Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1862-09-26
The Pregldept,s P.roeIamalion,r

-DelHOu.----- IleSAAubAt
J, W. c., Co. ID. 81
The PresIdept,s ProcIamation,r
Prom the New York Tribune.
/. In sacred aud profane poetry, the epitome |
of all human wisdom, there lie no truth
more clearly recognized than that In the
lives Of nations and of men there comes |
sometimes 4 precious moment, a mere |
point of time. on the proper use of which
depends salvation for that life, whether
temporal or eternal, That momeRt has
come to as. The proclamation of the |
President which gives 10 certain contin-
geuey-almoses ure to oeeuf-Freedom TO
four millions of men, is one OF those stu
pendous facts in human history which
marks not only snsera in the progress of
the nation, but an epoch 10 the history OF
the world. Shall we recognize and use 1t
wisely, or shall we, bliudly and foolishly,
refuse TO see that we have now our future
in our hands, and enter upon that down
ward career which leads eventually to ruin
and obliyion2 ..s.-.f,, ..i- i .-,.I-f.i
We tremble at this tremendous responsi-
biIity. We cannot forget how for nearly
half a. century the people of this country
have been taught in the church, the school,
and on the political PLATFORM that evil 10
our good; that the one sacred thing in all
our luSlltuNlpuSl ~ 1ue ~ alHtu VI 9lhNoEys---
But we remember also with gladness aud
with hope that the counter lesson has been
taught by, q portion Of the press, by the pull
pit, here and there faithful TO its sacred
| trust, by the wayside by self denying men,
| that Liberty is above all things precious,
the one thing without which there is no
truthful and permanent national life, and
no individual development out of which
great nations grow, We remember how
the events of the past two years have done
and undone the work of half century; and
tue people Of 1850 have become, 10 1862, a
people Of totally different and new intel
lectual and moral life. Whereas in 1860
| We bowed before, while we devoutly be-
lieyed in. the safety and the wisdom Of HUI I
man Slavery, in 1862 we know it is our
curse and our danger, costing MS already
| the lives of hundreds of Thousands of our
| young men, and threatening the dearer life
4 Of the nation itself b..4. 7r.t,f Ill XXX.
But while We rejoice and hope for the
best, We still trem6le. There are among
US men whose foolisbness will not depart
| from them though il be brayed in a mortar
other men who will not cease from wicked
ways while in the flesh. But the emauci-
patton which the President has proclaimed
Is the emancipation of more than four mil
lions of black slaves it is the freedom of
well-nigh twenty millions from thraldom
they have been taught TO reverence. Have
they learned Alright the lessons Of the last
two years? Do they now know that they
also have been in bondage, and will they
accept this great boon of freedom which
wise ruler offers them? We hope so We
deyoutly pray that wisdom may enter into
the hearts OF all the people. Let the Pres
all the, land he Is hailed as Wisest and
Best, and that by this great deed of enfran-
chisement 70 an oppressed peoPle-a deed,
| the doing whereof was never before vouch-
safed to any mortal ruler-he rs-creates a
nation. f--s
For such indeed is the fact. BY a sim
gle. blow he has palsied the right arm of
rebellion. Slavery is the root of the re-
bellion /; he digs it up by the roots. Pro-
perry in slaves, the APPALLING events of the
last Two years show, is dangerous to the
existence of q nations he destroys such
property. The rebels are dependent for
their daily subsistence upon their slaves
he makes those slaves freemen. AS slaves
| they are the mere subjects of rebels, to toll
for them, to be used by them as beasts Of
burden as freemen they are the loyal all
| lies of q free Government, asking only in
return the protection, which such Gov
etnment gives 10 the humblest citizen. By
a word the President transforms a State
sunk in the Standardization of a medieval
age 70 the light aud civilization of the
nineteenth Christian century. As il is
not extrayagant TO say that God had hid
away this continent until the human race
had reached its manhood and was fit 10
enter upon so fair an inheritance, SO it is
u simple statement of truth to say that
in all the ages there has been no act of
one man and of one, people sosublime as
the emancipation of q rRce-no act SO
fraught with good for the sons of men
in aii time 10 come. .5.5
Is the President in advance of the peo-
ple2 We think not, and the evidence of
only four aud twenty hours already sus-
taius our CONVICTION. There are men of
the baser sort who will carp aud cavil, who
prophecy evil, and strive to make their
prophestes their, own ful6lment. When
was Il ever otherwisef But this man sprung
from the people, has gagged the wisdom
and the virtue of the commonalty, aud
speaks with their voice. The sagaoity and
theintegrity which so distinguish him have
no more failed him uow than before. All
good men praise him; all far-seeiug men ap-
prove his action; all brave men applaud the
courage which unsppalled by aceumulatiug
danger, never falters, never Yields, but puts
forth its strength at the right moment, and
plants the blow in the right place. II is
the way 70 conquer; il must conquer; 1T
cannot fail. The reserved strength Of the
people has never been wanting ia any crisis
that has called it forth. nW We mark OF the
war into periods when some new exiRency
has manifested II with unexpected power.
Il began with the fall Of Sumter, when
treason faded away like darkness before the