The Portland daily press., 1863-08-03


to allow them to supersede the rule of Gov.
Shepley-the representative Of naional order
and equity as well as poverty one of their
own choice, perhaps Thomas O. Moore, the
late Governor. who so naturally became the
tool of JEFF. Davis and his fellow usurpers and
conspirators. 1t is bypo means certain, should
President Lincoln grant the wish OF these
gentlemen, withdraw the military rule now
existing over that state, and remand it to the
| exclusive control of its own citizens, that In
three months it would not need to be recon-
| quered from rebel rule, and held under mill
| tary power as it has been for the last year.
President Lincoln assured the selfconstitu-
ed Committee that he had received "reliable
information TINT respectable portion of the
people of Louisiana desire to amend their
State Constitution, and he is not disposed to
recognize the trio of planters as the authorized
expounders of the States wishes and demands.
The Argus insists that the President should
listen to these whilom rebels, who come not in
contrtion for their past sins, but arrogantly
claiming the same constitutional rights as those
who have never been tainted with disloyalty;
and it also lays down the doctrine that he
should back down from the emancipation poll
cy, aud restore the rebel States with slavery to
their original status under the constitution.
Here is the language:
Now what is the duty of the Administration in this
momenfous criss-the danger of collision with for
tign powers being greater than ever beforey We
answer its duty is TO RESTORE UNION; to let all
side issues-au Abolition dogmas-haye the go-by,
accomplish This result We say that TO hesitate to
respond to the request of Louisiana and to refuse to
give them the protection they need in adopting the
State action proposed. is GIGANTIC CRIME
AGAINST THE COUNTRY, he Administration
has no right to impose other conditions for return
than obedience to the Constitution and laws; it has
no right TO withhold the protection which the
templated state action would render necessary, in
order TO the people from the assaults of the
minions of JEFF. Davis On the contrary, its duty is
general amnesty TO the masses of the people who
turn TO allegiance Excepting therefrom only few
leaders, and TO take every possible measure and pre-
caution for their protection. Let but the Admins
tration do this-only its simple duty-and with
discretion and vigor and six months will not elapse,
wevcriy believe, before shall see rebellion virtual
y crushed and substantial peace restored without the
necessity for more men than we have already in the
field.
We have made this long extract from the
Argus that we might present its point fairly,
and avoid the charge of Misrepresentation.
The demand made by that paper, as the organ
Of party claiming great numbers and influ-
ence, is that President Lincoln should recon-
slider his proclamation of emancipation, and
that slavery in the rebel States should be re-
stored to the status it occupied before the
rebellion had deranged the affairs of the coun-
try, imposed upon it a heavy debt, and carried
sorrow and mourning into ever school-dstrict
and nearly every household in the land.
Now we take the ground that this is demand
ing precisely what President Lincoln has no
right-no poicer to grant. Let us for mo-
ment review The steps he has taken, and call
to mind the position he has now arrived at;
and we think it will be admitted by every JUS
tice-loving, law-abiding, faith-respecting, God
revering and sin-fearing reader, that President
Lincoln has no more power to concede what
the Argus demands, than he has to sell the
free colored people-or in fact the free white
peoole-of Portland upon the auction block
at Richmond.
We shall not stop here TO prove or to argue
the right of the President, as Commander-in-
Chief of the army and navy, and in the exer-
else Of the war power of the nation to, proclaim
emancipation as military necessity. Whether
it was polite or otherwise to exercise this
power, the power existed. and existed in him.
Patrick Henry, John Quincy Adams, and hosts
Of others, statesmen Of the first order, have
asserted the existence Of this power, and the
fact that the opponents of its exercise now call
upon the President to revoke it, is sufficient
proof that they rec ognize his authority to use
it. What, then, in the exercise of this power.
has been done?
In letter TO Mr. Greeley, which was pub
lshed and highly extolled by the press OF the
country, and particularly the so-called soon
sentative" or anti-emancipation press, Pres-
dent Liocoln said:
i would save the Union and I.would save il in the
shortest way under the Constitution.
The sooner the national authority can be restored
the nearer the Union will DC the Union it was.
My paramount object in this struggles is to save the
could save the Union without freeing any slaves /
would do it and il could save it by freeing all
slaves, would do it. IL could save it by freeing
some and leaving others alone, would also do that
What do about slavery and the colored race | do
because believe it will help me to save the uuion;
and what forbear orbear because do not believe
IT would help to save the Union.
After quoting the above language the Argus
says:
If he would now hut act upon that rule and
promptly welcome back and protect every State that
will return 10 the Union, without hagglng about
tie adoption Of an emancipation scheme attempt
ing 70 impose impose II as condition of return,
might soon see restoration and peace.
We beg to suggest that precisely upon the
rule here laid down the President has acted
and still continues to act. He found that he
could not save the Union without freeing some
of the slaves; he felt that to free them all
would be unnecessarily severe upon portions
Of the slaveholding people. He therefore ac-
cepted the remaining alternative and has at
tempted TO save the Union "by freeing some"
slaves-those in the rebel States-"and leav-
ing others Alone" and in this he is succeeding
gloriously. We repeat, therefore, the Presi-
dent has not lost sight of his own rule; he is
acting upon ii, and the Argus is simply calling
upon him TO undo what is done, to nullify
solemn act which he has neither the right nor
the power to reverse. We will explain.
On the 22d of September, 1862 President
Lincoln issued a proclamation, in which, as
President Of the United States and as Com
mander-in-Chief Of the Army and Navy there
OF, he declared tie war was to be as il had been,
prosecuted for the purpose of practically re-
storing the constitutional relations between
the States, and he adjured all disloyal persons
to return tn their allaoianea and snia,,,t, 40