The Portland daily press., 1862-09-23

fee or paper promptly transacted on application as
above.
For the Press.
"The Constitution as il is, and the Union
as IL was.''
"who rely upon the phantasy, that only an un-
warranted, Illegal, and fanatical bulletin of emanci
patton ofthe negroes can save the Union. n.'-IArgus
We have shown that only last year, the Ar
gus as representative of the concessionists
or compromisers, was opposed to the Consti-
tuition as it is; and in favor of a dissolution Of
the Union, unless the constitution could be al
tered in such a manner as to spread slavery by
the infamous Crittenden compromise. We
have also shown that although the constitu-
zion has not been altered, it is not possible to
restore "the Unionas it was" In this lam hap
py to find myself confirmed by so intelligent
man as Hon. 7. NJ. Hayes. He says: "The
legitimate purpose of this war cannot be to re-
store the Union as it was, for this is simply inn
possible"
There is large body of men in this coun-
try, calling on the President to proclaim the
emancipation of all the slaves of rebels, who
shall come within our lines for protection in
accordance with the confscation act. Promi-
nent among them is Horace Greely.
There is another large body of men calling
on the President, to proclaim the emancipa-
tion of all the slaves in the Union, or at least
of all in the rebelous States as war measure
as the readiest, if not the only mode of putting
down the rebellion.
To both those classes the Argus and its par
ty are hostile. By that paper both are repre-
sented as fanatical, and their proposed mea-
sures as Illegal unwarranted, and unconstitu-
tional.
Jefferson Davis, Benjamin, Floyd, ,vallandig-
ham, and Charles A. Wickliffe, also profess to
regard both of the proposed measures as lille
gal, unwarranted and unconstitutional. But
the President does not regard either of them
in that light.
He says: "IfI could save the Union without
freeing any slaves, would do it." Well, he
has been trying to do that for eighteen months
without success. In spite of all efforts to con-
duct the war, in such a manner as to hold all
the slaves in bondage, it has not been possible
TO do It.
Many slaves have been emancipated, and yet
the Union has not been saved. More than a
million soldiers for the Union have been raised
yet the Union has not been saved. Many bat
ties have been fought; yet the Union has not
their lives, or limbs or health, in this war; yet
the Union has not been saved.
Again the President says: "IfI could save
the Union by freeing all the slaves,I would do
it." Here the President claims the power and
the right to emancpate all the slaves in the
country, for the sake of saving the Union.
But he has not tried this method The Argus
thinks this method would be illegal, unwar-
ranted and fanatical. But the President thinks
it would be entirely constitutional. Yet the
Argus processes to be the special friend of the
President, and accuses Senator Summer and
the emancipationists, comprising the most of
those who voted for Lincoln, with the, crime
Of treason, and places them in the same COM
pany with the secessionists!
Hon. Thos. NJ. Hayes also, thinks it would
be entirely constitutional. He says:
"The purpose of this war is to defend and
maintain the supremacy of the Constitution,
and the national Union,-if in accomplishing
this high object, State lines, institutions, ira
ditions, habits, or ideas oppose themselves, they
should be swept away like the chaff ofa sum-
mer threshing floor" If slavery stands in the
way of maintaining the supremacy of the Con-
stitution and the national Union, as we all
know it does it must be swept away. Mr.. Hayes
has no doubt of the power.
This war is legal and constitutional on the
part of the government The shareholders
raised a great insurrection or rebellion in the
cotton States.
By the constitution Congress was author
lied, to "raise and support armies; to pro-
vide and maintain navy; to make rules for
the government of the land and naval forces
to provide for calling forth the militia to exc
cute the laws of the Union, suppress insur-
rections and repel invasions."
Congress has raised an army and a navy,
and has authorized the President to call forth
the militia to suppress the insurrection. BY
the Constitution the President is made 8the
Commander-in-chief of the army and navy of
the United States, and of the militia of the
several States, when called into the actual
service of the United States,
Under these provisions of the Constitution,
the army, navy, and militia of the States have
been called out, and put in action. to suppress
the Shareholders rebellion. The Constitution
does not in terms declare that the President
may use cannon, rife, guns, swords, pistols,
shot, shell, powder, ball, horses, or Wagons.
1t does not in terms say he may take life, lib