Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-12-03
The PrealdenI's lIessage.


EHAECIPATION.
The most interesting and important part
of the Presidents Message is that pOr-
tion relating to the conduct Of the war and
the execution Ofthe proposed emancipation
plans. Upon this point Mr.. Lincoln forci-
bly, and truthfully says that +" the dOgmas
Of quiet past are inadequate to the stormy
present" The legislation which was ap-
Propriate for time Of peace is not availa-
BILE in time Of war. Hence we must pro-
coed, in measure without precedent, :.
dispNsing Of the vast interests c,r Sdsd to
the authorities during IT,. time Of war
The occasion is Pill ~ vitb 5;fBcultv
1 Nc nus .se with the occasion In
sis" u ne relationship Of slavery 4 the
,ar. the President proposes and urges ~,
posals to be submitted to the Governments
Of the States, to become parts Of the Con-
stitution. II ratified BY tbree-fourths of the
Legislatures. The first provides that all
States abOlishing slavery by their own act
before January 1st, 1900, shallreceive com
pensstion from the United States. This is
the gradual emancipation plan, first pro-
pesed 10 the Border States and now extend
ed to all the slave States. It gives the people
Of those States nearly forty years tine in
which to accommodate themselves to the
newlabor system, If they choose to take that
time. Surely there is nothing in such
gradual emancipation as this, that the most
settled Conservative could object to- 1t
leaves the matter entirely with the States
and gives them abundant time in.which to
carry cut the plan.
The second provides that all slaves set
nee BY the chances Of war shall be forever
free, the loyal owners, if any, to be COM
pensated for their loss. This is but carry
ing out the articles Of war adopted by Con-
Rress at the last session, and is humane
and Just. These slaves have been, willing
yor unwilingiy, the tools of the rebelliOnj
they escape from that service, or are torn
from ii, and are eonfscated like anything
else Of service to the enemy. They are and
have boen loyal, but have been forced to
do duty in the cause Of the rebellion
Considered as loyal men, our duty is clear
IL To set them free from their forced dis
loyalty; as things, it is as clearly our duty
to deprive their masters Of their services,
ss we would eonfseate mules or guns.
The third amendment is that Congress
may appropriate money and otherwise pro-
vide for eolonizing free colored persons
outside Of the United States. 1t lis notice
able that the expression used is &" may pro-
vide" There is no compulsion in the
matter, and justly SO, for events may, and
probably will demonstrate that the most
practical and useful disposition Of the free
blacks is to keep them at work in this
country. The fields and plantations of
the South will need them, and there
they will be the most at home
In their labors. When the decree
Of emancipation shall have taken
eject, the cotton, sugar and tobacco lands
will still remain in want Of just the labor
that negroes can best furnish. General
Butler is showing how this work Of culti-
vEting the South can be done. He has Sc
questered immense estates in Louisiana
% be held By the Government until the
loyalty Of the owners is proved, if it can be.
Meanwhile he has set the negroes at work
under proper supervision, paying them
fsir daily wages, and keeping regular ac-
counts with them, as he would do with
nsrthern laborers If the plan should be
sucosssful, land there is no apparent rea-
sun Why it should not then this may be
the beginning Of policy that viii Obyi-
ats any necessity or desire for cOlonizs-
don.
These proposals Of the President are ex-
terror to all other regularly adopted plans
for the restoration Of the Union. Their
adoptionis not necessary to the return Of
thersbsllious districts, nor yet SgiJl they stay
tks par OF the proclamation Of September 22d.
The prophecies Of the conservatives, in
which the wish was father to the thought
that the message would indicate an aban-
donment Of The emancipation scheme, are
shown to be false. The President will
stand BY the proclamation as the wisest
: andmost eficacious plan for subduing the
rebellion. The President will not wait for
new his suggestions to be adopted; if they
srs adopted at once, then restoration will
easue and the necessity for both the var
and the Proclamation be removed. He
evidently does not expect his plans to be
acted upon during the month only that en-
sues.before the time for the issuing of the
second Proclamation.
Upon the whole, the progressive-sye,
the radisaI party, if you will,-may feel
satisfied with the position of the Presi-
dent upon this point. As usual he sue
eests more than he directly afirms, but
he leaves no doubt of the fact, express
Cd in his reply to Horace Greeley, that it
e his desired wish that all men every
where shall be free" and no advocate Of
emancipation could better express his sen
Hmsnts than in quoting the words Of the
Message Itself; 0T1
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