New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-01-03
THE PKOCLAuATICN.


THE PKOCLAuATICN.
At last we have the long-expected rescript
from the President Of the United States as Com
mander-in. Chief Of the Military and Naval forces
of the Republic now engaged in crushing q
most Infatuated and fendish Rebellion, not only
against the integrity Of our country. but against
Humanity aud Natural Right as well, that the
slaves in ten specified Rebel States, with the
exception of certain limited localities in two OF
them, arc HESCEFoRTH .SD FOREVER FREE,
40 far us the authority aud power Of the Pres
ident can now or hereafter make them so. The
slases 70 whom this Ncw-Ycars present Of Lib
erty is made are more than Three Millions in
number, which IS equal TO the whole popnla-
ton of the United States when we commenced
our Revolutionary struggle with Great Brit
ain, md about four.ffths Of the ,lac population.
They are debased by lifelong seryiude. ignorant,
and wholly in the power of their oppressors; but
they are still human and love liberty; they
have eyes, tongues, arms, and legs, and will
endeayor TO achieve the ine-,mable boon. This
Proclamation makes them active, unsleepiog en.
emes of the Slayeholders Rebellion, and We
trust will 20 far to lower its pride and dimn-
ish its power. We hail it as great stride to-
ward the restoration Of the Union.
If what ia clearly implied in the Presidents
Second Proclamation Of Freedom were fact
IL Tennessee and the lower portion of Louis-
lana were to-day restored to loyalty and the
Unioa-we should hail this manifesto with q
heartiness of approval and satisfaction that we
cannot now feel. But, according TO the inlor-
nation daily received from our own CORES.
pondents and others, those two States are this
day in fragrant rcbellion-haye moro than One
Hundred Thousand Of their citizens in arms to
destroy the Union and subycrt the Constta-
ton. And the President did, in bis Proclama-
ton OF the 221 Of last September duly recited
and reiterated in that Of the lst inst, express.
ly stpuatc aud promise,
Tins. on the yir,t Day OF J.uuary ia the year Of our
Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and sixty thse al
Ee,ss held sass' i-n any STATE de'i0ndid part ef
state, ne peoe phseJ shaA sn be IN rebellion ogais.
tie Cnaes Stafc snaH be then, Aerccfo,M and YoREvKt
Fngg ard III, Executive Government. OF the United state.
ncu.ns tho M.t,ry aud Naval authorities thereof will
recognize AID maintain tho freedom OF such persons and will
act acts to such persons or any OF lhe Ia
any elort they may make for their sexual freedom.
"Tha ie Executive will. the day OF January afoe
raid by Proclamation. designate tho states aud parts Of
States II any, in which the peOps therein respectively shall
M,n bs in Rebellion against The United States"
These are the Presidents conditions AID
limitations, not ours. lie fixed them precise!
as he saw fit, aud proclaimed Internationally
that he would Oh the lst inst, declare Free
all Slaves held in States orr Districts which
should then be in rebellion-nOt such Of them
as be should at the SGT time see fit to Iiberate.
We do most profoundly regret that he las not
hewed up to the lins cbalked by himself. And
if evil should thence result, we pray that not
the policy Of Emancipation, but the lame per-
lcrmancs under that policy, be held respoa
sible
1t is current and plausible objection to
that policy that it only proposes to lberate
slaves that are not within reach Of tho liber.
atiug power. Now Tennessee is the arena of
fearful conflict, which rolls from side to side
over nearly its entire area. To prolIer liberty
to its slaves is to promise something which
We can instantly perform. So with the slaves
in seaboard Louisiana, which the President has
exempted. lie might have stricken the shacklos
Las once from the Limbs Of several hundreds Of