Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-11-17
The Administrations, the slavery
Question and the Presidency.


Whittier is the Administration drifting on the
slavery question: Is the reclamation of the re.
belli0us States or the abolition of slavery therein
a. u preparatory publication. TO carry the day;
What are to believeg According to President
LincOlns settlement OF the Missouri muddle, the
abolition faction and their lone idea" are to be
set aside, and conservative policy is TO mark the
reconstruction of the Union; but. according TO
the recent speech of the Secretary of Safe at
Auburn, the Presidents letter on the Missouri
difficulty amounts to nothing more than joke;
for Mr Seward substantially SAYS that slavery
will be extinguished in the great work ct re estab
fishing the territorial integrity of the Union.
A new light has fallen upon Mr. Seward
Only "a few months ago. in memorable dispatch
to the French Government, on the question OF a
Joint convention of delegates from the loyal
States and from the revolted States. he, without
qualifications, suggested that the return of the
members To both houses of the Federal Cor grcss
due irora the rebelliOu> States would result AZ
once in Joint convention, in which all the trou-
bes between the two sections could be satisiacto-
rily adjusted: that this the only joint con
ference admissible SD tar as our government was
concerned: and that such conference not
only admissible but desirable in view of the con
stitutional participation il would give TO the IN
surrectonary States in the reconstruction of the
Union We cannot doubt that Mr. Seward spoke
by authority at that time How then. are we 70
account for these later opinions of his delivered
at Auburnl l. the Pores bull against the
comet" after all 20 be the supreme and iuhexi-
bic law of reconstrucuonl Is every rebeIlious
State to be compelled to make good the emanci
patton proclamation and purge itself OF African
slavery at a hazards. before us rehabilitation as
a member of the Uniouf
We are all IN the dark upon this subject: but
the events which have occurred since the issue OF
General FgemOnt's Missouri edict of emancipa-
ton are very suggestive. Since that day, With
here and iheTe u little bitch, the abolition pro-
gramme has been put into practice. step BY step,
until il needs only practical enforcement of the
Presidents slavery abolishing proclamation to
secure complete success OF the abolition fac
ton Assuming that the Secretary OF State hs.
warned Us OF what il j. the present purpose of Mr..
Lincoln 10 Go. may at least exercise the priv
lege % warning him agsins; following the abOli-
ton y III o. the wisD any further.
Accordingly. we would thus admonish Presi-
dent Lincoln that the same conservative popu.
lar element which turned he elections in most
OF the loyal States last year against his admin
istrAton because OF its laundering abolition
war policy. have turned this years elections in
his favor. and upon tn simple platform OF an
earnest and overwl slmng prosecution OF the
war tor the suppression OF the rebellion. We
would remind him that the great body OF the
ueorle of the North desire the war 20 be ended
and the revolted States restored 10 the Onion
as soon a. practicable. with or without remnant
OF slavery a. this or that State may present itself
for re admission We would remind him that IN
this business the Union Is the primary aud para
mount question. ana that Southern slavery Is but
secondary issue We would advise him to cut
loose from the disorganizing abolition factions
beginning with his Cabinet. and IN cast himself
upon the conservative masses Of the loyal States
and upon the simple platform Of the restoration
OF the Union. without insisting upon the condi
ton precedent OF the roofing out of every vestigs
OF Southern slavery.
Finally, We would impress this warning upor
the mind OF President Lincoln. that in yielding
90 tleuemsuds OF the abolition radicals he place:
himself in their power only ~ become their VIC