The Placer herald., 1864-09-24

| lhe president proceeds:
| Now therefore | Abraham Lincoln, President
OF the United States. do proclaim, declare, and
make known that, while am Gas | WAS in De-
ccmber last, when by proclamation propounded
n plan for restoration) unprcpared, by formal
approval OF this BILL to be infeXibly committed
to any single plan of restoration
That is to say the President is resolved
that the people shall not by laao take any Sc
curties from the rebel States against re.
newal Of the rebellion before restoring their
power to govern u.s.
His wisdom and prudence are to be our
sufficient guarantees.
lie further says:
And, while am also unprcpared to declare
that the Free State Constitutions and Govern
mcnts already adopted and installed in Arkansas
and Louisiana shall be set aside and held for
naught, thereby repeling and discouragng the
loyal citizens who have set up the same us to fur
ther effort
That is to say, the President persists in
recognizing those shadows of Governments
in Arkansas and Louisiana, which Congress
formally declared should not be recognized
whose Representatives and Senators were
repeled by formal votes of both Houses Of
Congress-whch it was declared formally
should have no electoral vote for President
and Vice President.
They are the mere creatures of his will
They cannot live a day without his support.
They are mere oHgarchies, imposed on the
people by military orders under the forms of
election, at which generals, provost-marshas,
soldiers and camp followers were the actors,
assisted by handful of resident citizens,
and urged on to premature action by private
letters from the President.
In neither Louisiana nor Arkansas before
Banks defeat did the United States control
half the territory or half TIE population. In
Louisiana, General Banks proclamation can
didly decIared: "7Ae Fundamental law Of the
State IS martial law"
On that foundation Of freedom, he erected
what the President calls "the free Constitu-
ton and Government Of Louisiana"
But of this State, whose fundamental law
was martial law, only sixteen parishes out Of
forty-eight parishes were held by the United
States; and in five of the sixteen we held
only our camps.
The eleven parishes we substantially held
bad 233, lS5 Inhabitants the residue of the
ctdte HOt iicll ny US, ooo,ol''
At the farce called an election, the officers
of Gen. Banks returned that ,346 ballots
were cast; bat whether any or by whom the
people of the United States have no IeeaI
assurance but it is probable that 1000 were
cast by soldiers or employees Of the United
States military or municipal, but none ac'
cording to any law, State or National, and
1000 ballots represent the State of Louis
lana.
Such is the free Constitution and Govern,
ment of Louisiana; and like it is that of Ar
kansas. Nothing but the failure of miIi-
tary expedition deprived us of like ono in
the sNamps of Florida; and before the Pres
idenlial election, like ones may be organized
n every rebel State where the United States
have a camp.
The President by preventing this bill from
becoming a law, holds the electoral votes Of
the rebel States at the dictaton of his per,
sonal ambition.
If those votes turn the balance in his
favor, is it to be supposed that his compei
tor defeated by such means, will acquiesce?
If the rebel majority assert their suprema
cy in those States, and send votes which
elect an enemy of the Government will we
not repe his claims!
And is not that civil war for the Presi.
dencv inaugurated by the votes of rebel
States?
Seriously impressed with these dangers,
Congress, "the proper Constitutional author
aty' formally declared that there are no State
Governments in the rebel States, and pro-
vil la1 f,r hoir
and both the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives chosen under the authority Of what
the President calls the free Constitution and
Government of Arkansas.
The Presidents proclamation "holds for
naughr this judgment, and discards the
authority of the Supreme Court, and strides
beadlong toward the anarchy his procama'
ton OF the 9Th of December inaugurated.
If electors for President be allowed to be
chosen in either of those States, a sinister
light will be cast on the motives which in
duced the President to "hold for naught"
the will of Congress rather than his Govern
ment in Louisiana and Arkansas.
The judgment of Congress which the
President deiies was the exercise of an au
thorty exclusively vested in Congress by the
Constitution to determine what is the estab-
ished Government in State, and in its own
nature and by the highest judicial authority
binding on all other departments of the Gov
ernment.
The Supreme Court has formally declared
that under the fourth section of the fifth arr
ticle of the Constitution, requiring the Uni
ted States to guarantee to every State a
republican form of government, ut rests
with Congress to decide aohat Government as
the established one in State" and "when
Senators and Representatives of State are
admitted into the councils Of the Union, the
authority of the Government under which
they are appointed, as well as republican char
acter, is recognized By the proper constitutions
al authority, and its decision as binding upon
every other Department of the Government
tribunal. 1t is true that the contest in this
Al.z