The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1863, 1862-10-30
The Origin Of the Presidents
Proclamation.
Eloquent Letter from Robert Dale
owen.
TaE Twenty THIRD OF sEPTRNBER.
To Me Presidsnt Of Ms 0. S:


To the President Of the o. s; g
Sra In DAYS when the public safety
is immineuIly threatened, aud the fate Of
a nation may hang upon single act. We
owe frank speech, above all other men.
to him who is highest in autt ority. l
shall speak 10 You as man TO man.
Harsh npinious have been formed Of
you; even honest men doubling the pro-
bily pf your Intentions. l do not share
their doubts. believe you to be upright,
single hearted in your desire 10 rescue the
couutry in the hour Of her utmost need.
without aferthoughi Of the personal COZ.
sequenc s to youIsef. t'i" egg
Ii. amid the multitude Of contcnding
counsel you have hesi,ated and doubted;
if when a great measure suggested itself.
You have shrunk from the vatt res2onsi.
biLty afl all TO go forward lest you should
20 wrong. what wonder? How ie ", since
the foundation OF the world. have found
themssl Ives in "a position environed with
public psrils so numerous, oppressed with
responsibilities SO high and solemn. as
ourself? q S. '." ."'
d, No man ever escaped from such-so
reads the lesson ofhislory-wilhoul a bold
heart and a high faith. Wisdom, pru-
d7nce, fOreshought, lhese are essential
But not second to these is that noble
courage which adventures the right aud
Ieav, s the consequences to God. N
| Men ever follow willingly daring
Header; most willingly of all. in great
emergencies. Boliness aud decision,
command, often evil, the respect and con.
currencs of mankind. How much more
10 God #" sJH' 7'.s ''
There is measure needing courage ia
adopt and enforce il, which believe to
be Of virtue sufficient TO redeem the ma,
ton in this its darkest hour one only
| know Of no other to which we may ra.
Iionally trust for relief from impending
dangers without and within.
The dangers which threaten US aie two.
fUll, First, from the Confederate forces
composed Of men whose earnest conyic.
ions and reckless bravery il is idle tc
deny. Secondly. from ourselves, com.
PEELED to make use OF military power OF
proportions so gigantic that no nation
ever permitted the existence oil such with
out more or less risk 10 the people who
employelit. II we think lightly Of this
latter danger, We slight the tta.hings OI
all past time.
As 10 the frs: Have you not had your
moments Of doubt ~hpther we aie to sue
ceed at all?-wkeh, r The Union, Onoe Sc
glorious. viii ever be reunited ?-whethel
peace. which We used to enjoy with as
little gra ituds as we do tho sunlight or
the air we breathe, will ever again settle
down over our distracted country?
I'll have douhtS Of all This it is only
because do not know what you. acio,
will be. We Fave al our disposal means
of Certain success but | cannot tell
whether. while there is yet time, you
will decide 10 employ them.
| Our enemies, like the Grecian hero
have one vulnerable point. You havs MOI
touched it, What should have been lheil
element of weakness has been suffered tC
remain an element OF strength.
They have nearly million OF able
bodied men Of ft age for war or for labor
Holding thess in bondage, and employ
Ing them TO till the SOIL they are sna lsc
to send to the battle field almos, thrir en-
tire white male adult population, yet pre-
serve their commissariat sufficiently sup
phi d. ,.-. '...,
1t has always been great wrong tha
these men aud their families should b.
held in bondage. We Of the North hav'
hilhero acquiesccd in it, lest, iu th- II
f'rt to redress it IN violation Il the Con
st,tu'iou. greater evils might ensus.
But The lime has come when it is Con
itutional TO redress it The beIlio
has made il so. Property in man alway'
morally unjust, has be'ome nationally
dangerous. Property that eadangers tb
safety of nation should not be suffered Il
remain in the hands tf $ citizens. A
Chief Magistrate who permits it so to re
main becomes responsible for tho conse
quenccs For he llss the right. unde
the law and tie Constitution, TO take pri
va'e property. with just compensation Of
Iered, for public use, Whenever il is appa
, rent that tie public exigency demand
such appropriation.
Forgive what may seem cur, speech
| say thst in my judgment presid-r
with just sense Of duty has no option j
/ such case.
4 In the due exercise OF your offici,
Y power, in strictest accordance with la
' and the Constitution, you can 4 prive til
enemy of that which, above all else. h'
given, and still gives him all and Con
fort. You can declare emancipa,ed h
slaves. the supplies Of his commissaria
:. Gradually. you can deprive him Of thes
S and for every hundred THOUSAND produ
tive labr-Is ho lvses. you may have
a hundred Thousand soldiers, With the
Q aid you can rea'h the rest. What the
j, remains for him? lie must thin his ranl
to cultivate his plantations. lie mu
8 labor for his own food, or must perish fl
}. ths lack Of it.
q The people are forbidden to give Al
y and comfort to rebels What Of a Go
'e ernment that has the power to cut c
=, from aid comor. all the rebels Of Il
y South AMI fails to exercise il9 t
o We oughtto do that which is rightev
l If tn rrcompense be distan, and unce
tain but we adj folly to injus ice it '
u neglect great act Of bsniticenos that
II 10 be rewarded, even now, by our ov