The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1863-12-16

year \ month later the fual proclamation
| came. including the announcement that col
ored men of suitable condition would be
received into the war service. The policy
| of emancipation, aud the employment of
| black soldiers gave to tho future nt~.
aspect, about which hope, aud fear, and
doubt, ccnteudcd in uncertain conflict
! According to our political system, as \
matter oi civil administration, the General
Government had no lawful power to effect
emancipation an any State and for long
! tune II had been hoped that tho rebellion
could be suppressed without rcsorting TO
| It AZ military measure. Il was all tho
| while dccmcd possible that the necessity
| Tor II might come, and that If il should tho
crisis of the contest would then he pre-
! scntcd. 1t came, md as was expected, it
was followed hy dark and doubtful days
! Eleven months having been passed, we arc
/ permitted to take another review. The
! rebel borders aro pressed still further back,
and Ivy the complete opening OF tho Mis-
sissipW river, the country dominated over
! by the rebellion in divided into distant
! parts, with no practical communication be-
tween them Tennessee and Arkansas have
been substantially cleared OF insurgents
control and influence. and the citizens in
| each, ,'and owners ot slaves aud advocates
OF slavery AT tho beginning of the rebellion,
| nov declare openly for emancipation in
| their respective States. OF those Statos
not included in the Emancipation Procla-
nation, Maryland and Missouri, neither Of
| which, years ago, would tolerate any re-
| straint upon the extension of slavery into
the new Territories. only dispute now as to
the best mode of removing it from within
! their own limits.
OF those who were slaves at the begin.
] 4 -. l..NN
now in the United States military service,
about one half of which number actually
bear arms in the ranks--thus giving the
double advantage of taking 80 mitch labor
from the insurgcnt cause, and supplying
the places which otherwise must be filed
with 40 many white men. So far as test
ed, il is difficult to say that they are not as
! good soldiers rs any. No servile insur-
recticn or tendency to violence or cruelty
has marked the measures of emancipation
| and Ortning the blacks These measures
have been much discussed in foreign coun-
tries, and contemporary with such discus.
sion, the tone of public sentiment there is
much improved. At home, the same meas
urcs have been fully discussed, supported,
| criticised and denounced, and the annual
elections following are highly encouraging
to those whose special duty il is to hear the
|
have the reckoning, Tho crisis which threat
oncd to divide the friends of the Union is
| past.
RECONSTRUCTION.
Looking ncw to the present and future.
and with reference to u resumption of the
national authority within the States wherein
that authority has bcen suspended, have
! thought fit to issue a proclamation, a copy
OF which Id herewith transmitted. On ex-
animation of this proclamation, il will ap-
pear. las ia believed, amply justified by the
Constitution. True, the form of an oath is
! given but no nan is coereed to take il
man is only promised pardon in case he
voluntarily takes the oath, which the Con.
stitution authorizes the Executive to grant
on the terms. "a il has been fully establish
cd by judicial aud other authorities It
also proposed that if any Of the States
named shall set mp q State Government,
in the mode prescribed such n government
shall be recognized and guaranteed by the
! United States aud that under il the State
shall, on subscribing TO the constitutional
conditions I've protected against invasion and
| domestic violence. The constitutional obli-
CATION of the United States 10 guarantee TO
every State in the Union Republican form
of government and to protect the State in tho
cases stated, ID explicit and full But why
tender the benefits of this provision only to
a State Government act up in this particular
way? This section of the Constitution con.
! templates q case wherein the element within
a State favorable to a Republican Govern
mcnt in the Union, may be too feeble for
an opposite and hostile element, external to
and even within the state and ~such are
the cases with whick we are now dealing
An attempt to guarantee and protect a re.
| viscd State Government, constructed in
whole 6r III prcponderating part, from the
Ycry element against whose hostility and
violence it is to he protected, Ia simply ali.
snrd. There must he u test by which to-
separate opposing elements, SO as TO build
only from the sound and that test is 4 sui.
ficicntly liberal one v hiei accepts as sound
whoever will make Il sworn recantation Of
his former uus0undncss. But ifit be proper
to require, as q test OF admission 10 the po-
! llical body, an oath of allegiance IL the Con.
stitution OF the United States, and 10 the
Union under it,why not, also, to the laws and
! proclamations in regard to slavery. Those
laEs and prGclomations were enacted and
| pUt forth for the purpose OF aiding in the sup
| pressson of the rebellion. and To give them
! thci. fullest effect, there had 90 be II pledge
for their maintenance, In Iny judgment,
| they have aided, and will further aid, the
cause for whicS they we're enlisted To
give up this principle, would be not only TO
reinquish a lever OF power, but would also
be cruel and astounding breach of faith.
may add ut this point that while re-
main in my present position, shall not at
tempt 10 retract or modify the Emancipa,
ton Proclamation, nor shalt reiRrn to sla.
very any person who is free NY the terms
Of tlo proclamation or by any act of Con-
grcss. For these and other reasons, il is
thought best, that the support of these pro
visions shall be included in the oath, and il
is believed the Executive may lawfully
claim it in feturn for the pardon and resto.
ration Of forfeited rights which he has ,hs
clear constitutional power TO withhold alto
gcther, or grant upon the terms which he
shall deem wiscst for the public interest
1t should he observed, also, that this part
of the oath is subject to the modifying ami
abrosatiug power of legislation and su-
prcme Judicial decision. The proposed ac-
quiescence of the National Executive in any
honorable temporary State arrangement iiH
the freed people, is made with the view OF
possibly modifying the confusion and des-
tituti0n which must, at best, attend all
classes, by a total revolution of labor
throughout whole States. II is hoped thet
the already deeply afflicted people 10 these
States may be somewhat more ready -
give up tho cause Of their af1ieti0n, and 10
this extent this riial matter is left ~ them
selves, while uO power ol the National TX
scutVc to prevent an abuse is abridged by