nature in the people, and the incessant re-
sistance which fraud and violence encounter
The acts Of good governors work at geomet-
: rical ratio, as one midsummer day seems 10 re-
pair the damage Of a year of war.
'A day which most of us dared not hope tc
see. an event worth the dreadful war. worth IL
costs and uncertainties, seems now to b'
close before us. October, November, Decem-
Der, will have passed over beating hearts ant
, plotting brains then the hour will strike, and
all men of African descent who have tacult!
enough to find their way to our lines are as
sured Of the protection Of the American law
FORCE or THE MEASURE.
at is by no means necessary that this meas
4 ure should be suddenly marked by any sigma
( results on the negroes or on the rebel masters
. lhc force oil Inc act Is tnAt IL commits Nne Cuul
= try to this justice-that ii compels the innumer
= able officers, civil, military, naval of the republic
r to range themselves on the line of this equity
# 1t draws the fashion to this side, 1t is not {
: measure that admits of being taken back
d Done it cannot be undone by new Admins
/ tration. For slavery overpowers the disgust g
! the moral sentiment only through immemoric
Q usage. 1t cannot be introduced as an improve
II ment of the nineteenth century. This act make
'S that the lives of our heroes have not been sac
+ rifced in vain. 1t makes victory of our de
W feats Our hurts are healed the health of th
st nation is repaired. With victory like this, W
d can stand many disasters. 1t does not promiS
4. the redemption of the black race; that lies ne
1t with us: but it relieves it Of our opposition
/, The President by this act has paroed all tf
of slaves in America they will no more fgl
l. against us and it relieves our race once for a
II Of its crime AID false position, The first cor
&c dition of success is secured in putting ourselvt
he right. We have recovered ourselves from OF
4 false position and planted ourselves on a law
"a nature
u, q If that fail
~ The pillared armament is rottenness,
i'm And cartl's base built on stubb,e.'
r. The government has assured itself of the be
I'd constituency in the world every spark OF inte
lect, every virtuous feeling, every religious heal
every man OF honor, every poet, every philos