The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1863-12-18

1hc oombssiOner OF the Department OF Ag |
riculture, asking your attention to the de- |
Velopments IN that vital interest of tho M.
ton
When Congress assembled year ago, tho
war bad already listed nearly twenty
months. and tbero had been many conflicts
m both land and sea- with varying results.
The rebellion had bceu pressed back into
reduced limits, yet tho tone of public feeling
and opinion at homo and abroad was not
With other signs, tho popu.
lar elections then just past indicated un.
casiness among ourselves, whilo amid much
that was cold and mcnbcng, the kindest
words coming from Europe were uttered in
accents OF pity shat wo were too blind to
surrender. Our commerce was suffering
greatly by a few armed vessels built upon
and furnished from foreign shores, and We
were threatened wi h such additions from
tho same quarter as would sweep our trade
from the sea and raise our blockade. We
had failed to elicit from European Govern.
mcnts anything hopeful upon this subject
Tho Emancipation Proclamation which was
issued in Sept. was running its assigned
period to the beginning of tho Now Year.
month lator the final proclamation came.
including the announcement that colored
men ot suitable condition would be received
into the war service. Tho policy of oman.
cipa,ion and OF employing black soldiers
gaVo to tho future a new aspect. about
which hopo. and fear, and doubt contended
in uncortain conflict. According to our
political system, ns matter of civil admin.
istration, tho general government had no
lawful power to effect emancipation in any
State, and for a long time il had been hoped
that rebellion could be- suppressed without
resorting 10 it as military measure. Ii
was all the while deemed possible that
necessity for it might come, and that, if il,
should. tho crisis OF the contest would then
be presented 1t came and was intended
l. was followed BY dark and doubtful days.
Eleven months having been passed. We are
permitted to take another review. The Rsb-
eI borders arc pressed still further back
and by the complete opening OF tho Mi ssis-
sippi river, the country domlnated over bv
the Rebellion is divided into distant parts,
without practical communication between
them. Tcnnesseo aud Arkansas have heen
substantially cleared of insurgents control
and influence. and the citizens iu each aud
owners of slaves and advocates of slavery a:
the beginning of the rebellion. now openly
declare for emancipation in their respective
States. OF those States not included ir
the Emancipation Proclama,ion-Nlaryla lane
and Missour--neithor of which, wears ago
would tolerate any restraint upon the ex
tension of slavery into the new territories
onlv dispute now as to tho besl mode of re
moving il from within their own limits. o
those who were slaves at the beginning O.
the rebellion full one hundred thousand ar,
now in the United States military service
about one half of which humber actual,
bear arms in the ranks, thus giving The
double advantage OF taking SO much labor
from the insurgents cause, and supplying
tho places which otherwise mrst be filled
with go many white men. So far as tested
it is difficult to say that they are not as goot
soldiers as any. No sersile insurrecton. OF
tendency to violence or cruelty, has marked
tho measures of emancipation, or armiul
the blacks. Those measures have beer
much discussed in foreign countries, ant
contemporary with such discussions the ton,
OF public sentiment there is much improved
At homo the same measures have been full,
discussed, supported, criticised and de
nounced, and the annual elections tollowin.
arc highly encouraging to those whose spec
ial duty it is to pilot the country through
this great trial. Thus We have the reckon
ing. The crisis which threateded to divid,
the friends of the Union is past. Looking
now to the present and future, and will
reference to a resumption of the Nationo
authority within the States wherein tha
authority has been suspended. l hav
thought fit to issue a proclamation, n cop,
of which is herewith transmitted. On ex
animation of this proclamation it will ap
pear. as is believed, amply justified by tn
Constitution. True, the form of an oat
is given, but no man is coerced to tax
it. A man is only promised a pardon i
. case bo voluntarily takes tho oath. Tn
Constitution authorizes the Executive t
grant it on these terms, AS is fully estat
lished by Judicial and other authorities.
is also protferod tha i if in any of the State
! named IA real government shall bo in tn
mode prescribed set up, such governmer
shall be recognized and guaranteed by tn
United States, and that under it the Stat
shall on the constitutional conditions b
protected against invasion and domesti
violence. Tho constitutional obligation {
the United States to guarantee 10 ever
State in the Union republican form {
Government, and TO protect the State in tn
| cases stated is explicit and lull but VIII
5 tender the benefit of this provision onl
! to State Government set up in this pa
ticular way This section of the Constit,
, ton contenplates a case wherein tho eli
ment within State favorable to "a Republ
. can Government in the Unioh, may DO to
feeble tor an opposite and hostile elemcr
. external to and even within the State. an
= such are precisely the cases with which "
are now dealing An attempt to guaranIt
g and protect q revised State Go.ernmeI
constructed in whole or in preponderatir
a part from the very element against who'
hostility aud violence it is 10 be proioste
IS simply absurd. There must be test
; which TO separate opposing el ements, so
. to build only from the sound, and that te
i is q sufficiently liberal one which accepts
i sound whoever will make u sworn recin;
\ tion of bis former uusouudness. But II
>. be proper to require as test OF admissit
TO tho political body an oath OF allegisn
=, TO the constitution of tho United States al
u to tho Union under it,why also The laws al
Il proclamation in regard TO slavery Tho
laws and procamutons were enacted al
It put forth for the purpose Of aiding in It
n suppression of the rebellion To give the
, their fullest effect, there had toAsS pledI
d for their maintenanoe. In my @udg gme
i. they have aided and will further aid Il
"a cause for which they were enlisted. ]
A. give up this principle would be not only
a. relnqsish u lever OF power, but would al