Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-01-12
Iron the New York World.
Chc Gmnncipn Proclamation.

The character of this document was 20 fully
lOteshadOwe ell Ia IT, September precursor that
public interest centcrs more un the fact OF its
ISSUE than on the nature ol IL contents. Whit
principally strikes public attention II the fact
that President Lincoln has fully and hnally com
mltied himself to tho policy ol emancipation
The particular features OF the procla nation
Witch seem deserving of r.matk are these; The
President rests the measure on purely military
grounds. with u di-tinotncs- which did not appe,r
~ Tho September proclamation. he avows the ~.
lcnlion TO receive the enancipalsd slaves INTO tho
military and naval service at the United States.
nd lac recognizes. the State hood aud unity ut all
the designated States, Including Virginia, except
ng the forty eight Western eountIee. IN such
terms ~ to imrly that they ate AIll counties ot
he St,te ot Virginia, despite the fact that The
day before Issuing the ptorla nation he had aign,
,l the hill int the admission OF thuse counties
into the untou IA n new State
The most important question that can arise fol
alive 10 thl. proclamation respects Ia legal effect,
Immediate practical cllcc, u has none The slaves
remaining Ia precisely the same condition ~ he
lore They Ftll live on tho plantations, tentn,
heir accustomed hovels, obey the comm iud ot
their master or oVetsect, eating the food he lur
ul.les, aud dning the work he requires precisely
~ though Mr. Lincoln had not declared them tee
Their freedom. then. u " olear, l. only a dormant
freedom. " Tree ~ all, they are not actually bui
.flilN ltIhiN lf' w '' llN'lffniiifl " w hnN
legal iofee, II IA like a Heed putpof,ing 10 oonve,
the loo simple oI u piece ot property ~ which
there Il an adverse claim, the adverse claimant
being Ia aetu,l procession The title OF tho slave
tn hi freedom Il "a he mtde good lay asserting u
IN 4 court OF competent Jurisdiction The nature
~ HE suit Il such that the United States
courts have uo jurisdiction except b, appeal ~
on a wit OF ellut, The original remedy of Tho
slave az he has nny) II IN The local courts nf the
&tuta "A Istr la LA. hn Inunigil llaa .a.nYtn ua
know beforehand, will not entertain III. snlt
They do not recognize the Validity of tie decree
ui which he rests his claim So inhp therefore,
- The present political AID military status cnnliu
ues, The hee,lum declafed ", this nfoeiainitiun i.
a dos mtnt, not ~ actual freedom The legal
maxim viii apply 10 II that ds nan apggfeafiba.
adf uaa sfisieHilbHs ratio esi fadem facts that do
not appear ne Ca ba olassed With those that de-
not exist.
The slaves might, TO he sure, take the vlndioa
ton OF the = rights INTO them own hands, by rising.
rn masse, against their mtstefs Hut this they
could have done any time within the last htty
years with quite AS good advantages aud as strong
/. color al right ~ now, Nj lincoln's paper
proclamation u OF 40 more lofce than the IA
pre,criptahle title OF freelom born with every
human being ho has eourag, and vigor OF
chnr,ele, Ia assert IL. There has never been a
time when the negroes had 40 little Ia hope from
an insufreetion ~ ~ present. The whole white
population of the South v in arms II the slaves
we're disposed Ia run away, they are hemmcd Ia
hy large armies on all the southern frontiers,
Whittier could they leeg II. assembling IN large
bodies, they should olet q show ut violence.
what chance have they. uuarmed. against the
abundance OF improved artillery aud firearms Ia
the hands of a superior racer IL they resort Ia
the torch OF the incendiafy, how me they aud
their little ones 10 subsistf Whatever small
c.Hnce they have of gaining their freedom i b, a
scrviie insutreeuon. but they have ten chances 10
rush on distinctions To one of e-caping from seryi-
tude IL i obvious. therefore. thar. for the
present. the proclamation Is imperative and
futile. II may strengthen the resistance of the
rebels. bnt Il cannot benefit the slaves.
IL may tie said that the procl an alton estab.
fishes a legal claim 10 freedom which the slaves
may successfully assert alter the military supju
CATION OF the South. Rut this knocks the bot.
tom cut of the proclamation, aud spills all its
contents. The proclamation Is issued a. a war
measure; a. an instrument for the sub ugation ot
the rebels But that cannot bee a means OF mill
ttry success which pfe~uppo>es this same military
success as the condition OF it, own existence. IL
conioutds all ideas ct means aHd ends 10 call
emancipation n Wat measure when emancipation
j. obviously unattainlble until alter milit'ry re
si-tsncs Is put out OF the way. II the war should
end IN the triumph OF the rebellion the proclaim.
ton would. OF course. amount 20 nothing IL the
rebellion j. sabdued. the procla nation merely
gives u colorado ground tor suits for freedom
before the tribunals of the country. Its whole
efficacy must finally depend on whether it is sus.
ttinei by the courts That the eou.s Of the
slave States ia which the suits must originally he
brought, will not sustain it. admits OF NO doubt
wha'ever. That the Supreme Court OF the Uni.
tel State-. 10 which such suits may be carried Tor
tnal adlulicstion. sill declare the PROCLAMATION
VOID. l. also morally certain. IL IS clearly ru.
constitutional and wholly void. unless su>tlinsble
"a a var measure. A war measure " clearly j.
not. lnasmueh a. lle previous success OF the war
Ia the only thing that can give Il validity