Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1863-01-06

4
The proclamation of the 22d of Septem.
her Last, issued by the President. took the
country by surprise, and no one Of the cit>
liens moro than myself. / had fondly hop
ed and been anxious that the President of
the United States should SO conduct, him.
self in his high Office as Chief Magistrate,
that could lend him my support. I have
beec driven, with thousands Of others, into
opposition to the policy contained in that
| proclamation, for reasons which must COM
mend themselves to every rejecting man
sincerely desirous of terminating this war
and suppressiDg the rebellion.
Mr.. Lincoln, on the 4th of March, 1861.
on the east portico of this Capitol, took a
vow, which be said was re gistered in heav
en-, to support the Constitution of the
United States. In bis inaugural address
| delivered on that occasion. he said he had
no lawful authority or inclination to inter-
| fsre with the institution of slavery in the
States whess il exists. In his proclama-
ton of the 22d Of September last, be as
sumes that be has power to forever free
''all persons held as slaves within any
State, or designated part of q State, the
people whereof shall be in rebellion against
the United States" thus violating the
pledge so solemnly made in his inaugural
address.
If the object of the proclamation was not
to aid the rebellion, it's effect was 1t has
strengthened the rebellion BY driving into
their army every person in the South that
1t was possible to drive there. Was It's
intent to affect those alone in rebellion
Clearly net. The slaves of every man in q
rebellious State were to be free. The lOy-
al man owning twenty slaves, and the man
IN the rebel army owning q ike number.
! were, by thas proclamation, to be affected
precisely the same. The object of the
proclamation was to benefit the negro, not
to restore the Government or preserve the
Constitution. 1t was nothing more, moth
ing less. Ii goes q bow-shot beyond any,
thing done by this House at the last SEES
sion of Congress.
But again. If the proclamation is to be
carried into effect, the war must continue
until every slave is free. If every rebel
| should lay down his arms on the I'd dsy of
January next, or any subsequent day, and
submit himself to the laws and Constitu
ton of the United States, the war would
still have to 60 on, unless toe slaves we're
all free, for the proclamation declares that
1.-THE executive Government of the United
States, including the military and naval
authorities thereof, will recognise and
maintain the freedom of such PERSONS" 1t
strengthens the arm Of the rebellion, and
postpones the time of restoring peace to
this country, by the declaration oe the pur-
pose for which the executive power shall
be used. In what respect has our GAUGE
! of the Union-been advanced 2 Up to that
time, throughout the great Northwest, you
had but to call for volunteers and thew
rushed to the Army. Since then, you have
had no volunteering. Prior to tina: time
u was not necessary, Is the Secretary of
War-as am told, for have not read
bis report-now declars it is necessary, to
have provost marshals in every county to
arrest deserters from the Army.
| We are Informed that but few days be-
fore the issuing of this reclamation, the
President himself declared, in conference
with some gentlemen who were urging
him to this step, that it would not only be
wholly imperative in the object sought,
but would directly weaken us in the border
States. but significantly added that it might
increase our strength in the North. |
pause here to inquire where that additional
strength in the North was to be obtained
not certainly from the Democratic element
- VIZ ANOAeAs IL o0ulttOudl VlKOI was III
fused into the service, 1t must come from
some other quarter which until then had
not heartily sustained the policy of the
Administration. l need not particulsrize
what class of individuals were to be thus
induced 70 lend their suppor.-the country
well knows the baleful influences of this
class, and the ends they seek to accOmp
lish.
| Rnk THE Sc Ill u
military operations chow to-day almost
conelusiVely what the country had fol
some considerable time suspected; thst
success IN military point of view was MOI
SO much the object sought as the bringing
about condition of things when a procls.
nation OF this sort could be urged as the
only means OF securing to US success.
Some OF the remarks are now before the
public why Mcclellan did not capture
Richmond. At the last session of Con-
gress l commented on the fact that th,
armies on the Potomac, instead Of being
passed, were divided into four or fvt
corps, and each corps under an Independent
commander, no two Of them cooperating
together; thus enabling mass corps o
rebels under jackson to defeat three o
|. them, and to unite before Richmond IN re-
pulsing Mcclellan. / will not now re-
peat what then said. l refer to the fac
IS Ink in the chain of evidence which
shall to-day aduce.
There was, during the whole time Nc
CleNan was a. the mead OF the Army, con-
tinual demands that be should adyanc
upon Richmond. The class of persons VIII
raised this cutlery were the persons VII,
favored emancipation. This elamOr force
n Ill
from McClellan DIS plan OF campaign, a