The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1863-12-10

o,orod man of suitable condition wouid pc
o ooN.;ssd into the war service. The poncy
Of emancipation and of the employ msus =,
black soldiers gave to the Iu. 60
new aspect about which hope anu a.
and doubt contended in uncertain connes
'n According to our political system a.
,,..tar of civil administration the Genera
@ aa'. mont had no lawful power to effect
sWsncination in any State, and Tor long
tima II had been hoped that the rebshlon
could be Suppressed without rssorting 70 ~
q. a military measure, it was all the whiis
sesmed possible that necessity for 1t mign'
come and that if it should, the crisis OF tine
contest would then be presented. II ssme
and as was intended, it was followed Dy oarA
and doubtful days. 80,
Eleven months having been passed, we
ara nermitted to take another review. Inc
rebel borders are pressed still further DacA
md bv the complete opening of the Missls-
.;nni river. the country dominated over Dy
the ap rebellion is divided into distant parts,
Practical communication between them ana
the Tennessee and Arkansas, has Deen 30
substantially cleared of insurgents controi
and in1nence. and the citizens In eacn, anu
owners of stores, and advocates OF slavery
at the beginning of the rebellion, now de-
clare openly for emancipation IN tneir TO
spective States. Of those States not in-
cluded in the emancipation proclsmatl1n
MARYLAND and Missouri, neither OF wnicn,
wears ago, would tolerate any restraint up
on the extension of slavery into their TERRI
tories. only dispute now as to the best MODE
of removing itfrom within their own MINUS
OF those who were slaves at the begin.
ming of the rebellion, fully one hundred
thousand are now in the United States NIL
;tarv service, about one halfof which num-
her actually bear arms in the ranks, thus
giving the double advantage of taking so
much labor from the insursent cause ana
supplying the places which otherwise must
be filled with so many white men. 30 lar
as tested, it is difficult to say that tney are
not as good soldiers as any. No ssrvlis In
surrectien or tendency to violence or cru
elty has marked the measures OF emancl-
patton and arming the blacks.
: These measures have been much discuss
ed in foreign countries, and contemporary
with such discussions the tone of the pub
lie sentiment there is much improved. At
home. the same measures have been fully
discussed, supported, criticised and de-
nounced, and the annual elections follow
ing are highly encouraging to those whose
special duty it is to bear the country thro'
this great trial Thus We have the reckon
ing of the crisis which threatened to di-
vide the friends of the Union is past.
Looking now to the present and future,
and with reference to resumption OF the
national authority within the States where
in that authority has been suspended, l have
thought fit to issue proclamation, copy
of which is herewith transmitted. On ex-
animation of this proclamation it will ap
pear, as is believed, amply justified by the
Constitution. True, the form of an oath is
given, but no man is eoerced to take 1t. A
man is only promised pardon in case he
voluntarily takes the oath. The Constltu'
ton authorizes the Executive to grant it on
terms as is fully established by judicial and
other authorities 1t is also profered that
if MANY of the States named seat of gov
eminent it shall be in the mode prescribed,
set up. Such government shall be recog-
nized and guaranteed by the United States,
and that under the State shall, on subscrib-
ing to the constitutional conditions, be pro-
tected against invasion and domestic vlo-
lence. The constitutional obligation of the
U. S. to guarantee to every State in the
Union a republican form of government and
to protect the State in the case as stated is
explicit and full. But why tender the bene-
fits of this provision only to State govern
ment set up in this particular way? This
section of the Constitution contemplstes a
case, wherein the element within State
favorable to republican government in the
Union, may be too feeble for an opposite
and hostile element, external TO and even
within the State, and such are precisely
the cases with which we are now dealing.
An attempt to guarantee and protect q
revised state of Government constructed in
whole or in preponderating part from the
very element against whose hostility and
violence it is to be protected is simply alb
surd. There must be q test by which to
separate opposite elements so as to build
only from the sound, and that test is suf-
fc:ent and liberal one which accepts as
sound whatever will make sworn rscanta
ton of his unsoundness. But if it be proper
to require test of admission to the politi-
cal body on oath of allegiance to the Union
under it, why not also to the laws and proc
lamation in regard to slavery? Those laws
and proclamations were enacted and put
forth for the purpose of aiding in the sup
preston of the rebellion. To give them
the fullestIefect there had to be a pledge for
their maintenance. In my Judgment they
have aided and will further aid the cause
for which they were enlisted, to give up
this principle would be not only to relin
quish lever of power but would also be a
cruel and astounding breach of faith.
may add at this point that while l re
main in my present position shall not at
tempt to restrict or modify the emancipa-
ton proclamation, nor shall return to sla-
very any person who is made free by tie
terms of the proclamation or by any act of
Congress. For these and other reasons it
is thought best that the support of these