New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-05-16
The Constitution - Liberty - ci'iIeiAs"H
ue,,er from O. s.. Murray

mT
.a1. reioinder. WIN you suffer word suggeS'eu
;Snrotv, from one who had birth and growth IN Inc
.orc State where one Of you had birth and gfoM."'
aud the other of you some Of the early aDo 49,
,sr, of his prowth-one who has seen more usy'
than either Of you and who, Ike y9us1, 80 ola
had some rugged experience IN enu'"''-' " w
human enlargement ..t;,,, ,,o end
Having spoken Of tie Sis'e 70 "N'oN ". -.
others owe 60 much, it is proper Lefe - P.",'0
for having always stood in TepuOilcsn 1'u
.l,;'n5a'.n,yer bending knee to Slavery, never
allowing the monster TO have place upon OF u any
way or tie least degree 10 faint her soil /
The item from yonr editorial, commented on by
Oliver johnson, hss iaken my own attention at the
time Of its original appearance in The TRIBUNE.
But it Is enough now to attend bieay TO what has
been said resulting from it.
In the direction of Estate Rights" my own
Tendencies aye even stronger than those Of the editor
of TIE TRIBUNE. They lead me to the Reputation
of such State wrongs as tue enslayement Of free
citizens irom other States aud the Reimbursement OF
,he States own freed citizens. My Procliyiues'
coming from my Green-Mouuiain growth, and my
sympathies and instiucts as man, unite IN denying
the right OF any State TO deprive Of liberty te cl'
zens Of any other Slate, or Of its own.
Here, if it were worth tie while, IN time IKE
the present, to argue the case conshuiona'y,
something might be said about the seIi-imposeo
Obligation OF the United States Constitution to
guarantee 10 each State republican form OF gov
eminent and its sacred stipulation that the citizens
of each State shall have all Tie lights aud immuni'
ties Of citizens in the eeveral States. Further.
more. inasmuch as the Editor Of The TRIBUNE
attaches Importance 10 The expressed oplulOn5 ana
desired counsels Of the prc-cnt Atorney-General l.
might not be amiss TO mention the decision OF tha1
Official as TO what constitutes citizenship III TIE
limited States and Of course in each q the States
Including Kentucky. But what use nov OF occupy
ing time apd space, aud spending strength ana
breath, in putting constructions on q COnsututOn
that has never been able, for moment, during lis
entire existence, to enforce itself, the mG ter OF
Its own essential elements, sucn as the two above
alluded to IA Constitution Conte.sedly-so iar %
TnE TRIBUNE j. cOncCmed-unable TO prevent the
REINSTATEMENT by the States, Of the millions The
President has IN the legitimate use Of his legitimate
powers, proclaimed free Human liberty ls para
mouut, ia superior III sacredness, TO any COusti,u-
sion OF any s. tie, or Of any Union OF States. any
Constitution, Of any CODiedeTacy, OF any teGeraCy,
or Of any State constituent OF either, that cannot
assert isef more consistently, and enforce itself
more rghteousy than he talted States COnstitu-
tion has bi,herto shown itself ahle to do, is E be
fundamentally Teformed-amen Ged. Standing on
any Constitution, like or unlike the Urited States
Coustl,u,iOn-lke or unlike any other Constitution,
vulsiOn and carnage as are now gong on such
bsrbarity and brutality rs have been going on in
this nation during entire national existence is
at 10 have i!s foundation removed and the fOunda-
ton Is itself 4, 10 be removed 30 Ear as 10 s such
foundation
Nothing during this War has more encouraged me,
has given hope, from such sources as we
are compelled to look 10 for shaping immediate
destinies than the expression Of soutimentsin sub
ttance like what 1 have DOW and last suggested
touching toe Constitution IL is relations 10 tie IN
stitu,ion which 10 the cause Of our War and our
woe-eoning from such politician and General as
Benjamin +. Bulsr Gen. Butler, when ne re
turned from New Orleans, sad tina. such system
rs he bad found Southern Slavery to be ought 10 be
abolished. And in his late speech at the New York
Academy Of Music, he said: " We hare no occa.
sion TO carry on the tight fer he Constitution as 70
-ss." / an NOT JOr The Union 10 be again
as a. vas." This IL progress-such progress ms no
other politician Of such anccedents and such stand
ing has made and declared for. This is ground lit to
be taken Nothing short of this as ground fit to be
occupied by any one devoted to the welfare Of the
country and mankind.
II / understand The tribune, its 'coDclusiOn Of
the whole matter r" is that bound TO act with
reference to the restoration Of "the Union as II
was, under the Constitution as il H." Why cannot
The TRIBUNE afford TO be as progressive as Gen.
Butler Il in tDis regard, and cay: We have no
occasion 10 light for the Constitution ee 1t H.
IL an not for the Union as it was" e. 9.
&C. nm not Tor the reconstruction Of the Union il
was" Has TIE TRIBUNE any objection TO this doe
srine announced at this late day by Gen. Butler
cherished duriUg long time past by the thoughtful
and humane among the millions
The millions declared emancpated on TIE Isl Of
January last now and forever legally free, ana
are citizens o. the United Sates-or they are not.
II they are legally free, ana are citizens Of the
United States, Why the persistoncy The part Of
The TRIBUNE IN making l. q condition, st least by
implication, that they must leave SecessiOnd0Ll aud
"cOme within oar lines" TO entitle them % claims
on the President for any benefit from his PrOclAma-
tion aud then the saying in substance, that af er
they have left Mississippi, Secession State, and
come into Kentucky, claimed as a loyal State-at
least held to DO Territory within lines still
Kentucky laws kidnapping and reGnsiaying them,
are superior 10 any aud all Federal powers TO tie
contrary in connection with the PRESIDENT PrOca-
NATION III l understand IHE TRIBUNE, The desid-
e-Gtum is 20 have tie Federal Official impiorc Ken
tuekys Official DOt O. exercise powers acknowledged
20 be constitutional and le"i innate IN the matter OF
kidnapping aad reeBslaviug these free citizens of
the United States. BayOneJs are not the things 20
avail; bat be6eecnlngs Of tie Federal official 10 the
Kentucky official. l. it not enough for the Federal
Government to have gone on ito Knees before Ken
lucky II be- sustained in that position by TIE
NEW. YORK TRIBUSEl The whole Of HE IRIB-
USE's argument, showing what cannot 10 done in
Kentucky to prevent the kidnapping and rc6DslGye-
ment of those who have been eDancipated and have
come there "wthu lines" is conclusive that
the President is bound 10 maintain their liberty
where they
On the contrary if these millions are nat already
legally free, ana ciyzens OF the United States then
sbe PFesideuts Proclamation has only been, and is
only to be, sLau-nothlng higher OF better ia TT
eim-nOthIng more o. less-than IN iliegtinate in-
Cucenent Tor returning 70 the old, bloody, oOusttu-
fo1al compromise sure 10 insure Ie-eatod aud pro-
trdcted war ana destruction.
Is 1t even 30 Was the Emancipat'on Procllma-
SION never designed nor made to be more or less
than the contemp;Ne thing of lash manufactured
lI. III. "a J. l.. 81.