Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1862-10-10
The Presidents Proclamation.

lished Ia our paper of last week, is, a
yet, the great event of the war Ii i
the greatest victory which has yet beer
achieved over open aud defiant treason
AS state paper it ranks next in impor
lance to our immortal Declaration Of In
dependence, and it is impossible to imag
inc that in any future period Of our ma
tonal annals there can be = state paper
Of mightier significance or more momen-
tous issues. 1t is nothing less than the
token Of a revolution in our government
til administration, and the pledge Of a
speedy extrication from present pctls.-
We may regard it as tho palladium OF
our defence. The proclamation is not
decd all that it might have been, or all
that we could have desired. There are
imperfrclions and drawbacks which need
not by any means have attached 10 II -
There are eXcelencies, which if they had
held place in this remarkable document,
would have conferred upon Abraham Lin
coin the most Industrious Immortality
We would not have delayed the going
into effect of the proclamation till Il e
first of Januury next. We would have
given to it an instant efficacy, and not
for nearly four months would we have
been restrained from giving forth the gIo-
rious word of freedom through all our re
VOTED states. The president ought to
make such an edict none but fool would
dispute or doubt. As a prerogatve of
war it is placed beyond all contradiction.
And the call for it on the ground of mil
itary necessity was most urgent. This
alleged military necessity was no specious
plea, or prete1t for doing what by the
adversares of slavery, was held 10 be
greatly desirable. The necessity was
most extreme. Without fearful peril it .
could not have been delayed but few
days longer. The south in its despera-
ton was prepared to anticipate US.
We believe also had the proclamation
instead Of being limited to the revolted
states, embraced all the slave states
been proclamation of emancipation to
all the enSlaUed it would have been only
what was really truest, highest wisdom,
and demanded by the exigencies of the
case. How noble, how sublime, how ex-
ultant, would that have been--the proc
lamaton of liberty throughout all the
land and to all the inhabitants thereof. :
Then had our nation stood forth the adj
miration and envy OF the world, and Of
all the sons Of men none greater or more
enviable than "IIonest Old Abe" There
is only thing, further, by way Of excep-
lion which we will note respecting this
proclamation. lis tone is very formal
and frigid. The thing is put simply on
the low level Of expediency. There is
no recognition Of its righteousness no {
word, or phrase, or sentence in it to ava I
ken the enthusiasm and arouse the sym /
patbies o. great people. We have no ;
"nunciaiion Of sublime and eternal prin
ciple in it as in the Declaration Of hide
pendence.
But while we make such comments, j,
is not in the spirit OF fault-fnding. 1t is
only because that what is well done
might have been still better For the
presidents proclamation we are deeI II
thankful; it determines the policy of the
administration, and determines it in the
only way compatible with the honor and
safety of the nation. The country will
sustain the president in his proclamation.
The only effect it will have upon the reb-
els will be to intensity their opposition, y
make them more determined and desper-
ate in their treason, if there were any
room for it, which we do not believe o
Their hostility to the government prior
to the proclamation was as embittered a.
it could be, So that it can DO no harm in /
that direction. In the border states il r
has called forth, so far as we can discov Il
er, no opposition; it it DO, we must not u
allow border state men to dictate our gov
policy. The impartiality and c
wisdom Of their discernment is manifest p
ly too much influenced by their proclivi. b
lies for slavery. Throughout the north 7
and west there are none but Brecken.
ridge Vallandigham Democrats that dis
approve of 1.-THE men who are at any !
lime ready to sell the north to the south d
and throw in their miserable souls to
bind the bargain. Good men of all po- /
tical creeds and parties unite in sustain
ing the president and ralIying to his sup al
port. W
Some practical observations suggested e,
BY the proclamation, our limits do not tr
now permit US to offer. We reserve :.
hem for another opportunity; mean u
while let no mans heart faint. no mans SO
courage falter. This is a war of princi-
Die; of right against wrong; of freedom Ell
against slavery and although there sho'd pit