The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1863-12-17
The Presidents Message.

The Presidents Message will satisfy
the country. 1t is worthy of the people,
and the time Mr.. Lincoln has, beyond
all question, the power of dealing with
grand subjects in noble simplicity, and the
unusual merit of divesting craftsmanship
of it's mystery, and truth of its disguise.
Perhaps more candid than any statesman
of his time, certainly as honest aud
straig ghtforward as any, he never fails to
convince even his enemies OF his sincerity,
and in this message must succeed IN con-
vincing all loyal men of his wisdom. 1t
is document which briefly and exhaust
lively rehearses the events of the year,
fully states the condition Of the country,
our relations with foreign Powers, the
progress of the war, and treats with
masterly power Of the vital principles of
the contest. But it might have possessed
all this merit, and yet have disappointed
the expectations of loyal men; it has
satisfied them because, liz addition, it
contains that for which the country has
patiently wsited and anxiously longed-a
practical plan for the restoration of the
rebellious States to their privileges in the
Union. This is the great merit OF the
ueSSuSe. HIS Is Oue VI IiiC oio"hipS
glories of Mr. Lincoln's Administration.
We may pass by, for the present, all that
he says of foreign treaties, domestic pros
perity, and military victory. 1t is suttl-
cient for the satisfaction of all loyal men
that he has solved the problem of peace.
There are three sentences in the Presl-
dents message which should be written in
letters of gold: "The crisis which
threatened to divide the friends of the
Union is past" 81 shall not return to
slavery any person who is free by the
terms of the Proclamation or by any act
of Congress" "I proclaim full pardon TO
all who solemnly swear to henceforth
faithfully support, protect, and defend the
Constitution of the United States and the
Union of the States Hereunder" The
our hopes are based the second is SUBJ
lime declaration that henceforth freedom
is the law of the Republic; the third is
noble appeal which, it seems to us, can
not fail to show the suffering people OF
the Soath that it is not upon them that
the United States makes war, but upon
the crime of their leaders, aud the cruelty
of their rebellion. The last two truths,
indeed, strengthen and sustain the first,
for the crisis is past, when the President
can thus decree by the will of the people
the abolition of slavery, and at the same
time offer full pardon to the men, who, to
protect slavery, attempted to destroy the
Government
The offer the President has made is the
most generous, the most magnanimous,
that ever lawful ruler made to criminal
insurgents. Magnanimity could go no
further Cancellation could grant no more.
Upon conditions the easiest to fulfil, and
the least humiliating TO accept, he has
offered the people of the South, no limited
and imperfect pardon, bu. absolute AMI
entire forgiveness. He has GUARANTEED to
them every right they formerly possessed,
insured them their olden equality with
the people of Pennsylvania and Massachu-
sets, asked them to return to their allie
glance, not as men disgraced, but to
reassume, with honor, the proud positions
they had forfeited. The oath they must
take to obtain this full pardon is one SO
carefully and delicately worded that every
loyal man, from the humblest laborer to
the highest officer of the Government,
might take it without feeling that it i'm
piled censure of his past action or doubt
of his future course. This noble Procla-
nation of Pardon is the counterpart of
the Proclamation Of Emancipation to-
gether they will be recorded in history as
embodiments of the justice and the
mercy of the loyal men of the United
States. If Mr.. Lincoln, at the beginning
of the war, seemed to be one of those
fortunate men who had greatness thrust
upon them, he has since shown the higher
power to achieve greatness by unsurpassed
fidelity to national trust and comprehen-
sion of a worlds revolution.
IF we had ever despaired of success, we
could no longer despair, now that we have
read this calm and earnest message, which
itself so quiet aid firm, must kinale
new enthusiasm for the cause. 1t is
principle, right, liberty, that is the soul of
the Presidents message. Hehas not gone
back enc inch. He has given shape and
thought 20 the inspiration of the people.
In reading his plain, firm, but singularly
gentle words, we imagine man who bends
but does not tremble beneath the burden
of the fate of continent. We read in
this solemn message the integrity OF our
chief magistrate the resolution of the
American people to maintain, in spite Of
all that is past or to come, the Union |;
their enmity to slavery as the foe of the
Union their confidence in their own
power their trust in humanity, and their
faith in Almighty God.