The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1863-01-01


eventful and monentous year In American his
tory is closed; bat this day we open new cal
endar, which will more distinctly mark new
epoch, and which will deoisiveiy shape ths
future destinies of this and Of every nation or
the face Of the globe.
This is the appointed day for President Lin
coins oonfrmatory emancipation proclamation
In his initial manifesto Of September %, he
declared "that on the first day of January, in
the year of our Lord one thousand eight hun
dred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves
within any State, or within any designated part
of State, the people whereof shall then be in
rebellion against the United States shall b
then, Neacsfouoard and forever free, and the
executive government of the United States, in.
o.~~.us s-- .....sva.y -...., o,t,,o,;t,, there,
Of, will recognize and maintain the freedom Of
such persons, and will do no act or acts TO re-
press such persons, or any of them, in any
efforts they may make for their actual freedom
and he furthermore declares ia said manifesto
that on the Let Of January he will, by procla-
nation, designate the States and parts Of States
to which this sweeping war penalty Of emanci-
patton shall apply.
We expect this proclamation to-day. In an
ticipation various abolition conventcles have
prepared to make it day Of jubilee. The
edict, in the opinion of the President himself,
will be as futile as ''the Pope's bull against
the comet" but there are many who fear that
it will be the opening of Pandora's box Of evils
upon the country. Against it and its expected
consequence of the employment of negroes as
soldiers in the service of the government, JEFF
Davis has Illuminated his warning of summary
vengeance. There u.s. then, some danger of the
evaporation of the hostile parties in this war
to the savage extremities of mutual extermina-
ton But what will be the effect upon the
slave population Of the revolted States, under
this invitation to run or strike for their free
dom? This is the startling question which we
cannot answer. We shrink from the dreadful
thought that this war is to ripen into the horri-
BILE scenes Of st. Domingo, and that they are to
bring down upon us armed European interven-
ton, on the plea Of humanity; but we cannot
against hi. own good Judgment in THE METER
is steering among the breakers Of perilous
coast
But while this emancipation proclamation
looms up like dark and ominous cloud over
the horizon at Washington, we look for some
CLEANS Of better day in the direction Of Alba
ny. There, to-day, Governor Seymour, the most
conspicuous aud influential representative Of
the public sentiment of the great Central States
as manifested in their late elections. delivers
his inaugural address; and there, next week, he
sends in his FIRST annual message to the two
houses Of our State Legislature. We expect
that in these two State papers our new Cover
nor will so broadly and clearly indicate the true
policy Of President Lincoln, in view Of united
North in support of the war, that ii will greatly
influence his future course. We expect, too
that this good impression will be materially
strengthened by the authoritative voice from
New Jersey, which, two weeks hence, win be
spoken by her new Governor and Legislature.
1t would be doing great injustice to the sa
gacity good sense and patriotism Of President
Lincoln to suppose that he had become indiffer
cnt to the public sentiment of the loyal States,
or that he is deceived as to tine significant YER
dict of their recent elections. He knows that,
with their increasing burthens resulting from
this war, the people Of the North have
become dissatisfied with the extrava-
gaucss. corruptons, blunders and disasters
which have continued to mark the conduct of
the war, and that reform, retrenchment, and
military results equal to the means employed,
are impcriously demanded at his hands. He
knows that these late outspoken popular ma
jorites Of the Central States mark their disap-
proval Of all these violent abolition measures
upon the negro question He knows that from
New York to Illinois the people have reaffirmed
his own sound doctrine, that this war is not
for the destruction of Southern slavery, but
for the maintenance Of the Union.
We have reason to hope, therefore, that
President Lincoln will not, IL issued, permit
this days emancipation proclamation to carry
him into an abolition crusade, but that he will
hold it we'll in hand, subject to wiser considera-
tons Of policy, and to the claims Of justice aud
humanity. In any event, before the close Of the
year which has opened upon us to-day, the
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