Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-12-16
lFrom the Journal Of commeros.I
The Press on the Presidenrs Mesa,

The Press on the Presidenrs Message.
Wa, 10 not enough to reqti'e an oath to SUI I.
port the Constitution of the United States, and
ell laws made and acts done in pursuance II III
Why force the negro In the very nosrils of the
Southern man whose submieion TO law you
seek7- Isi said theoath requires no more than
that7 With all due respect to Mr.. Lincoln 1t
requires great deal more. II requires the sup
port of O procla amalion which one half of the
people Of the North do not support. II re.
quires the support Of laws which one half OF
the people of the North repudiAte as null
and void, becauee unconstitutional. The doc
trlne is not yet forced on Americans that they
must obey Law until 1t is declared uncon-
sdtusional. This proclamation requires the
taking of On oath, az O condition OF pardon,
which half the citizens Of the Northern States
would refuse to take. Il 10 true that the Pfesi-
dent may proffer pardon on oondi ions. But the
question is whether his conditions are wlse,
practical, likely to do good. We are very
muoa afraid that the Administration knows no
more how to make peace than 1t has hereto
fore seemed TO know about making war. We
see no prospect Of peace Or good to the country
in the Pie,idens's plan On the contrary, we
fear he has thrown away a gol1en opportunity
for the country, for the sake of Winning suI'
port among Northern radicals for himself.
From the Chicago Timea,l
II would have been magaanmou' 10 the Pfes
idett, and heavy blow TO the rebellion, II he
ed offered pardon and all the rights OF cltzsn-
ship to repsutant re,els, below certain grades,
on the simple condition that they should take
the oath to support the Constitution OF the
IJoited States. The conditions of pardon which
he ffers will rather stil iurther fame the re-.
beIlon than withdraw supporters from il. where
as the rebellion is Just now In that condition
when generous terms would have won tens Of
thousands from lie support.
The President appears to be not very frmly
committed to his own proposition. lie reaches
them baltingly. But 1t has been haltngly that
he has resobed all the extreme measures which
have been pressed upon him, bus wnich he bai
finally accepted in oil their length and breadth
and height and depih.
From the Albany Argus
The P,e,ideptial question fills the thoughts
Of Mr.. Lincoln; and everything is subordinated
40 that one idea. beaspirations OF the reopls
for an honorable peace, and the speedy restora.
zion of the Union--their hopes Of the initiation
Of couciliatory policy, are all dismissed by O
iugkle, which is intended TO work only for hIr
own reelection. And such q juggle! Con
ceaIed under cir Of sffeoted simplicity, Mr.
Lincoln presents O plan, which, stripped of Id
DISCUSSES, means simply the indefinite protrac
tion of tbe war, and the re- election of ths
present dynasty bv means Of the votes of States
rsorganlxsd on the basis OF subjeclion to thl
| Presidential will. .ssfs
To auch citizens Of the rebel States az vii
svear 10 renounce their allegiance 10 the Con
federacs !. adhere to the Constitution Of the Fed
eral Government, and take oath to support th