Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-09-25
The Emancipation Proclamation.

Tive DAYS ago the President wonderfully
strong in the confidence of the country. not be
cause of his milit1ry conduct Of the var. for in
the opinion of all men. that had been disastrous
but because he had steadily manifested an ap
parently intlexbe determination TO adhere filth
fully TO the Constitution in the political manage
ment of the war and i'm the general administration
of the Government IL was the merit of this adj
heIence that, IN the minds of ali good and right
thinking men. covered his mul tude of sins in
the military conduct of the war. 50 long ~ he
seemed To be fast anchored To the Constitution.
good and right thinking men never ceased to
hope and believe that experience would teach hun
TO correct and overcome his miiay mistakes,
and that finally the Government of Constitu
tiOL would prevail over rebellion, and that THE
UNION would be re- established.
Now that he has cut loose from the Constitu
tion-nOw that he has re>ogted to the same higher
law than the Constitution for the pr0teSsed pur
pose OF suppre>sng the rebellion by which the re
bellion iuStlfies itself-good and right thinking
men know not what TO think or believe or width
er 10 turn for anchorage.
They smitten with a sense of alarm and
dismay They feel that the foundations OF the
Government are unsettled If not broken up
that the ship is adrilt without master, compass
rudder and that the chances of wreck are vastly
greater than of safety
1t the policy OF the proclamation were any
more detensible than the Presidents constitutions
al power issue il, the shadows which IL has
cast over the land would not he so impenetrable.
Ii is an act OF rs bad faith to every conservative
in the North il is Il terrible blow to the
Union men of the border slave States. The
President has himself apprehended that il might
drive fifty thousand Union soldiers. belonging To
the border slave States, from the Union armIe,l
We trust and pray that il will not but that il will
not work n most injurious revolution i'm the Senti
ment of those States we dare not hope and MS TO
Kentucky aud Tennessee, what time is this TO
hazard such IA revolutioni We await intelligence
OF its effect in those States with the most painful
anxiety.
1t we desired more conclusive arguments
against the mere policy of the proclaim tiou than
any we have elsewhere seen, should seek them
in the answer of the President to the memorial of
the religious fanatics OF this city contained in our
Yesterday issue.
what good. ;" asked he. "would a proclama.
ton of emancipation from me do, especially ~
we are now situated? | do not want TO issue
document that the whole world will see must
necessarily be imperative. like the Pope's bull
against the comet. Would nv word free the
slaves, when cannot even enforce the COn>ttu
ton in the rebel States? Is there single court
or magistrate il dividual that would be inhu-
enced by it there? And what reason is there to
think il would have any greater effect upon the
4
approved. and which offers protection ana tree
dom the slaves of rebel masters who come
within our linesl Yet cannot learn that tint
law has caused single slave to come over To
And suppose they could be induced, by procla-
nation of freedom from me, 10 throw themselves
upon US. what should We do with theml How
can We feed and care for such multitude? Gen.
Butler wrote me. a few DAYS since, that he was
issuing more rations to the slaves who have
rushed to him than TO all the white troops under
his command. They eat aud that is all . BE
fore the President issued the proclamation he
would have done well to publicly answer these
objections TO the policy of it,
Ii utter desperation had not before seized the
people OF the rebel States, as a consequence OF
the abolition and confscaiion measures oil tie
Congress at Washington. il will seize them now
The war hereafter, on their part will be a con
test for existence communities and indyid
We protest against the prOcla nation, IN the
name of the Constitution, in behalf of good faith
to the conservative millions of the Northern and
border States, and for the sake OF the only means
by which it has at any time been possible To res
tore the Union. We protest against IL as a mon
strOus usurpation. "A criminal wrong, and an act
of national suicide.
Nevertheless, Democrats and otner conSerVa-
tive people will not withdraw from the war.
They will fight in it and support it a before, not
10 preserve the Government, for that Is suo'ert
ed but to maintain Government. To do other
wise is 10 invite internal revolution, anarchy and
confusion, aud TO sink into disgrace a people
in the ewes of ChriStend0m. The Southern re-
beliion j. not a whit more tOlersbe because OF
this most untoward proclamation. That must be
resisted, whatever shall come; and as to what
shall come. only watch and wait.-Chi
cdgo Times