American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1851-1863, 1862-01-25
The Emancipation Plan in the q. s.
Congress.

congress.
We find in the New York Express. OF
the 7th inst, the text of the circular and
petition to the u. S. Congress, of which
we have already had limitations in late
telegraphic dispatches and brief details of
Congressional proceedings. inviting the
Federal Congress to overthrow slavery
The Express, in introducing these pre-
cous documents to the attention of its
readers, significantly characterizes them
as an attempt" to abolish our overshad-
owing attachment to the Union. and to
revolutionize this. Federal Union. into
despotic consolidated Union. with mo-
narchical power over the States"
The heading of the J" Circular y is in
these words:
The undersigned having prepared with
care and after mature delibera,ion the
accompanying petition on the subject of
/" Emancipation, recommend it TO the
public for general adoption and circula-
| ton. Copies may be obtained from
either of the subscribers. New York,
| December, 1861.
And this is signed by William Cullen
Bryant-the once Federalist, afterwards
| Democratic. and now Abolition poet
editor of the n Y. Evening Post. BY
Judge j. w. Edmonds. of spiritualistic
and rapping medium fame, by Rever-
end" Dr. Geo. B. Cheever, the fanatcal
parson of the Church of the Puritans in
New York, VIM. GUSTS Noyes, rene
gade Wing. and some dozen or fifteen
others of that stripe. And here is the
form Of the petition:
TO the President Of the United States and TO
Congress:
The people of the United States rep
resent: That they recognize as living at
the very foundation of our Government.
on which has been erected the fabric of
our free Institutions. the solemn and un-
dying truth that by nature all men are
endowed with an unalienable right to
liberty.
That SO far as this great truth has been
in any respect departed from by any of
our people, or by any course of events,
the federation of such departure has been
caused by an overshadowing attachment
to the Union. and by conscientious fideIi-
ty to those with whom we had voluntarily
united in forming great example of free
government.
That such Observation-Disclosures will
ing or unwilling. whether sexcusable or
censurable--has. nevertheless, given
birth to mighty power in our midst-a
power which has consigned four millions
of our people to slavery, and arrayed six
millions in rebellion against the very ex-
istence CT our Government, which for
three quarters of a century has disturbed
the, peace and harmony of the nation,
and which has now armed nearly half
million of people against that Union
which has been hitherto so dear to the
lovers of freedom throughout the world
That by the very act of the slave pow
er itself we have. all of US, been released
from every obligation to tolerate any
longer its existence among US. FL
That we are admonshed- day by |
day the conviction is gathering strength |
among us-that no harmony can be re-
StO:tO ~ tue idtiOIi, lO peace brought I
back to the people, no perpetuity secured
TO our Union, no permanence established |
for our government, no hope elected for |
the continuance of freedom. until slavery |
shall be wiped out of the land, utterly |
and forever.
{ Therefore. we who now address you, /
as co-heirs with you in the great inherit |
ance of freedom. and as freemen of
America. most earnestly urge upon the |
President and upon Congress
That, amid the varied events which |
are constantly occurring, and which will
more and more occur during the mo-
mentous struggle in which we engag
ed. such measures may be adopted as
will secure emancipation to all people /
throughout the whole land, and thus
complete the work which the revolution |
begun.
photographed to the yicksburg Whigl
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE.