The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1863-12-19
TIE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.


that proclamation. iself The substance
Of the whole is, that the President offers
an amnesty and pardon to all rebels eS-
cepting the following:
The civil and diplomatic officers ii the
Senators, Representatives,
and Judges, who have" seeded officers
who have resigned service ~ the United
States army and navy AID taken positions
with the enemy present and past officers
in the r-;-l army of aud above the rank
orc ,lonel and in the rebel navy OF and
above tn, rank Of Lieutenant, together
with all who have engaged in aay way in
treating celored soldiers as otherwise ttau
p.:soners o: war.
On the cond,ten that they take and
suhscribe the following oath:
81 do selemnlv swear, in the presence
of Almighty God, that will henceforth
support, protect, and Cefesd the coaststu-
ton of the United States and theUnion of
the States Hereunder; and that will in
like manner, abide Dy and faithfully sup
port all acts of Congress passed during the
existing rebellion with refer. nee TO slaves,
40 long and SO far as not repealed, mods
fed or held void by congress or toy decis-
ion of the Supreme Court; and that will,
in like manner, abide bv and faithfully
support all procismations Of the President.
made during the existing rebellion, having
reference to slaves. SO long and so lar SIS
not modified or declared void by decision
of the Supreme Court. So help me God
Alter number at the voters OF any Sc
coded State equal to tenth of the votes
cast at the last Presidential election shall
have taken and subscribed to this oath,
they Uhe one-tenth) may re>organize the
government Of such State, and the govern
ment so 70 formed, will be recognized and
protected by the United States.
This is all there is of tho Presidents
plan Of reconstruction. 1t is somewhat
sill; shod and indefinite in these, among
other respects, that in enuEleratiag the
exceptions frsm the benefit Of the pro-
posed amnesty, lie intimates that the list
will probably be enlarged Hereafter; and
that the plan Of rec Instruction he pro-
poses is merely suggestive, the President
intimating while tbs will be accepted
others may prove equally acceptable.
1t is generally understood that this proc
lamation is issued as Mr.. Lincolns trump
card for the next Presidency, which Is the
simplest explanation to be offered for these
indefinite and non committal features
about it. The radicals are satisfied, be-
cause they take it as pledge from the
President that he will not withhold HIS
assent from plan of reconstruction they
hope to work through Congress that shall
be much stronger and more severe in its
provisions and conditions; the moderate
republicans are satisfied, for it IS os mild
as they had any reason to expect; while a
! large sha e Of conservative democrats are
expected to be appeased by the hope the
! President holds out tina the pl n may be
! licked into a shape that shall be free frozl
i insuperable objections even to them
As it stands, without IL or butts, me OBJ
jectons to it are apparent on ~ statement
The President in plain English, tells the
people of the seeded states, no matter
! how repensant thev M Y b. AMI willing to
resume their old position in the Union,
that they can come back only on condition
that they will sup ert certain acts Of
Congress and proclamations, recognize a. a
fact t,at all their sla IS hare Jesa sat free
by the Proclamation of En- ncipa,Io d
That if oie-ienth Of cir number only. by
taking the prescribe | oath, do and recog-
! nize these things. the balance 'nu-, submit
to be governed by this "-tenih. Tow
can the slave owners of louisiana for iu-
stance, two-thirds Of whcm claim to he
loyal, take an oath that thus binds their
conscience, depr;ves them of'their pro
ty. and submits them to be ruled by a
fraction Of their population, mad up very
likely, # the very rou:;, scuff Of thc
Sta-e?
The plan is also wholly in,practicable. -
Though it has the >.vin, u that in
swe ii, to support th- acts of fongress
indicated and the Presidential praclasna>
tions, the oath shall not be considered
binding if these acts or proclanations
shall le pronounced unconstitutional by
the Supreme Court when vii! the Su-
preme Court decide on these acts, and
what confidence will the southern people
place in Supreme Court made up almost
entirely Of northern, and what they call
renegade southern" judges? TO ask the
people Of the sout', b-iore they can be
purged of the crime Of rebellion, to sup-
port the Constitution and all laws made in
pursuance thereof, is indisputaoly fair and
reasonable, but to pres ride crr ain laws
and proclamations OF, to say the least, very
doubtful constitutionality, as tests. is recon
c:lable with no p: moi plies Of law, .ut e,
or common sense. such an oatI, asIde
| from the proclamation Of emancipa ton,
tho proci imation demo ncin5 til. rebel
privateer- As pirates. &c, a.' iuvo'v-> the
support of the coIfiscation act, the co.,.
scription act the negro enlistment act &c.
The people of the south Will never take
such an oath until they become so abject
but desirable that thy should take it,
We desire to treat the Presidents pro-
posed amnesty and Plan of reconstruction
with ali candor and .airncss 1t is . ep
| in the right direction, and so far let him
| have credit for It. But it is a very short,
halting and uncertain step. Without IFS
or buts-wi;hout its qualifications and
non -committslisms, the plan ", uid differ
| very litte from the Sumner Whiting sta; g
suicide plan. With these, it is really with
out point or practical meaning-a mere
eiectioneering cavd-a bait to catch yud-
geons.