Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1862-03-13

TIE Prssiaesss Message.
The Message of President Lincoln pro-
posing that pecuniary aid be offered by
the General Government to such States
a. shall hereafter, by their own free
choice. initiate system Of gradual eman-
cipation Of slavery within their respective
borders, will command the universal and
thoughtful consideration of the country.
Among all the schemes proposed
whereby the National voice shall give an
utterance in favor of freedom, this method
Of the President is at once the most SEN
sible and practicable. The only serious
criticism that it has met from any quar-
ter in the free States, is, that it may have
been prematurely proposed. Fears have
been expressed that it may distract the
Government and the public attention from
the one grand aim and object OF crushing
out the rebellion; and the opinion is held
by many able and patriotic men, that the
disposition of the slavery question should
follow, and not precede the consumma-
ton of that object. But this objection is
merely superficial and does not go to tho
real merits of the Presidents proposition.
In fact, so far as the great mass of the
loyal people ofthe country are concerned,
the views of the President meet with an
approval which, if not unexpected, must
yet be exceedingly gratifying to the
Chief Magistrate. And as to the border
States, a little reflection would convince
them that not only is there nothing I'M
constitutional in the proposit,vn Of the
President, but that it was conceived and
put forth by the dictates of the highest
patriotism and the wisest craftsmanship,
and that if carried out it would result in the
greatest material advantage and moral ele-
walton ofthe States that shall be disposed
10 cooperate with the General Govern
ment in efforts to rid themselves of the
incubus of Slavery. The President pro-
poses no coercive measures. His scheme
recognizes the absolute right of each State
to control and regulate its domestic insti-
tutions in its own way. The States are
simply invited TO rid themselves of the
cause of all our National troubles, and of
their own degradation in the Union, and
proposes nothing but the exercise of pa
sernal protection and aid: Can any true
friend Of the Union find fault with that?
Should the views of the Praa;do-. =
soncurred in by Congress and the coun-
try, as now seems probable, it will super
sede the scheme proposed by Senator
Sumner, of placing the rebel States un-
der territorial governments-whichs seems
to Us to be revolutionary and impracti-
cable. Summers scheme involves the
admission on our part of the very ground
assumed by the secessionists namely,
that an act Of secession has the effect to
destroy the relation Of the State to the
Federal Government, as it existed under
the Constitution before the act of seces-
sion was passed; whereas, the truth is.
that all such acts are null and void. I'm
der the Constitution, it is out Of the power
OF any combination of citizens, whether
acting through the forms of law or not,
to dissolve the Union of these States,
except in the mode which that instrument |
itself provides. That relation cannot be
destroyed. II may be suspended de facto
i is true, but not de jure and it will
never do for this government to admit it,
sven by implication. The rebeIlious
States, so soon as rescued from the grasp
,f traitors, are entitled to be reinstated at
'nce In all their rights and privileges
,nder the Constitution, and it would be
he grosscst injustice to the loyal people
u those States, even were there no con-
titutional difficulties in the way, to re-
nit them back to condition OF territorial
'upilage. 1t is apparent that the great
'bjecs Mr.. Sumner has in view in subject
ng the rebel States to territorial govern
nent, Is to thereby get the power under
ne Constitution to abolish Slavery in
hem, under the clause which provides
lat Congress may make all needful
ules and regulations respecting the ter
itories,' &c. But the difficulty is, that
he Constitution 10 violated by robbing