The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1863-01-14
9olitital Skaters.
Hon. J. NJ. Ashley TO his Constituents.
The Presidents Proclamation-TheF Flu
ture of the Republican Party - The
Cause of Freedom.

From the Toledo Commercial
WASHINGTON CRY, u. C.,
January |, 1863.
EDiroR CoMNHRCIAr: The last Of the hun.
dred days respite given to slavery expired
with the dying year, and this glorious morn
ing ushers in new epoch in our history
The die is cas- To-day the Rubicon was
crossed, and the Nation thanks to the per.
sistent demands of her earnest sons, is at
last irrevocably committed to the policy of
universal emancipation.
The Proclamation of the President, which
viii reach you on the wings of the light.
ming while am writing, will meet with "a
welcome response from all unconditional
loyal men, aud will sink deep into the heart Is
OF the slaves who have long prayed for the
dclverance it will bring.
The execution of this decree of freedom
may be impcded by faction aud delayed 10y
adverse najoritics, but it caLuot fail, bo-
cause it is the sentiment Of the people, and
tho nation is pledged to its tulGllment be-
fore the world. Its execution will require
time, fortltude and patience. A comprehcn-
sive craftsmanship must guide, and the ac-
tive cooperation of all loyal men will be
necessary to direct, in safety, the change of
y
transition OF four millions from slavery to
freedom.
Let us have faith that this grand purpose
will be successfully accomplished, and that
from this day will date the dawning of
new era i'll the United States in favor of
freedom and constitutional government |
may be over sanguine in my hopes of the
future, but it seems to ME rs if the hour
has struck when the Union contemplated
by our fathers is about TO be realized. TO
me it appears that the present will be II
yeal ever memorable in the history of the
republic and the world; year in which
the eniranchised millions of the United
States can stretch forth their glad hands
to the enfranchised millions of Russia, and
thank God that the establishment of justice
in the administration of these two great
governments has made the chatteli2ing Of
men hereafter within all their borders fol.
ever impossible, and paved the way Tor
breaking the bondage of men among all the
civilized nations of the earth.
The hue and cry that will be raised by
the rebels in the South and their sympathiz-
ers in the North will be that this proclama-
ton of the Presidents is unconstitutional
There are many men who will unblush-
ingly denounce this act as unconstitutional,
who never read the Constitution in their
lives, and who. if they should read it could
not understand it. This pretended reverence
| for the Constitution comes with All i'll grace
from the men and the party that have never
scrupled to disregard it, or to violate any
compact, however sacred. which stood in
the way Of the demands of the slaveholding
rebels.
Article |, section g. of the Constitution
| provides That,
Tho Consress shall have power. - - y
"To declare war, grant letters of marque
and reprisal and make rules concerning
captures Oh land and water.
ITO provide and maintain navy.
| "To make rules for the government and
regulation of the land and naval forces.
"To provide for calling forth the militia
to execute the laws Of the Union, suppress
instructions and repel invasiOns.
ITO provide for organizing, arming, and
disciplining the militia, and for governing
such part Of them as may be employed i'll
the service of the United States"
These express grants ofpOwer are ample
| for all purposes of war. When Congress
shall declare war, or recognize the exist
ence of war, all rules applicable to state
of war at once govern every movement OF
the army. These laws are well established
among the civilized nations OF the world.
lfa rebel must at first be convinced by
"due process of tar" in q court OF law
then no war. either offensive or defensive,
can be carried on. Under such interpre-
tatou of the Constitution not gun could
be fired, because it might kill II rebel "wiH-
om due process Of tar" and killing men
not being regarded rs" due process Of tar,
within the meaning of that term as en-
ployed in the Constitution, it follows logi-
cally, that all war on the part of the United
States against the rebels, is unconstitutional
But these rebel sympathizers will not as
sume that the government has no right to
order the killing of a rebcl in battle under
the law of war. They will concede that a
rebel life may be taken constitutionally in
battle; that his property may be taken for
the subsistence OF the army-hls horse. his
cattle anything but his slave-may he Justly
and constitutionally taken. But the Pres
ident and his supporters are unscrupulously
denounced as violators OF the Constitution
because of this proclamation. | need not
deny such an idiotic charge. In common
with the loyal people Of the United States
| revere the Constitution OF my country
and mold it to be the supreme law of the
1
tage of our fathers, u charter of national
liberty, which honestly interpreted, needs
no amendment, and, contains within itsel
every provision that under all possible exi
gencies are necessary to preserve it anc
perpetuate the government and natior
which it created | would not evade OF
violate this Constitution. The people arr
in arms to maintain it. and they will man
tain it. Slavery and every enemy OF thu
Constitution, must fall, but the Constitution
and Union must be preserved. have be
lieved from the first, as my constituents
well know, that slavery must die before
this rebellion could le crushed. have be
lieved from the first, that the petty strah-
gems of statesmen, generals and dolbh'
faced editors who feared, az well as tiose
who worshipped slavery, while they hight
postpone, could not prevent it.
If it be true then, as even Hon. Roer. D.
Walker, of Mississippi now Shce"es'
"Mdt .Slaeery must die ia ordel ma Ms
Constitution may iUe," he is an enemy OF
the Constitution who will not Aid IN the
overthrow of that power whic IL seeking
the nation life. Let it not b! SAID oy any
proslavery rebel sympathizerin the NORM
that we cannot destroy Slavry Without ue
stroying the Constitution. me great chsrter
of our liberties contains Io provision, as
interpret it, perpetually binding upon the
nation the curse Of Hlman slavery. ~
contains no provisions securing immunity
to traitors. No enemyof the Government
has any guaranteed fghts under the Con;
stitution, except thoe which are secured
to him by the laws o war. Instead OF at
tempting the destrption OF Slavery, lh A., vi
olation Of the Constitution or by evauihs
any of it's requirements, believe IT, Il can a,Se Se
destroyed, as can every enemy oi 'nH md NV