Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-01-03

than slavery may be prepared to sec slavery over
thrown wherever it stands in the way Of ma
tional authority but theyare not prepared admit
that the President can, by the breath Of his mouth,
make or unmake the law of freedom and bondage.
For to declare slaves free does not lilo within the
province of the Executive Department of the
National Government on any theory Of the Presi-
dents duty, whether as commander-in-chief of the
army and navy or as civil ruler, nor can he con-
sistenty exercise this legislative function any
in time Of war than Of peace. But to make slaves
free may not only rghtfully, but must almost no.
cessarily be the incident of his Executive duties in
conducting large military operations slaveholding
territory.
As to the utility Of " war measure" which ap-
plies only to territory where the Executive Govern
ment has to-day power to enforce the decree, we
have little to say Indeed little needs to be said,
for the President has made it plain on the face of
the proclamation that, considered merely rs pro-
clamation, the paper is dead letter. The only
vital part of the document is to be found in the
declaration that "the Executive Government in
Guiding the military and naval authorities, will re-
proclaimed to be free. And this part Of the paper
derives all its vitality from the force that stands
behind it; not at all from the words that precede
it. And all the freedom that shall accrue to the
slave under this proclamation will result from the
law of force, ard not at all from the declaratory
portion Of the Presidents decree: And in this
view, which is self-evident to every mind, we are
not at all surprised to learn, as we do that the Pre-
sident in his private opinion anticipates lit
tie, if any utility from the proclamation Of free
dom, considered as a "war measure" War mea-
sures depend for their effectiveness on something
stronger than words, and the " war measure" which
shall actually emancipate a single slave would be
just effective without proclamation as with one
And In SO saying it would be impossible for us to
set the practical nutlity of this paper in clearer
light
Bat, while this is our own view of the probable
inefcacy of this document, we are glad that it af-
fords opportunity of finally testing the aagacity
of the political counselors who have persistenty
clamored for such paper "war measure" They
have reiicted from its simple utterance the NEST
signal results. We cite few of the promises on
whose fulfllnent these prognosicators have staked
their reputation for wisdom, and to the responsible
lily for which we shall henceforth continue to hold
their authors
la the month Of July last when the agitation
for proclamation of freedom" was at its height,
the following representations were made on the
subject to the New York Evening Pest by CORE
spondent who had formerly lived in Virginia; and
who wrote after having, as he said, " conversed
with old Virginia acquaintance, recent refu-
gee from Richmond, who for the last year had been
member of the rebel Gen. Longstreet's family,
and who, though man of color, seems to under
stand the condition Of affairs at the South much
better than some of our Generals" What he wrote
under this head was as follows:
How strange that great men and rulers should
see that he stomach il the weak point of tho enemy He
will have little stomach t fight the bad fight Of rebellion
empty stomach When the great woris of liberty
ard freedom shall be sounded from The high places of pow
like trumpet through the land the knel of the rebel
lion will be tailed.
But we ale asked how the negroes on the plantations
are to be informed Of such decree of the Government
How little do those who ask such questions know Of The
negro character TIE negroes are familiar with every
swamp mountain pass through glen aud frest aud at
night guided by the stars the gospel OF freedom would be
circula I'd from cabin to cabin almost with teeeraphic
iftness The plough ,oouid stand still IN the rro,o. the
pcncd grain could remain unharresed the
be mfked The dinners oould not be cooked but uni
verta hal-ah of glory Gtd echoed from every valley
and hilltop rebedom would sound the speedy doom Of
treason"
Reproducing these representations in cur columns
on the 31st of last July, we wrote as follows
"TGere is aspect of the question which rather in
cines to wish that the President might fed 1t
pable with his convictions of public duty to ssue
such PAPER these complanants ask at his hands We
well assured that wcud prove bruam but lis
demonstrated int Efficiency might perhaps open the eyes Of
amiable and saugune phanthropists wh until the expert
ment tired will continue to credit such representations
the stomach j. the weak point OF the rebels and If
proclamation of freedom is going to put end to all
culinary operations 10 tie Confederate States we sh
conquer peace the less signal for being blood
les,. What would this be but bringing the blockade
home every rebels business nd bowels When it
hoped by Mr. Perceva to bring the French to reason
keeping them without Ihubarb a. d caomel Sidney Smith
the sublime spectacle suggested by the thought
that purge could be taken between the Weser and
Carr nne and that 10 quence Of the British Orders
in Council the bowels of mankind locked for foui
teen degrees of latitude Without castor-oi he thought
the French might tor mnntha, to be sure,
lingering war; but what could tLey do without
bark1 Would people live under Government where
monia powders could not be procured Would they
bear the hrs of mercury, persist in which laid
embargo on Godfreys cordial
Bat Mr.. Percevafs plan If conquest and constipation
was nothing compared with that commended to
the adoption Of the President At his word the plough
rpeaed grain Except that already grnercd for the want
IF tn ubarp ad