The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1863-12-12


the draft, with the high .boun,;es puid for
army recruits, is beginning co affect iniuri.
ousiy the naval service,3 and will, If not
corrected, be likely 10 impair its efficiency
oy aetschir seamen from their proper 70,
ea,.oh. and inducing them to enter the army.
nc PRESIDENT, therefore suggests that Con-
! gress might aid both the army and naval servi-
ces by definite provision on this subject, which
| would at the same time be equitable 20 the COM
munities more especially interested.
During the past fiscal year the financial con-
dition OF the Post Office Department has been
one Of increasing prosperity; the actual postal
revenue has nearly eq>aled the entire expendi-
lures. the latter amounting to eleven millions 3
hundred and tourteen thousand two hundred
aud six dollars and eighty-four cents, aud the
former to eleven million, one hundred and sixty
three thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine
dollars and ffty-nine ceuts, leaving deficiency
Of but Sl5o,4l7s5. In 1860. the year imnedi-
ately preceding the Rebellion, the deficiency
amounted to S5,656, EOS 40. the postal receipts
OF that year being $a,6l5, 722 ~ less than those
Of 1863
The quantity Of land disposed of during the
last and the first quarter Of the present fscal
year, was 3.s4l $40 acres, of which 16l 81
acres were sold for cash, l,45G.5l4 acres were
taken up under the homestead law, and the res
idue disposed of under laws granting lands for
bouniIes, lot TdluOdu anu UlHcE pufIO-
SEES. !; also appears that the sale of the public
| lands is largely on the increase. It has long
been a cherished opinion of some of our wisest
statesmen that the people Of the United States
| had higher aud more enduring interest in the
! early settlement and substantial cultivation Of
the public lands, than in the amount of direct
| revenue to he derived from the sale Of them
When Congress assembled a Year ago the war
had already lasted nearly twenty months, and
fl,urn hat l. III,
sea, with varying results. The Rebellion had
been pressed back into reduced limits, yet the
tone OF public feeling and opinion ct home and
abroad was not satisfactory.
With other signs. the populor elections then
Just passed indicated uneasiness anong our
selves; while, amid much that was cold and
nlenacing, the kindest words coming from Eu-
rope were uttered in accents OF pity that we
We're too hind to surrender. Our commerce
was suffering greatly by few armed vessels
built upon and furnished from foreign shores,
and we were threatened with such additions
from the same quarter as would sweep our trade
from the sea and raise our blockade. We bad
failed to e .ci. from European Goserulue nts
ANYTHING hopeful upon this subject.
The preliminary Emancipation Proclamation,
which was issued in September, was runnir. y
its assigned period to the beginning of the new
year. q month later the final proclamaticu came.
OF suitable condition would DO received into the
war service.
The policy Of emancipation and Of employing
black soldiers gave to the future new aspect,
about which hope al,d fear Gnd doubt coutended
III uncertain conflict
According to our political system. as matter
OF evil administration, the general Government
had no lawful power 70 effect emancipation in
any States, and for a long time it had been hoped
that the Rebellion could be suppressed without
| lesort.nS TO il rs military me as ire.
1t was all the while deemed possible that the
necessity for it might conie and that lift should
the crisis of the contest would then be presented.
Il came, and as was portended. it WAS followed
| by da k and doubtful days.
| Eleven months having now passed, we are
| permitted to take ano tier review. The Rebel
borders are pressed still further back, aud by
the complete opening Of the Mississippi river
| the country dominated over by the Rebellion is
divided into distant paris, with practical COM
munication between them. Tennessee and Ar
kansas have been substantially cleared of insur-
gent control and influence, aud the citizens in
each, owners OF slaves and advocates Of slavery
| at tn" beginning of the Rebellion, now declare
| openly for emancipation in their respective
| States. OF those States not inclndod in the
emancipation Proclamation, Maryland and Mis-
souri,, neither of which, three years ago. would
tolerate any restraint UPON the extension Of sla-
| very into the ncw territories, only dispute now
Us to the best mode Of removing it within their
own limits
| o! those who were slaves at the beginning of
| the Rebellion. full one hundred thousand are
now in the United States military service, about
One-haii OF which nuui,cr actually bear arms in
| the ranks, thus giving the double advantage of
| taking so much labor from the iiisurgent cause,
and supplying the place, which otherwise must
be filled with 50 many white men. So far as
tested, it is difficult to say that they are not as
! good soldiers as any No Seryile instruction or
te.dencT to violence or cruelty las ma. I I'd tho
measures OF cr,,rr ,pa ion tt,ll arming the blacks
| These measures have been much discussed in
foreign countries, and co.cmporary with such
discussion the tone Of puhhc sentiment there is
| much improved. At home the saInr measures
have been fully discussed, supported, criticised,
aid denoi!nccd: and the annual elections follow
ing arc highly encouraging to these whose Off
clul duty IL Is 10 bca. the country through this
great trial.
THUS we have the new reckoning. The crisis
which threatened to di, de the .iiends OF The
Union is past.
METHOD OF RECoysTRUCTIEC THE UNION.
Looking now to the present and future,
and with reference to Il resumption of the
| national authority within the States wherein
| that authority has been suspended, have
thought tit to issue proclamation, q copy
| of which is herewith transmitted. On ex
animation of this proclamation 1t will ap.
pear as is believed that notllinsis attempted
beyond what is amply justified by the Con-
stilution. True, the form Of an oath is
given, but no man is ooerccd to take it, A
man is only promised pardon in case he
Voluntarily takes the oath The Constitu.
ton authorizes the Executive to gran. or
! withhold tie pardon at his own absolute dis
erection, aud this Includes the power to grant
on such terms as are fully established by
Judicial and other Authorities.
1t is also proifnred thai if in any Of the
States named State Government shall be
recognized and guaranteed by the United
States, and that under it the State shall, on
the constitutional conditions, be protected
against invasion and domestic violence.
The constitutional obligation of the Uni
ted States to guarantee to every State in the
Union Republican form of Government
and to protect the State in the cases stated,
is explicit and full. But why tender the
benefits of this provision only to State
Government set up in this particular way !?
This section Of thu Constitution contempIa.
ties case wherein the element within
State favorable to Republican form of
Government in the Union may he too feeble
for an opposite and hostile element. exter.
nal to and even within the State and such
are precisely the cases with which We are
now dealing.
,ttn 10 Mt ,nI