Delaware State journal and statesman. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1855-1870, 1863-12-11

quarter as would sweep our trade from the sea
and raise our blockade. We had flicd to elicit
from the European governments anything hope
ful upon this subject.
The emancipation proclamation, which was
issued in September, was running its assigned pc
Rod 10 the beginning of the new year. month
later the final proclamation came, including the
announcement that cOiored men of suitable con-
dition would BIZ received into the war service.
The policy Of emancipation and Of employing
black soldiers gave to the future new aspect,
about which hope and fear and doubt contended
in uncertain conflict.
According to our political system, as matter
oil civil administration, the general government
had no lawful power to effect emancipation in
any State, and for a long time it had been hoped
that the rebellion could be suppressed without
resorting to it as military measrre.
1t was all the while deemed possible that the
necessity for it might come, and that iii should,
the crisis of the contest would then 10 present
cd. IL came, and as was anticipated, il was fol-
lowed by dark and doubtful days
Eleven months having now passed, we are
permitted to take another review The rebel
borders are pressed still further back, and by
the complete opening of the Mississippi river,
the country dominated over by the rebellion is
divided into distant parts, with no practical com
munication between them. Tennessee and
surgent control and influence, aud the citizens in
each, owners of slaves and advocates of slavery at
the beginning of the rebellion nos declare openly
for emancipation In their respective States or
those States not included in the Emancipation
Proclamation, Maryland and Missouri, neither of
which, years ago, would tolerate any restraint
upon the extension of slavery into the new terri
lorities, only dispute now rs to the best mode of
removing it within their own limits.
OF those who were slaves ut the beginning of
the rebellion, full Que hundred thousand are now
in the United States military service, about one
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 fedwlth so many white men. So far as test
ed it is difficult to say they arc not as good
soldiers as any. No servile instruction or ten
dency to violence or cruelty has marked the
measures Of emancipation, and among the blacks
these measures have been much discussed in
foreign countries, Contemporary with such dis,
cusson 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 fol-
lowed arc highly encouraging to those whose
official duty it is to bear the country through this
great trial.
Thus We have the new reckoning. The crisis
which threatened to divide the friends of the
Union is past.
Looking now to the present and future, and
with reference to resumption of the national au-
thority within the States wherein that authority
has been suspended, have thought fit to issue
proclamation, copy of which is herewith trans
mitted. On examination of this proclamation 1t
will appear, as is believed, that nothing is at
tempted beyond what is amply justified by the
Constitution. True, the form of an oath is
given, but no man is coerced to take it. man
il only promised pardon in case he voluntarily
takes the oath. The Constitution authorizes the
Executive to grant or withhold the pardon at his
own absolute discretion, and this includes the
power to grant on terms as is fully established
by Judicial and other authorities
1t is also proiicrcd that if in any of the States
named. State Government shall be iu the mode
prescribed set up, such government shall be re.
cognized and guaranteed by the United States,
and that under it the State shall, on the consti.
tutonal conditions be protected against invasion
and domestic violence.
The Constitutional obligation of the United
States to guarantee to every State in the Union
a republican form of government and to protect
the State in the cases stated, is explicit and full
But why lender the benefits of this provision
only to State Government set'up in this parti-
oulsr way This section of the Constitution
contemplates case wherein the element within
a State favorable to Republican Government
IN Tue union, may DC 100 tecDle Tor an opposite
and hostile element, external to and even within
the State; and such are the cases with which
we are now dealing.
An attempt to guarantee and protect revised
State Government constructed in whole or in
part from the very element
against whose hostility and violence il is to be
protected, is simply absurd. There must be a