Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-12-17
POLITICAL DIsArFEcTIoN.

=
dent, simultaneously with the publication of the
message in our columns, we concluded, as our
readers may remember, by expressing the hope that
the political friends Of the President would receive
this plan with more Of favor and consideration than
they gave to that which formed the burden Of his
last annual address to Congress. No one can have
forgotten that more than half Of that address was
devoted to the advocacy Of project Of gradual
emancipation requiring thirty-seven years-that is
to say, till the year 19O0-for its completion.
Never, in any public document, has Mr.. Lincoln
made an appeal so solemn and earnest, or urged
his views with 30 much warmth and sincerity. Nor
did he confne himself to the enunciation of prn-
ciples sentiments, but embodied his views, for
the practical action Of Congress, in three articles
which he proposed as amendments to the Constitu-
ton, having for their object the gradual abolish
ment" Of slavery, and the deportation beyond the
limits of the United States Of such of the emanci-
pated slaves as might choose to go.
| 1t is well known that this plan, thus earnestly
enforced on the attention Of Congress by the Pre-
sident failed to receive the slightest consideration
at their hands, and among our contemporaries Of the
press we believe that this journal was almost alone
in endeavoring to procure for the recommendations
of the President candid and attentive hearing.
A few weeks before the adjournment Of the last
Congress we recalled the attention Of its members
to this neglected plan" and reminded them Of
the solemn adjurations and sanctions under which
the President had commended his proposition to
their regard, as being the best if not the only
means of saving the Union. But our appeal in
behalf of the neglected plan was made in vain.
The last Congress adjourned without doing any
thing to eectuate the Presidents policy under this
head.
AT a time when SO much is said about the duty
of supporting the Administration" (and when
SO much may be truly said on this score by others
than political parasites we might perhaps be par
doned for rejecting with some severity on the
little encouragement given to the Presidents plan
of last December by his political friends in and out
Of Congress. But, forbearing just animadversion
on this point venture again to express the hope
that the plan now submitted by the President to
the consideration of Congress aud Of the country,
and which does not require any practical action at
the hands of the National Legislature, may atleast
encounter no objections proceeding from quarters
where it is entitled to claim not only respectful
consideration but warm support. And it is with
regret that we already perceive in those quarters
the, signs Of dissatisfaction with the Presidents
projected policy Of reconstruction. For instance,
writer in the New York Tribune, endorsed by
that journal as Ga most respected and influential
Unionist," has struck the keynote of mutteriDgs
which, if not repressed, may eectually neutralize
this policy of the President by deprivug it Of the
support it should receive from his political friends
in the loyal States. And without such support how
is it to be expected that repentant rebels in the in
surgent States will give in their adhesion to po-
Icy that is not only sighted and scorned, but
threatened with actual reputation by the men who
more than any body else might be presumed to
approve it? The correspondent of the Tribune
signalizes the following objections to the Presi-
dents "plan:"
"The President in his message declares that to aban-
don the laws and procamaons made during the rebellion
in regard TO slavery would be a cruel and astounding
breach Of firth And Jet the President proposes to
ustate in all their rights the rebels against whom those
laws enacted il they will only support those
laws and proclamations until Congress the Supreme
|. Court sets item aside or declares THIN poid.
1--WE have probably majority Of ten or twenty
in Congress who would vote TO sustain those laws and
proclamatons What would there be troublesome to the
conscience of any prosavery community 10 swearing TO
sustain those laws until Congress set them aside if the
privilege at the time given to them to send twenty
five fifty of their stamp to take seats in Con-
and vote to repeal each and every OF those laws
and denounce and nuify the proclamatons And what
there in the Presidents proposition that would prevent
those oath-taking from electng in conjunction with
Northern copperheads successor to Abraham Lincoln,
who would be after their own heart
1t to me that re fectng who after taking
time to consider, still approve Of the Presidents plan
must be willing to reesabsbed the good old times
of Southern lords and Northern doughfaces Time and
events will prove that Southern society must be reorgn
ized and peace aud freedom must be secured by
very different process from that propounded by the Pre-
sdent But this subject will be handled it ought to be
before the winter 10 over only suggest elaboration"
Now, it is undoubtedly true that the plan Of the
President opens the door to this contingency. If
onetenth of the voters in three or four Of the nsur
gent States should take and subscribe the required
oath, and send representatives to Congress, it is
quite probable that the proclamation of freedom"
would soon be set aside in one of the ways sug-
gested by Mr.. Lincoln. But this result would
ensue only the legitimate result Of popular inst
buttons, when extending over wide region of coun-
try, embracing diversity Of opinions that some
times neutraze and balance each other and we do