The Portland daily press., 1863-12-10

| commerce was suffering greatly by a few
| armed vessels, built upon and furnished from
foreign shores, and were threatened with such
additions from the same quarter as would
sweep our trade from the sea aud raise our
| blockade. We had failed to elicit from
European governments anything hopeful on
this subject.
The preliminary emancipation proclamation
issued in September, was running its assigned
period to the beginning Of the new year. A
month later the final proclamation came, in
cludlng the announcement that colored men
OF suitable condition would be received in the
war service. The policy of emancipation and
OF employing black soldiers, give to the future
anew aspect, about which hope, fear and doubt
contended in uncertain conflict. According to
our political SYSTEM as matter of civil adj
ministration, the general government had no
lawful power to effect emancipation on any
State, aud for long time it had been hoped
that the rebellion could be stopped without
resorting to it as military measure. 1t was
all the while deemed possible that the neces-
sity for 1t might come, and that if it should,
the crisis of the contest would then be pre-
sented. II came and was anticipated; it was
followed by dark and doubtful days
Eleven months having now passed, we are
permitted to take another review. The rebel
borders are pressed still further back, and by
the complete opening of the Mississippi. the
country dominated by the rebellion is divided
into distinct parts, with no practical commr-
nication between them. Tennessee and Ar
kansas have been cleared of insurgents, and
influential citizens in each-owners of slaves
and advocates of slavery at the beginning of
OF the rebellion-now declare openly for
emancipation in their respective States; and
OF those States not included in the emancipa-
ton proclamation, Maryland and Missouri,
neither OF which, three years ago, would toll
crate any restraint upon the extension of sla-
very into new territories, only dispute now as
to the best mode of removing it within their
own limits.
or those who were slaves at the beginning
OF the rebellion, full one hundred thousand are
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 so much labor from the insurgent
cause and supplying the places which otherwise
must be filled with so many white men. SO
far as tested, it is difficult to say that they are
not as good soldiers as any. No servile insur-
rection or tendency to violence or cruelty has
marked the measures of emancipation and
arming the blacks.
These measures have been much discussed
in foreign countries, and contemporary with
such discussion, the tone of public sentiment
there is much improved. At home the same
measures have been fully discussed, supported,
criticised and denounced. and the annual
elections following are highly encouraging to
those whose official duty it is TO bear the
country through this great trial. Thus we
have the new reckoning. The crisis which
threatened to divide the friends of the Union
is past.
PROCLAMATION or AMNESTY.
Looking now TO the present and future, and
with reference to resumption of the national
authority with the States wherein that authority
has been suspended have thought fiji to issue
proclamation, copy of which is herewith
transmitted. On examination of this Procla-
nation, it will appear, as is believed that moth
ing is attempted beyond what is amply JUST.
fled by the constitution. True, the form of
an oath is given, but no man is coerced TO
take it. The man is only promised pardon
in case he voluntarily takes the oath. The con-
sttntion authorizes the Executive to grant or
Withhold the pardon at his own absolute discre-
ton, and this involves the power to grant on such
terms as are fully established by judicial and
other authorities. Ii is also profered that if in
any OF the States named, State Government
shall be in the mode prescribed set up, such
Government shall be recognized and guaran-
tced by the United States and that under it
the State shall on the constitutional conditions
be protected against invasion and domestic
violence
The constitutional obligations of the United
States to guarantee TO every State in the Union
Republican form of government, and to pro-
tect the State in the cases stated is explicit and
full but why tender the benefits of this pro-
vision only to State Government set up in
this particular way This section of the Con-
sttution contemplates case wherein the ele-
ment within State, favorable to Republican
government in the Union may be too feeble for
an opposite and hostile element external or ev-
en- within the State, and such are specially the
cases with which we are now deal ng. An at
tempt TO guarantee and protect revived State
Government, constructed in whole or in pre-
ponderating part from the very element against
whose hostility and violence it is to be protect
ed, is simply absurd. There must be a test by
which to separate the opposing elements, so as
TO build only from the sound and that test is
"a sufficiently liberal one which accepts as sound
whoever will make a sworn recantation of his
former unsoundness.
EMANCIPATION ADHERED TO.
But If it be proper to require as a test of ad-
mission to the political body an oath of al
legiance to the Constitution of the u s. and
to the Union under it, why not also to the laws
and proclama;ions in regard to slavery These
laws and proclamations were enacted and put
forth for the purpose of aiding in the suppress
sion of the rebellion: to give them their full
effect tilele hdu 10 ue pleuge LOT their mann
tenance; in my Judgment they aided and will
further aid the cause for which they were in
tended. To now abandon would be not only
TO relinquish lever of power, but would also
be cruel and astounding breach of faith |
may add, at this point, that while | remain in
my present position, shall not attempt to re-
tract or modify the Emancipation Proclama-
ton. nor shall return to slavery any person
who is free by the terms of that proclamation,
or by any of the acts of Congress. For these
and other reasons il is thought best that sup
port of these measures shall be included in the
oath and it is believed that the executive may
lawfully claim it in return for pardon and res
toration of forfeited rights which he has clear
constitutional power to withhold altogether, or
grant upon the terms he shall deem wisest for
the public interests
Ii should be observed also, that this part of
the oath is subject to the modifying and abro-
eating power OF Legislative and Supreme Judi
cial decision. The proposed acquiescence of the
national executive in any reasonable, Temporal
ry State arrangement for the freed people, is
made with the view OF possibly modifying the
confusion and restitution which must at best,
attend all classes by a total revolution of labor
throughout the whole States. 1t is hoped that
the already deeply afflicted people in those
States may bessomewhat more ready to give
up their afiiiction if TO this extent this vital
matter be left to themselves-while no power
OF the national executive TO prevent an abuse
is abridged by the proposition.
The suggestion in the proclamation, as to
maintaining the political frame work of the
States ON what is called reconstruction i made