Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-12-14

ments will be the work Of a chosen few
And such scheme ola government ltis TO
be pyramid resting on is apex: States are TO be
created by less than tenth of the legal voters
And to cap the absuriity this Is to be done under
color of lha, provision of the Constitution by
which the United States guarantee To every State
republican form OF government. IL Is an odd
kind OF republicanism which divides a communi-
" into two classes by presenting an odous oath
which vast majority are certain 70 REJECT and
then erect the minority into a privileged class,
and Investing them with all the political power.
Mr.. Madison. 10 explaining In the Fcdcralist the
provision IF the Constitution relating TO the guar
antee - tue States OF republican form OF gov
eminent, asks, What, then are the distinctive
characters Of the republican formf" In answer
ing this question the itac word is hls) he says:
at IL essential 70 such government that it be
derived from the great body of the society, not
from an inconsiderable proportion or q favored
class OF H." And yet Dir. Lincoln. pretending 10
act under this very clause of the Constitution.
proposes 10 invest the government OF Slite in
one-teuth of it, voting population And he
makes sure that his political aristocracy or gov
ernng class will not be too large BY compelling
all its members swear allegiance 20 the Euian-
cipation proclamation.
Mr. Lncoln's allegation against the disoyal
States is false in fact it is absurd in theory
IL i not true that these States, or any OF them,
have abandoned the republican form of govern
ment. While adherng to republican govern
meni they are committing treason by Lowing war
against the United States Mr. Seward. in the
dispatch from which we have already quoted, adj
miis and maintains that the seeded States have
not changed their republican form. he said:
The rights OF the States and the condition Of
every human being in them will remain precisely
the same. whether the revolution shall succeed or
whether il shall fail. In one clse the States
would be federally connected with the new con-
federacy; in the other they would, n now. be
members of tho United States but their constitu.
tons and laws. customs, habits and Institutions.
In either case will remain the same y
lt is clear, then, that Mr. Lncoln's scheme il
not only preposterous i'm itself but that il is the
very hight of absnrdity TO pretend to fDd author
ity for il in that part of the Constitution which
guarantees to the States a republican form Of
government 1t is well adapted for immediate
political effect in the North and Tor obstructins
and defeating the object of the war in the South.
The New York News styles the message The
Despots Edict," and comments upon il in this
wise:
The ''policy Of emancipation" "and of en-.
ploy.ng black soldiers" is frs. alluded to in con-
nection with political situation, and having
been thoroughly exhausted, gives place to the
labvrinthne outlines or "A plan to make abolition
No unprecedented mind can dwell upon this part
Of the message without the conviction that Mr..
Lincoln has determined to prosecute this war
hereafter exclusively in the interest of emancipa-
ton and according the extreme purposes OF
the radicals If the intention were openly avowed
one might give the man at least the tribute due
TO boldness; but there is a low cunning exhibited
in his parade of sophistrv that jars upon the
feelings as something which. when associated
wit of lOppr
bring shame and humiliation to the entire people
The plot. for il is nothing less than tTeacherous
and despicable plot, is not developed in the mess
age proper To give it at once the force of an
Executive edict. he appends proclamation, pur-
porting TO be one OF amnesty, but IN reality de-
signed TO give to the retainers of the Administra
ton i'm the seeded States the power to create
new State Constitutions hostile TO slavery. "a
number of persons not less than one tenth IN
number of the votes cast in such States at the
Presidential election of the year of our Lord
1870. each having taken the oath Aforesaid. and
excluding all Others" may ere establish a State
government" which "shall be recognized as he
government of the Slater" "And il is en-
gagged as not improper that in any State, the
boundary the sub divisions. the Constitution and
the general code of laws be maintained, subject
only to the notifications made necessary by the
conditions herein before stated Chose of the
emancipation proofs mator,) and such Others
which may be deemed expedient by the new
State Government The suggestion is that il
is not improper" TO retain the old Con-
stitution. but the suggestion amounts TO an in
vitation to do otherwise BY observing the
tenor of "the oath aforesaid" it will be seen
that no person assist in the formation of
these new State governments who is not sworn to
"abde by and faithfully support all acts of Con
gress passed during the existing rebellion, with
reference to slaves" and also to abide by and
faithfully support all proca nations of the Presi-
dent made during the existing rebellion having
reference to slaves" Putting this and that to
gether. the simplest logician will perceive that il
becomes impossible for any State to return 10 the
Union except under the oath of its citizens TO con-
sent to the abolition of slavery
l. not this an eiectual bar to reconstruction
Is not this prosecution of the war directly for
the consummation of emancipation? Having
sacrificed 10 much of their best blood and under
gone so much financial, social and political mis-
fortunes, with the prospect before them of years
of runOus warfare, the people of the North can
not be blind to the proprety of establishing some
standard Of reconciliation that it is possible for
the South to accept. Yet now we have it distinct
" proclaimed by the Administration that the only
avenue To reconstruction leads under the yoke of
abolition. Who shall say that is not the plant
tool Of fanatic>m, that it is in accordance with
our Republican institutions for one tenth of the
voters of State 10 remodel. and in fact to re
create the laws and Constitution of that State,
especially when it is in the power of the admins
trati0n in the event of military occupation TO
flood such State with the emissaries of its will?
So far from being self government. the realiza-
ton OF such a scheme would be worse than tyran
nv; it would he the betrayal of the principles
fought for by our fathers, by a mean and treach
erous trick which would eterDaze discorJ. sus-
pcion and hatred between the sections.