The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1863-12-17

twenty months, and there had been
many conflicts on both land and sea,
with varying results. The rebellion
had been pressed back into reduced
limits vet the tone of public feeling
and opinion. at home and abroad, was
not satisfactory. With other signs,
the popular elections, then just passed
indicated uneasiness among ourselves,
while amid much that was cold and
lmenacing, the kindest words coming
from Europe were uttered in accents of
pity that we were blind to surrender
our commerce, which was suffering
greatly from few armed vessels which
were built upon and furnished from
foreign shores and we were threatened
with such additions from the same
Quarters as would sweep our trade from
the sea and raise our blockade. We
had failed to elicit from European gov
ernments anything hopeful upon this
subject.
The Emancipation Proclamation,
which was issued in September, wasrun-
ming its assigned period to the beginning
of new year. A month later the final
proclamation came, including the an.
nouncement that colcred men of a suit
able condition would be received into
the war service. The policy of eman-
cipation and employing black soldiers
gavc to the future a new aspect, about
which hope and fear and doubt con.
tended in uncertain conflict. Accor-
ding to our political system, as a mat
ter Of civil administration, the General
, Government had no lawful power TO
effect emancipation in any State, and
for long time it had been hoped that
the rebellion could be suppressed with
| ont reso-ting to it as military meas
ure. 1t was all the while deemed pos
: sible that the necessity for it might leone,
: and that, if il should, the crisis of the
: contest would then be presented. 1t
! came, and, as was intended, it was fol
lowed by dark and doubtful days.
r Eleven months have been passed. We
are permitted to take another review.
: The rebel borders are pressed still fur
! Their back, and, by the complete open
ing of the Mississippi river, the coun.
: try dominated over by the rebellion is
] divided into distant parts, with no prac-
Y teal connection between them-Ten
t nessee and Arkansas have been sub
! stantially cleared of insurgent control
and influence, and the citizens in each,
: and owners of slaves and advocates OF
, slavery at the beginning of the rebel.
e lion, now declare openly for emancipa'
t ton in their respective States. Oi
, those States not included in the eman
r cipation proclamation, Maryland and
!. Missouri, neither of which, years ago
i would tolerate any restraint upon the
:, extension of slavery into the new Ter
n ritories, only dispute now as to the bes
' mode of removing it within their OWL
!. limits.
OF those who were slaves at the be
ginning of the rebellion, fully one huud
u red thousand are now in the United
States military service, about one hal
of which plumber actually bear arms
in the ranks, thus giving the double
Is advantage of taking SO much labor
from the insurgent cause, and supply
ing the places which must otE erwis'
s be filed with so many white men. 81
y far az tested, it is difficult to say tina
II they are not as good soldiers as any.
ii No servile insurrection, or tendency
to violence or cruelty, has marked The
measures of emancipation and arming
i the blacks. These measures have beer
J. much discussed in foreign countries
!. and, contemporary with such discussion
|, the tone of public sentiment there is
1 much improvd. At home the same
: measures have been fully discussed
: supported, criticised, and denounced
E and the annual elections following are
8 highly encouraging TO those whose spe
8 cial duty it is to bear the country
J. through this great trial. .i'a-
J Thus we have the reckoning. The
e crisis which threatened to divide the
y friends of the Union is past. Looking
s now to the present and future, and
with reference to a resumption of the
e national authority within the States
!, wherein that authority has been sus
; pended, l have thought fit to issue q
0 proclamation, copy of which is here
J, with transmitted. On examination Of
g this proclamation, it will appear as is
e believed, amply justified by the Con
g stitution. True, the form of an oath IL
J, given, but no man is coerced to take it
e A man is only promised pardon ir
Gaze he voluntarily takes the oath, tht
+ Constitution authorizes the Executive
r to grant on such terms as are fully es
tablished by judicial and other author
e ity. 1t also provides, that if in any
e of the States named real government
1 shall be in the mode prescribed set up
such government shall be recognized
and guaranteed by the United States
and that under it the State shall bt
e protected against invasion and domes
d tic violence. The constitutional obliga
o ton OF the United States guarantee.
to every State in the Union a Repub
lican form of Government, and to pro
o.. :