The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1863-11-06
The Effect of the Proclamation

this Office, neatly printed on good paper. .,..
The Effect of the Proclamation.
Now that the election is over, our friends who
believe in the supposed virtues Of the Emanci-
patton Proclamation as war measure, cannot
charge us with eny partizan design in proposing
to discuss the merits of this mucf-debated psD-
nunciamento Of Mr.. Lincoln. They will now,
certainly, do us the justice TO admit that we
have no other object in view, in stating the facts
and giving our conclusions, concerning the op-
GRAFTON of the Proclamation, than the success
of the Federal Government and the welfare of
the country. They will, therefore, not refuse
to consider what we say, and to weigh, as intel
lgent men, the facts and arguments which we
shall present.
Come, then, believers in the Proclamation, let
us reason together 4.....
You tell us that it was military necessity to
proclaim the emancipation of the slaves in all
States in rebellion against the Federal Govern
ment, for the reasons, mainly, that whilst the
rebel masters filled the ranks of jeff Davis ar
mics, their slaves remained at home to raise corn
and beef to feed those armies, or accompanied
the Southern troops and worked on entrench-
ments and digged up breastworks for them.-
Hence, say you, it was very important to take
away from the rebel government this element of
strength and to do this it was necessary that the
President should issue his decree of emancipa-
ton. Now, granting that the labor of the
slaves within the rebel lines is of the greatest
possible service to the Southern armies and ad-
mitting that if the slaves who perform this la
Dor were free from the control Of those armies,
the resources of the rebellion would be greatly
straitened it is quite certain that Mr.. Lincoln's
Proclamation has not effected, nor can it ever
effect, its avowed purpose. Slavery in the Se-
ceded States still exists and fourishes, although
it is now one year since the Presidents Procla-
nation has been promulged. To use its authors
own words, it has been as futile in its effects
upon that institution, ''as the Pope's bull a.
gainst the comet" Slaves are freed only by
force of arms, just as they were prior to the
issuing of this Presidential bull. AS the Federal
armies advance, slaves become "contraband,"
and, per consequence, free, and so they did from
the beginning of the war. Hence the Procla-
nation is not only superfuty, but as mill
tary measure, a complete failure. Nay, it is
not only failure, but source of great injury
to the Federal cause Being made the grand
programme Of the war, and making the aboli-
tion of slavery the first object to be attained by
the success Of the Federal arms, it has divided
the people Of the North, diverting at least one
half of them from cordial support of the war,
whilst at the same time it has united the people
Of the South in military opposition to the Fed
eral Government. This is a simple statement
of the plain, unvarnished truth concerning the
,sfe ct of the Proclamation. Besides, it is quite
plain that the Presidents emancipation policy
can be fully carried out only by the entire and
.eomplete occupation of the rebel territory, by
Federal troops. There must be perfect and
thorough suijugation of every rebel State and
districts county, and town, before the Pyoclama-
ton can be enforced. Now, we are told that
when the rebellious States are subdued, the
Union is restoIed, How, then, can the Proc
lsmation be Of service, at that late day? If sue
eessful fighting win, in ITSELF restore the Union,
and if the Proclamation can be put in practice
only after the war endsin success, what necesI
sity is there now, or will there be then, for the
existence of this bone of contentionl !: None,
none. Then let It be buried in TIN, Tomb Of the
Capulets, and let its grave close over it ct once
and forever. '-I-.'t L-'--a