The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1863-12-18
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F1NDLAY, OHIO, DEC. Is, 1868
y'b, Presidents Message.

!
will attract more attention than an,
document of the kind ever issued. =
The momentous subjects Of which /
treats, and the simple, plain, homes
and frank manner in which he meets
them will cause IL to be read and re
read as most important part Of th'
history Of the war.
The friends and enemies Of the gov
eminent will read that portion devo
ted to reco struction with intense in
terest. The former will approve o.
IL, for while il leaves an open door fol
peace, it is guarded in such manner
that the peace must be lasting and
pefmanent--the latter will condemn
it because . forces the rebels to lay
down their arms, when they do II, in
such way that they can never be
taken up again. OF course 1t would
be too much to expect the Copper
head fraternity who beloved "peacel
on anv terms" over Ohio last Fall, to
accept those portions that reailirm
the Emancipation Proclamation, the
excluding the leaders of the rebellion
from pardon and the taking Of the
oath. SO long as the rebellion had a
chance of success, so long they advo-
Gated unconditional surrender to it,
and now that its failure and the sue
cess of the government is certainty,
they desire nothing so much as that
it shall be ended III such manner as
TO leave the rebellious states as strong
and in az good condition to COM
mence again, as ever. They would
have free pardon extended to all
concerned in it, and, above all, they
would have the great cause of it
the root of all this bitterness that has
desolated North and South-slavery
left untouched, to again deluge the
land with blood.
But the President, with that WIS
dom and foresight that has marked
his career from the beginning, ha:
determined not only to crush the re
bellion, but to so effectually crush il
and its cause that the peace will be
lasting. Once he gave the South
hundred days to return, slavery ano
all, but that olive branch was reject
ed with scorn, and now, the steI
once taken, he will persist in il to the
end, and the people will sustain hin
in it,
Slavery was the cause Of the war
it was undertaken solely and entirely
with n view to build up an empire
with II as cornerstone. II tneJusu
ice and expediency Of putting il
down at all is acllnowledged-if we
have right to repossess that terito
ry, the right and expediency must
also be acknowledged to so reposses'
ito so reorganize it as to preclude
q possibility of a repetition.
We commend the message to the
careful consideration of our readers.
Proclamation accompanying the Mes'
sage.
The following Proclamation is ap
pended to the message: Proclama
tion--Whereas In and by the Consti-
tuition ofthe United States, tits pro
vided, that the President shall have
power to grant reprieves and pardon'
for offences against the United State:
except in cases of impeachment; ano
whereas, rebellion now exists where
by the loyal States and government
Of several States have for a long time
been subverted, and many persons
have committed and are now guilty
of treason against the United States,
And Whereas, with reference to SAID
rebellion and treason, laws have been
enacted by Congress declaring the
forfeiture and confscation Of proper.
ty, and the liberation of slaves, all
upon terms and conditions therein sta
ted, also declaring that the President
was thereby authorized, at any time
thereafter, by proclamation, to extend
to persons who may have participated
in the existing rebellon-in any State
or part thereof-pardon and amnesty
with such exceptions and at such
times and on such conditions as he
may deem expedient for the public
welfare.
And whereas, the Congressional
declaration OF limited and condition
al pardon accords with well establish
ed judicial eXpositions of the pardon
ing power, and Whereas, with refer
ence to said rebellion, the President
of the United States has issued sew
eral proclamations, with provisions
in regard to the liberrtion of Slaves
whereas, it is now desired by som,
persons heretofore engaged in sale
rebellion, to resume their allegiance
to the United States, and re-inaugu
rate loyal State governments within
and. for their respective States;
Therefore /, Abrahum Lincoln
President OF the United States, dc
pr oclaim, declare and make known