Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-12-21
rhe Presidents Plan 10 Prevent the
Restoration OF the Union.

FROM the DOStOn COurler.l
The Presidents message occupies so much Of
our space that we have little left for comments
upon it. That portion of it to which the ewes of
all men will naturally turn first, is the promised
plan of the President for the pacifcation of the
country, which, now we have it, must certainly
be reckoned egregious. Whatever doubts may
have been heretofore entertained, if any, to
the extent of the radical influences operating
upon his mind the plan proposed by him neces-
sarily removes them all. Hesitating, as usual,
and ayowing that he offers his mode of settling
great civil conflict, only as in conformity with
his "present impressions" and distinctly declar-
ing that cit must not be understood that no
other mode would be acceptable" to him, no
nevertheless re-affirms his emancipation proc
lamation, announces that he shall not attempt
to modify or retract it, and accordingly DEGREES
the acceptance of the emancipation project by the
people of the slave States to be the memorable
condition of their restoration 10 the Union-that
is, according to ''his present Impressions
To argue this question seems TO us merely
childish. Whether our military fortunes in the
future prove more or less brilliant than they have
been in the past, it is clearly not likely that
forced emancipation, much less voluntary, will
take effectsiuring Mr. Lincoln's term. Accord
ing to his statement, hundred thousand, of the
nearly four millions of slaves in the South, have
been liberated by the advance of our armies with
in the period of almost three wears that the
has actually ragged. To the most ordinary ap-
prehension, one would think il might seem plain
that his mode of pacification, though il might in
| time convert the entire South into the wilder
ness which it has so largely become, under the
ravages of war, and might reduce its people TO a
condition of comparative babarism; yet, after
generations of civil conflict, in comparison with
the horrors ami ruin of which all the negroes that
| ever existed on the face of the Garth are but
the small dust of the balance the ..egrocs IN those
States will still be slaves. - ~
The President cites but two States Missouri
and MARYLAND. i'm which he ventures 70 assume
that the emancipation theory has made any sensi-
BILE progress. lir the first, the Supporters of the
Presidents radical policy have just been decis
| svely overcome IN political struggle; notwifh-
standing the fact that the State is the favor
able field OF all for trying his experiment. and has
been perhaps of all others, the most nercilessly
subject 20 fcrcible processes for carrying that
theory out la Maryland. the election on which
he chooses to rely was a notorious mixture of
force and fraud, so grossly disappearing the
opinions of the majority, that we believe
there is not county in the State. in which
a decided majority of the inhabitants would
not infinitely prefer TO take their chances
with the Confederates, at this moment
than submit to the Presidents pacifying policy.
1t is idle to cherish the idea that there is any SEN
timent of the slightest practical consequence Ia
yorable to it, or which can be made favorable to
| it. in any other slave State. The Presidest's
mode, therefore, and the Proclamation of (so-
called) Amnesty, in conformity with it, Is block
10 pacifcation, instead of an aid TO it; and so
long as it is persisted in dooms the nation to in
definitely continued war. The gage is thus
squarely thrown down; and the people of the
country are to take il solemnly to heart, whether
they viii devote their country to unparalleled
ruin, or by taking affairs into their own hands,
in the legitimate way, will institute different
policy, BY which alone there would be some rea-
i SON for hope that the follies and madness of the
| mast might be in time partially repaired