Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-01-01

To day We are promised an edict from the
President. proeIaiming freedom to some three or
four millions of African slaves. nearly all Of
whom are unprepared and untitled for the boon
of liberty if he had the power to confer it upon
@hem. The President does not pretend that he
has q warrant in the Constitution for this act
He ~justifies II as a military necessity. rs a war
power. But mark the Inconsistency. The Presi
dent asserts that the so called Confederate States
are vet members Of the Union. Ii SO, they must
be governed under the Constitution. and they are
only subject to the penalties which it provides for
= disobedience. rebellion. or treason. If not mem
bers Of the Union. if independent of its authori-
". then is the proposed proclamation of no more
force than the paper upon which il is written-it
l. an net of the shecrest folly. But in what at
titude will this emancipation policy place Us be
fore the woridf Will it not be as a nation of
hypoerites. without integrity. and without honor?
Let us briefly examine the record of the past
two years A Republican Administrations is now
in power. In 1860. the Republican party. by lite
representatives. met in convention in Chicago.
One of its resolutions reads thus:
That the FfDrRAL CoSsrIrurreS, the rights
Of the STATES. and the UNION of the States. must
and shall be preserved"
Are these declarations. deliberately asserted
ss a part of the Republican platform of prinei
piles. consistent with the policy now proposed by
the same par,yy Here's another plank from the
same platform, which il will be we'll for the mem
bers of that political Organization to read in the
light Of passing events:
Fourth: That the maintenance inviolate of
the rights of the S,ates. and especially the right
of each State To order and control its own do
nestle institutions. According 10 its own judgment
exclusively. j. essential To that balance of power
on which the perfection and endurance of our
political faith depends, and we denounce the law
less invasion nv armed force of any Stale or Ter
ritory. no matter under what pretext, as among
the gravest of crimes"
Upon these principles the Republican party tri.
um?hed. Us chosen President. in his inaugural
address. thus defines his position upon the slavery
question.
Il have no purpose. directly or indirectly, TO
interfere with the Institution of slavery in the
States where 10 exists. 1 believe | have no law
full right TO do so, and j have no inclination to DO
so.r
These declarations are straight forward. and
-o CO can mistake their meaning The position
aus expressed BY the President is strengthened
and the policy Of the Republican administration
il more deliberately set forth by Mr.. SKwAnp. in
his Official correspondence With Mr. DArToS. our
Minister to France. He says:
The condition off slavery the revoluuonl in
the several States will remain just the same.
xnesher IL succeed or fill. There i not then a
pretext for the complaint that the di>afected
49,. .. - r.r.- -. l. "a. ST.
il the revolution fail; for the rights OF the States
and the condition OF every human being in them
will remain subject 20 exactly the same laws and
forms OF administration whether the revolution
shall succeed or fail. In the one case the States
would be Federall, connected with the new Con-
federscy. ia the other. they would. n nov, be
members OF the United States. but Their ~constitu-
ton and laws. customs. habits and Institutions, in
either case viii remain the same.
liz i hardly necessary 20 add TO this inc0ntest-
able statement the further fact that the new Pres
dent. - well "a the citizens through whose snf-
frages he mas come into the administration. has
always repudiated all designs whatever and
-Sheneyer imputed 10 him and them of disturbing
thefsyste6 of slavery as i existed under the Con
~stllution and laws.
The case. however. would not be fully pre-
scented III | were 20 omit 10 saw that any such ef
fsrt- on his part w0uld be unconstitutional. aud
all bis actions in that direction would De pre-
vented by the judicial authority. even though
they were sssentei 10 by Congress and the Peo-
pie
Could the case be more strongly stately Not
only the administration uh~s construed the an-
ihority Of the Government and the rights OF the
States. out the United States senxfe adopted he
following reiteratiop Of those views. by the unsn-
i:noas adoption Of : resolution introduced by Mr.