Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1862-10-27
,TaE EMANCIPATION rRooLAmATIoN.
COMMENTS OF H ENGLISH PRESS.

We subj DIN the comments oil the Post and Times, on
Lipcoln's Emancipation Proclamation:
From the London Post (SOvsrnnsnt ofganl oete
The proclamation lost issued BY President Lincoln, to
| come into operation on the LIST day Of January next
will surprise no one. Il bears an unmistakablei Likeness
| 70 those manifestcss which, from time to time, the Feds-
raj Government delight, to address to the American peo-
ple. IL breathes authority, Il Breaches command, IL
| brea,hes universal empire. The Amerioi ms love exagge
ration, and the Government Of their choice loses no op-
portunity Of gratifying the national foibls. II a battle
| IL to be described, superlstives are exhausted In hnding
| appropriate terms. If numerals are to be used, Q string
| OF ciphers Is always at hand to convey the desired idea.
And so 1t is with p~roclAmstious. There Ia Clearly no
| limit to the number Of persons to whom q proclamation
may be addressed. As q mitser OF practice, however,
Il Is usual 10 address proclamations to those alone who
would be likely to regard them with attention. In early
times II was not usual for the Popes to
whole natiors; but % in many Of these instances those
who we're accommodated denied the pspal authority,
the effect produced was nugatory, and the practice Tell
into disuse. 1t hiss now, however, been renewed In an
Io:her form Ia America. Abraham Lincoln, finding MS
au b rity wanting, even whtre 1t Is atli nominaly re-
cogniz Vi, has determined to vindicate 1t where II 10 en-
tirely ignored. He has failed 10 sutjugate tbs Southern
States by bis lsgions, and 10 his extremity has decided
on IF ,cting bis purpose by q scratch OF his pan. on
and after LIST day Of January, 1868, he DEGREES that the
our miliens Of slaves at present kept 10 subj sotion In
the Southern States shGll be free. The President wills
T. and of course all must obey. On reading bis procla.
II WI " SAh ohAy
An abohtionist should have seen ft to Limit the sphere OF
operation Of each unparalleled beneheence. WHY are
! the slaves OF the Southern States thus Equally favored
and those of Af;cs left sill in thraldom 7 Why has not
the Presidl Mt Of tie United States Of America disfran'
co.'s d the slaves o. the entire universe.
1t is scarcely possible to treat seriously OF this singular
| mani este. II not genuine the composition would be
| eauded 8 no litde praise as q piece OF matcaless Irony.
Toe accuracy with which the details are EARTHQUAKES ID is
fultless. Rabsllion, like treason, is very diff ,ult Of
| ds6aition, and the President consequently assusges the
/ fears T such Sites a. may be apprehensivs Of being e.
| rousously supposed 10 be rebellious, though, 10 fact, 10y
| a., By laying down an easy and iGteligible test. ANY
| sac. or the people thereof, which shall on January /,
I DO 10 good faith represented in the United Ates Con.
| gress by members chosen at elections wherein the ma
l ilrity Of the qualified voters Of such State shall have par
lcipated. shall, in the absence OF strong eountervaiiing
testincny be deemed" mot TO have
| been in rebellion against the United States" Applying
| .lis test, the Federal Government will on the Let OF jan
| uSry, for the better information OF the wosld, formally
l designate" such States as will then be 10 rebellion, and
| 10 those States, by virtue Of the proclamation, slavery
| will forthwith cease 10 exist. Every slave will thus be-
| come A free man. Deprived OF slave labor, the South
| en planters will find their energies pArslyzsd, il they or,
| no. themselves annihilAted by the emAncipated seris.
The war will cease, aud the Union be once more restored
| ia is pristine integrity, but cleansed Of tia: foul stain
| which heretofore made it the reprosoh oil Christeudom.
| A. length the American question has been hnahy and
| sAIisf- C .orily solved.
ia not easy to s,timats hoo utterly poOerlss' aud
| e,ntsrspti6ls a Government must have become phieh
could sanction Nth its dPprOva! such inesHsats trash =
| A feW weeks since, trembling for the safety OF lie c1pl-
tat thu present moment unable TO forco q passlge IN
90 il eremy's terri.ory-it sill takes upon itself to dis
pose Of property which il Is powerlesl TO SEA- Nor IL
the assumed authority Of the Federal Executive less IN
constitutional than IL Is preposterous. las Prs'tdsnt 81
u. Uaitsd States has no more popsr TO hbsrdtsa sIdss
ia Virginia than QgssH Victoria; and, for ha! mater,
neither has The FEDERAL Congress. According to the
American Copstltulioo, the local legislature of each
State possesses the cole power OF emancipahng the
slaves within is confines. But the President OF this
United States hs lorg siDco discontinued the anhcipa-
ted cu.t,m Of &C ing according o law. There are few,
however, even o. those who hAvs manifested the great.
es. disregard for the laws they have sworn TO I'D.
minister, who have not been more or less sensitive Of
ridieule, A man may havo the passions of an asgry
mob, but he does not ike exposing himself to be laughed
a.. Mr.. LirCo,s seemingly cares as Is'le for the ridicu'e
"a he does for the anger OF the American people. He
mus; be So are that bis proclamation will prove q 6ru'gn
fuinsn. Gen. Eanter, 10. many months since, in q mo-
msnt of abol ZIONIST Esd, ensucipstej all the slaves in
South Ca, olirs but, 10 the surprise OF everybody, the
slaves paid no attention TO his proclamation, and worked
away harder than ever 10 throwing up those fortihcitons
which ingcrsd The slbsequ mt repulse OF the ! .dsral
forces. Does Mr.. Lincoln supposs that they will pay
reader OBJ sdierce 10 biz maoi'estof Liberty, We should
have supposed, would recommend itself, II at all, to a
slave BIZ is intrinsic e1cellaoce, aud that the mods Of
manumi.i0u would BE- regarded wi hindif 1ronce. II the
slsves Of tho Southern States desire freedom ]! Is evident
that they are alone prevented from securing 1t by the
superior q rength OF thei; mas ers. M. Lincoln must
show hoE hi proclaim Ntio1 will weaken that strength
| bsfcre hs s.ish,s hs Solll that IL cal p!ogo other than
imperative.
While providiug prososc'igsly for the lutGre the pre-
sent il roS neglected. tbs Chief Magistrate Of the great
model Republic OF modern times haa proclaimed martial
Law thr0uRbol; his domiEiJ ms and suspended the habsdS
| corpus act. A Ition * seeding tuenty millions, in.
| habting q territory unoccupie by a single hostile soldier,
| have by M. L,rc1ln been deprived Of appeal TO any
| other aus ihal those his Generals may pleasoto enun
ciate. Nor even before a military tribunal can a hear
ins be Of risat demanded. Tue President may cobfne
10 prison for al ind Il lite time any person he chooses.
L. is suii lien. to Siege that the accused hSs been guilty
OF rebellion, OF has opposed the enforced levy OF sol
derS, T. dep i've him OF his RICH! 10 demand q trial Tor
the alleged Uff;lce. SdCh is the existing state OF things
IN New York, In Boston, in Philadelphia -citieI far re
| moved from tho seat OF war. Such IL the liberty en-
ioyed by the free cit ms Of Am ,rica. The measure
Sss, We suppoae, deemed necessary by the Presl.
dent in GODS queuce OF the invitation lately given
| by the Governors Of Pennsylvania and OHIO TO those
of those Of the other States TO meet and deliberate on
| pubic I'll irs. Such q meeting would undoubtedly be
construed into su act Of REBELLION, aud we suppose that
the President intends 10 arrest the refractory Cover
nors. The sesersl $ atcs, however, value their indi-
| yituL ildeJ idsnce even more than they do tue integ.
rity Of ths Union, ard II is far from likely that they
| would lamely permit their Governors 10 he cent to
| prison in comp .uce with the federal authority. The
proclamation of martial Law Throughout! tho federal
s a,ss has been prompted, no. by Confederate sgsres
sion, but By domestic insco lrity. War has been declared
between tho fejerIi government and it's seknosledged
sul cs. The pSoc AnItiou ,mlnoipstlng the slaves is
ey.1ouly a b-i, thrown Gu. 10 gain the support Of the
aboli Ii)DisI party. |: will prove useless. The American
people hSvs OF late submitted 10 much, but We do Eoi
nellie e that they will patiently accept Of a degrading
d,spotsn eieus' cd BY the feeblss: and mos! contemplate
Of governments.
From the London Timer, Oct G.
Even in this cIi.;s OF the war, the most important part
Of the last intelligence refers 70 q pohhcd, not a military
movement. P.esidslt LiGcoin has separated himself
from tie moderate Republicans, aud fully accep.c the
eI RENE policy Of tue violent 70 otS the party includ q
Wishtui combining With them. 10 hes played his las.