The Placer herald. [volume] (Auburn, Placer County, Calif.) 1855-1991, 1863-01-10
Mr.. Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.

Mr.. Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.
Hoping against our convictions OF the
ability and political character Of the man,
we could not arrive at the firm belief, that
Mr.. Lincoln would so deport himself in his
great office as 10 commit this act of folly
and wickedness.
To interfere with the domestic concerns
Of State is conceded to be a fragrant viola.
ton of any and all powers vested in the Pres
ident, or any other Department OF the Gov
eminent of the United States, by the Consti
tuition. TO do so by one State, or nation, when
at war with another is equally in violation
of international law as now established
among civilized people everywhere ad
mittel, and insisted upon by us as nation,
time and again. While in a state of war, by
holding out inducements to the slaves to de
sert their masters, has been proven in two
wars with Great Britain to work evil to
those attempting it, vet in the face of all
these truths Abraham Lincoln-not the
President of the United States-he does not
assume to act as such, but Abraham Lincoln
Commander in Chief of The Army and Navy
of the United States-not as a matter of law
he does not assume it to be law-but as a
matter of "mlitary necessity" issues his
| proclamation of emancipation to the slaves
in all tie cotton States.
Tie Nation was di>graced in the manner
Of the arrest and discharge of Messrs Slidell
| and Mason - the sealing" of Charleston
harhor 10y means of the 'stone fleet, ;" became
the subject Of protest by Foreign powers,
because of its gross violation ofinternatiouaI
law and outrageous vandalism; the military,
conduct Of General Butler of New Orleans
calivd down upon US the indignation of
Europe because OF lis violation oflhe laws of
humanity - and with these modern instan-
ces" still fresh in memory, We did hope Mr.
Lincoln would not add to the modification
aud disgrace of the American people, the
commission Of an act yet more gross in its
violation of the laws of chrislanized ma
tions-than any and all these past infringe
ments.
AS far as enhancing the Object Of southern
subjugation to the authority of the United
States government is concerned, every one
knows that the effect will be TO unite, if pos
sible, more firmly that people, and fill them
with a yet more desperate determination to
fight us to the bitter end.
So far as giving freedom to the slave is
concerned every one knows it will not be
effective beyond the limits of our military
occupancy Of the country,-and they know
too, that fer all practica purposes emancipa
ton has been going on within these bounds,
by the force Of statutes aad other orders. for
the past ten months
lfit is how military necessity, i. was
equally if not more So, fifteen months ago,
all the world knows that the negroes of
the South, built forts, dug trenches, and were
the servants and general pioneers for the rebel
army, then as now; that they abored and
produced corn and other slistanance for the
rebel army then as now. When did this
administration wake up to this "mitary
necessiiy?' all experience in the past has
demonstrated that the slave will assist his
mastel against his enemy in time of war
in this behalf there are many ac's Of
heroiSn recorded, of the southern slaves.
Can it be said that the extent of the rebel
lion was not before comprehenled by the
President aud his advisers lfyea then they
were blind to all the prophecy Of our vener
able sages, and to all the declarations of the
leading men of The South.
Scarce u great man has occupied high
place in our government, that has not told
the American people that a sectional ques'
tiononce IN ,otel and pers>tenty pursued
would produce disunlon and revolution
pointing to slaverv--as the one most likely to
hprOma that uupst ION and since 1890 Sonth
ern men in and out Of Congress have declared
for disurion unless the ermeddlng of
northern fanatics was stopped.
Clearly it canuot IN reason be now a ne'
cessity more than heretofore, Or, if it is, then
that fact in itself is one of the most hum.
bling to northern pride that could be utter
ed
1t is saying, I'VE the twenty million
whites of the North, with all our appliances
of government, army. navy, superior wealth
and skill, have been fighting some six mil
lion whites and four million blacks in the
south, for the past eighteen months, and hav
ing in vain exhausted our powers to overcome
you are now driven to this in order to induce
your blacks to assist US in the work Of suhiu
CATION" Is the spirit of the intelligent white
men OF the free States, SO tame as to admit
this to be true? if not, then there is not
"miltary necessity" for the proclamation,
and the utterng of it is = folly. sin, and dis
grace to our character as apeople.
Annual Meeting Placer County Agricul-
tural Society.
Wednesday, January 7th, 1868.
Mt to all int Of in AMI,