Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-12-31
COMMUNICATION.
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE AND PRocLA-
NATION.

Florida South Carolina, ard North Carolna, humber
persons not less than oneenth the number OF the vote
cast in such State at the Presidential election of the yea
Of Lord thousand eight hundred and sixty, eac
having taken the oath aforesaid and not having sine
violated it, and being qualified voter by tho election Law
Of the State existing mm dstey before the called
of secession and excluding al OTHERS shall establish
State Government which shall DO republican, and in no
wise contravenng said OATH such shall be recognized
the true Government Of the STATE and the State shall
ceve hereunder the benefits of the constitutional pro
vision which declares that the United States shall
guaranty every State in the Union republican form
government and shall protect each Of them against nva
son and application of the Legislature the Execu
tive (when the Legislature cannot bo cOnvened) against
domestic violence"
The above is entire clause verbatim, of the late
proclamation Of the President only emphasizing these
markable words, and excluding all others" The Pre-
sdent invites the people Of the States named
such part of them having heretofore engaged in said
rebellion" desire to their allegiance to the
United States &c. not 10 resora ion Of their several
State Governments which he says have been subverted
not to return of the States with their loyal governments
restored to their former position within the Union but 10
reconstruction of their respective State governments,
aud reconstruction" of the Union itself This word
reconstruction formerly only heard from the mouths
of traitors who sought Herewith to lure conding people
onward to the commencement Of the demolition of the fair
fabric of the Union which fathers built with view,
they said to reconstuction. The deed DONE these
foolish politicians conceived they gave out that the
idea Of reconstructon could be entertained The
word had been repudaed from the fret by the Admins
traton and the friends Of the Government, implying
that the Union had been destroyed And if destroyed it
must be by an authority having the per gave to decree
Hate ~
to overthrow the authority OF the Union by force of
The denial of the former hypothesis lies at the foundation
Of the political faith of all Unonats Of the country
and to fall upon the latter would be to ignore the facts
history which induced the President to proclaim about the
time of the Of this proclamation, general thanks
giving by all the loyal people of The land.
But if the destruction of the Uuon is TO be thus re-
cognised aud its reconstruction set about who to
rebuild the fabric7 1t would not be discourteous or
unfair to infer that the President himself the
position OF builder and his procamatons
ing slaves the acts of Congress relating to slavery
to lie at the foundation but who to be the wortmen
whose hands shall rear the surerstrucure What men
are hcse who called upon, to the exclusion OF all
Others up to the help of The President IN the re-
construction Of the Governments Of Tennessee and North
Carol ma, of Arkansas aud Texas, aud Of the Union
tself3
When Tennessee for example, was overrun, impressed
and betrayed into the of the rebellion there remain
e3 fifty thousand loyal who refused to bow the knee
to BsaI A dsoyal Governor and Legislature betrayed
our people, organized and armed the rebeous aud those
who could be impressed by moral force or decoyed by
fase rpusvutaous into their service The leaders and
the rabbe established vigilance committees, stirred up
mobs and aaugursted reign of terror in the State.
Thousands OF the loyal were driven or fed the State be-
to mind talented honored and highly radical gentleman,
and two sons worthy of their siresl Of whom
cupy positions near the Government Tens Of thousands
we're deferred from voting by the fear Of immediate vo
ence personal insult aud future persecution Tickets
even in large part Of the States cnud not be circulated
or placed the polls, except those for separation
And yet after ALL and in spite of ALL nearly fifty thousand
votes were casmore than onehrd of the number cast
in the Presidential election of l560-for no separation
And now these fy thousand loyal men, unless they will
come forward with the rebels and take and subscribe The
Presidents OATH by the terms Of bis proclama
ton dfranchsed 10 the reconsruction which the Pre-
sdent proposes The Governor of Tennessee Cat that
time Ishsm g. Harris unless he hss taken position
or committed act If which have not been inform
ed il eligible to citizenship in the State TO be con-
sructed The disloya majority in the secession Lesisla
ture Of Tennessee call it, many Of them have
not been favored with accepted certain positions in the
rebel service are eligible to czenshp-and this would
embrace number of them suc emily large to constitute
a msority Of that Legislature But John Netherland, al
ways loyal and true who beaten for the Governor
sbiD of Tennessee by HarrisJohn Nethersnd. firm and
true 10 the Union the mountains Of bis East Tennes
see Lome-this haired PATRIOTS excluded with al
others unless he will take aud subscribe the tesosth
aured And there were few men in the secession Lee
pi.aure such as East aud Trinble and Williams, and
Wseper and few Others who would not disregard the
sancy Of their oath to support the Constitution OF the
Urited States and Of the state Of Tennessee" but voted
against treason and have remained ait fulthese too
are excluded, unless they will take the prescribed test
oath All the members Of thst Legislature had uoluna
ril sworn to support the Con uon Of the United State
when they were qualified cutoiians Of the public veal
but when the time Of trial came with the honorable ex
cpptons referred to- their solemn obligation found in
sufficient to bind them Yet it is proposed by the Presi
dent that these and like them who have operated
with them in the work Of destruction which bss desostet
the land and destroyed liberties, IL certain number
of them will take and subscribe oath, and keep it Ions
enough 10 cast their votes that these shall be
trusted with the wei of reconoructing the State Gov
ent they destroyed. to ih exclusion OF all other
who will not with them take The r,befs oath Of pardon
Aad there are Brownow the esress and his fearless
aud Temple and Baxter, and TrgG, aud Fleming, and
host Of noble East Tenncsseans who have aDgushed IL
prisons aud been hunted in the mountains and tough
and bled in their country's armies-these, too are ex
cuded all Others unless they will submit 10 the test
And there Campbell and Gordon and the Stckoses sud