The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1863-09-12


expected any favor but that it would .
faithful to the. Constitution. We readii.
and, as time has shown, too confdingly &C
cepted the assurance of the administrator
that the war should be conducted solely TO
the defence of the Constitution, according
to its clear and we'll defined provisions. Thi
assurance was subsequently confirmed By
the resolution of Congress adopted by {
vote almost unanimous. Such was th'
language of nearly the entire press in th'
interest of the administration. 1t woulc
hate been most fortunate for the country
if this pledge had been faithfully observed
So long as the war was prosecuted for the
preservation of the Constitution in its in
tegrity, and until other objects were avow
ed. the President had the united support o
the Northern people. No conscription w0s
aeesssary. Men Of all parties rushed to tht
fSM as uolunteerS. An army was rapidly
formed far more numerous than the world
had ever seen in the annals of civil war
They went forth in loyal spirit to put down
rebellion and uphold the Constitution. A
majority of the people in the border states,
whore public sentiment was divided, deci
dedf to adhere to the old Uuion aad give an
active support to the government. Besides
the declaration of Congress, they were dis
tinctly assured by the executive that con-
servative policy should be pursued, and that
the war should not be perverted into cru
sade upon he rights and institutions of the
states. Never was more sacred pledge
given to any people, never in the history OF
the world was pledge more wantonly
violated. Unfortunately for the govern
ment and country, the President was sur
rounded by a class Of political vlslonarles
and ideologists maddened by the fell spirit
of abolition fanaticism.
1t is evident that they had resolved to
seize upon the war to carry their Utoplan
theories into execution. They insisted on
making it war for emancipation. The
President was piled by argument, ptrsua-
sion, andmenace. For long time he repulsed
these architects Of ruin, and manifested re-
speet for his plighted faith and his oath to
support the Constitution. He contended
that,a decree of emancipation would be un
authorized and imperative, and likenedl tc
the Pope's bull against the comet His
SECRETARY of State repelled the proposition,
and slemonstratedt that it was monstrousand
init .ssible. But the radicals were not to
be billed. They prolonged the struggle,
The are men of indomitable energy ofwill,
and mad fully determined to secure control
of the executive power of the government.
At length they succeeded in obtaining a
mastery over the President. He was made
to believe that the northern people requir
ed the war to be prosecuted for the aboi-
ton sef slavery throughout the Southern
States, aud that nothing was needed but an
avowal of this purpose to secure a fresh
outburst of popular enthusiasm in support
of the administration, and in an evil hour
he Welded to the deluson. From that mo-
ment he seems to have been in custodian,
with every avenue of approach vlgilantly
guarded. The White House is said to be
beleagued by radical senators, governors
and missionaries, during the recess of Con-
gress, forming self-constituted committee
of permauence to manipulate the executive,
apparently superseding the responsible cab
met, and welding "a power behind the
throne greater than the throne itself"
Governor H. then proceeded to discuss
the practical operation and effect of the
Presidents abolition proclamation. He
contended that in legal sense it was alto
gether null and void. 1t was an attempt
by one department Of the federal govern
ment to usurp power that belongs exclu-
siyely to the states. i, assumes TO appeal
the fundamental laws Of more than one
third of the states in regard to question
of races purely internal and domestic. To
contend that measure so sweeping comes
within the military power of the comman-
der-in chief was too absurd to admit Of
serious argument. The war power in this
respect is limited to orders aAd regulations
necessary to facilitate and strengthen the
army in the field, and must be confined
to the theatre of military operations.-
When the commanders Of the army have
emancipated or appropriated slaves for the
actual service Of the army he deemed it
legitimate, and all slaves who have become
free by virtue of military law and usage are
to be protected in their freedom at the close
of the war. But an attempt to go beyond
this limits is naked usurpation Of power.
He had seen some efforts to Justify it as a
con6scation Of rebel property; and yet
those who use this argument commonly
deny that negroes are or can be porperty.
The power of confiscation and forfeiture Is
defined by the Constitution, and must be
exercised according to law. 1t operates
only upon the guilty, after due conviction.
But this proclamation confscates the prop.
erty of the entire communities, confound-
ing the innocent with the guilty. and max
ing no distinction between the friends and
enemies Of the Union. The President, in
recent letter, holds the following Ian
guage:
"But the proclamation is law and valid,
or is not valid. If it is not valid it needs
no retraction. If it is valid il cannot be
retracted any more than the dead can be
brought to life
1t is only in governments purely despotic
that valid law can be ordained by executive
edict, and even these DEGREES are modified
and retracted, according to the changing
will and caprice of the monarch This