Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-01-04
Mr. Rsbert Date owen ON Historfcai
PrecPdeUts.

~ u EkoBtEA Datc " " It4 SM - 49, A~H@
Precedents.
Ii the Hon Robert Dale Owen has not won
the eternal gratitude of this Administration, then
are snre that gratitude can enter into no part
of the compositions OF President Lincoln and his
advisers Mr.. Owen is plausible writer, in
whatever cause he NAV employ HE pen-whefher
as an advocate Of agrarianism, of free love as
displayed in his works entitled Moral Physiol-
ogy,r Of ~oman's rights. Of abOlifionism, and
other measures OF Mr. Lincoln's Administration
As an imaginative writer lie probably has no su-
perior, as witness his book of ghost stories, Is
sued from the press after his return from
Naples rr,e.
When Mr.. Lincoln. abandoning the position he
took in the early part Of bis Administration, that
he had no power, under the Constitution. TO in
terfere with slavery in the several States, deter
mined to make an attempt at wholesale emanci-
patton, Mr.. Owen, with the alacrity Of attor-
ney or a lackey boy. went to work, through the
columns Of the New York Tribune. TO show that
the President could abolish slavery in the States
without at all violating the Constitution. SO
also, on several subsequent occasions, he has
rushed into print for the double purpose Of air
ing his learning and serving the cause OF the
radicals.
Mr. Owens last effort in his occupation Of
apologist and defender of the acts of the Admin
istration we fnd in the Tribune Of late date,
bearing the caption "The Pardoning Power
4
apology for the so called " Proclamation of
Amnesty" appended TO the Presidents Message
Mr.. Owen, however. IN this production. labors
under difficulty, which some people might
consider a serious one, 10 wit, that with all the
historical lore at his command. he can find no
precedent for the proclamation i'm question. Had
il been possible to produce precedent, undOubt
edly Mr.. Owen would have brought il forth with
all the particularly and crcnmstsntiality of a
young lawyer Ia preparing his first brief, because
Mr.. Owen being vetsed IN all history, ancient
and modern. sacred and profane, it would be at
his fingers ends, ready for this great emergency
We new come to Mr.. Owens Historical Pre-
cedents" They three in number First, the
case of Charles the Second, when preparing to
ascend the throne of bis decapitated father after
the deposition of Richard Cromwell; second, the
pardon granted by George the Second 10 the
Scottish rebels who had taken up arms in behalf
Of the Pretender The third case is that Of the
pardon or amnesty granted by President W ash
ington TO the men-some fifteen thousand in
number-who had been engaged in the WHISKY
Insurrecton in Western Pennsylvania But
neither of these cases furnishes precedent for
the proclamation Of amnesty issued by Nc. Lin
coin. In neither of the proclamations issued by
the English Kings is the pardoned rebel required
10 take an oath to support the royal edicts that
had beon or might be issued. We quote from the
proclamation of King Charles. following Mr..
Owen:
ave do grant free and general pardon. which
I'VE are ready. upon demand, to pass under our
Great Seal of England, TO all our subjects, Of
what degree or quality soever, who, within forty
days after the publishing thereof, shall lay hold
upon this our grace and favor. and shall by any
public act declare their doing So and that they
return to their loyalty or obedience Of good sub
jects, excepting only such persons as shall here
after be accepted by Parliament. FL Paramen-
tary History of England, Vol. ", p. Is.
1t will be seen that the implicated parties were
merely required to show their return to LOYALTY by
"any public act" All that was necessary was
that they should declare in the presence Of the
Mayor of a town, or a Justice of the Peace, or In
the presence Of witness that they owed allegiance
to the King instead of the Commonwealth. No
oath was required that they would support all the
edicts that King Charles had issued or might
issue on certain subjects.
In the case of the amnesty granted by George
III to the insurgents who had fought for the Pre-
tender in l747, full and free pardon was granted
to all except about eighty, who were banished
from the kingdom. but most OF whom we're sub
sequently pardoned and permitted 10 return. The
only condition to this amnesty was that those
who accepted it should make their public declara-
ton of the fact within forty DAYS.
We should think Mr.. Owen would be ashsmed
to cite the proclamation Of amnesty issued by
President Washington to the Whisky Insurrec-
ti0nists as a precedent for Mr. Lincolns Proc
lamation. What the facts! Although am
pie powers were vested in him to suppress the re-
bellion by force of arms. he chose to adopt
more coneiliatory policy, aud therefore appointed
three commissioners 10 treat with the insurgents
and their leaders, and by this means, followed by
free pardon. he put an end to the rebellion. Mr..
Lincoln. acting directly contrary TO the example
set by the ustrious lather Of hiscountry has uni
formly refused to have any communicate on with
the rebels,or to ascertain whether by conciatory
measures, the war cannot be ended and the Union
restored. Gen. Washington did not ask the IN
surrectionsts to swear that they would abjure the
use of whisky. a. Mr. Lincoln demands that the
rebels of our day shall abjure the possession Of
slaves. And vet there would have been just as
much logic in Gen Washington proclaimine that,
whisky being the cause Of the rebellion OF 1898.
no more whisky should be made or drank, as in
Mr. Lincoln declaring that slavery being the cause
of the rebellion Of 1861, slavery should no longer
exist.-fN. A. Ledger