Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-12-11

port of the Secretary will evince the urgent
need for immediate legislative action.
commend the benevolent institutions
established or patronized by the government
in this District, to your serious and fostering
care.
NATIONAL SHIP CANAL.
The attention of Congress during the
last session was engaged to some extent with
a proposition for the enlargement ofthe water
communications between the Mississippi riv-
er and the North Eastern seaboard, which
pr position, however, failed for the time.
Since then, upon call of the greatest respec-
liability, a convention has been called at
Chicago upon the same subject, summary
Of whose views is contained in a memorial
addressed to the President and Congress, and
which now have the honor to lay before
you. That this interest is one which ere long
will force its own way, do not entertain q
doubt. While it is submitted entirely to
your wisdom as to what can be done, new
importance is given to this subject by the &C.
tual commencement of work upon the Pacif-
ic railroad, under auspices so favorable to its
rapid progress and completion. Enlarged
! navigation becomes a palpable need to the
great road.
transmit the second annual report of the
Commissioner of the Department of Agricul-
ture, asking your attention to the develop.
ments in that vital interest of the nation.
THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION.
When Congress assembled year ago, the
war had already lasted twenty months, and
there had been many conflicts on both land
and sea with varying results. The rebellion
has been pressed back into reduced limits,
yet the tide of public feeling and opinion at
home and abroad, was not satisfactory. With
other signs, the popular elections, then
just passed, indicated uneaslness among our
selves, while amid much that was cold and
menacing the kindest words coming from
Europe were uttered in accents of pity, that
we were too blind to surrender our commerce,
which was suffering from few armed vessels,
built upon and furnished from foreign shores,
and were threatened with such additions
from some quarter as would sweep our trade
from the sea and raise our blockade. We
had failed to elicit from European Govern
ments anything hopeful upon this subject.
The Emancipation Proclamation, which
was issued in the month of September, was
running its assigned period to the beginning
of the NewYear, when month later, the first
succeeding the proclamation of emancipation
the announcement that colored men would
be received into war service-the policy of
emancipation and employing black soldiers
gave to the future new aspect, about which
hope, fear and doubt c0ntended in uncertain
conflict. According to our political system, as a
matter Of civil administration, the general
government had no lawful power to effec.
emancipation in any State. For long time
it had been hoped that the rebellion could be
suppressed without resorting to it as mill
tsry measure. 1t was all the while deemed
possible that the necessity for it might come,
and if it should the crisis of the contest would
then be presented. 1t came, and, as was ex.
pected, it was followed by dark and doubtful
days. Eleven months have passed. We
are permitted to take another review. The
rebel borders are pressed still further back,
and by the complete opening of the Missis
sissippi River, the country dominated over by
the rebellion is divided into distant parts,
with practically no communication between
them Tennessee and Arkansas have been
so substantially cleared of insurgents con-
troll and influence, that the citizens of each
and owners of slaves and advocates of slave
ry in the beginning of the rebellion, now de-
clare openly for emancipation in their respec-
tive States. Of those States not included in
the Emancipation Proclamation are Maryland
and Missouri, neither Of which years ago would
tolerate any restraint upon the extension Of
slavery into the territories, only dispute now
as to the best mode Of removing within their
own limits those who were slaves at the
beginning of the rebellion. Full 5000 are
now in the United States military service,
about ono half of which number actually
bear arms in the ranks, thus giving the
double advantage Of taking so much labor
from the insurgent cause and supplying the
places which otherwise must be filled with
so many white men. So far as tested it is
difficult to say that they are not as GOOD sol
diers as any. No servile instruction or ten.
dency to violence or cruelty has marked the
measures of emancipatilg and arming the
blacks These measures have been much
discussed in foreign countries ,and cotempora-
ry with such discussion the tone of public
sentiment there is much improved; at home
the same measures have been fully discussed,
supported, criticised and denounced, and the
annual elections following are highly encour.
aging to those whose special duty is to guide
the country through this great trial. Thus
we believe the crisis which threatened to d.
vide the friends of the Union is passed.
| PROCLAMATION OF AMNESTY.
Looking now to the present and future, and
with reference to resumption of ma
tional authority in States where its
authority has been suspended, / have
thought best to issue proclamation,
a copy Of which is herewith transmitted; AMI
examination of which proclamation, it will
appear, it is believed, amply justified by the
Constitution. The form of an oath is given,
but no man is coerced to take ia man is
only promised pardon in case he voluntari-
ly takes the oath the Constitution author.
ICES the Executive to grant, on terms as is
fully established by the judicial and other
authorities. 1t also proffers that if inI any
of the States named, the seat of Government
shall be determined in the mode prescribed to
set up such Government, it shall be recog.
nized and guaranteed by the United States,
and that under it and the Constitution the
State shall be protected against invasion and
domestic violence. The Constitutional obl-
cation of the United States to guarantee to
every State in the Union republican form of
Government, and to protect the State in the
crses stated, is explicit and full. But why
tender this provision only to State Govern
ment set up in this particular way This
section of the Constitu ion contemplates a
case wherein the element within a State ia.
vorable to Republican Government in the
Union may be too feeble for an opposite and
hostile element external to and even within
the State, and such are precisely the cases
with which we are now dealing. An attempt
/ 70 omar mt onA roxyivod G0vorp.
ment, constructed in whole or preponderating
part from the very element against whose
hostility and ma'evolence it is to be protect
ed, is simply absurd. There must be test
by which to separate opposing elements so as