Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-01-25
The Presidents Plan.

The plan suggested by the President in
his Message and Pyoclamatien for reorgan-
izing the rebel States has terminated all
controversy on plans of reconstruction
which had been before discussed. His
plan has been generally adopted cordially
or acquiesced in with explanations. 1t
furnished a common ground upon which
radicals and conservatives could meet and
shake hands. Among those paperswhich
have given qualified approval of the
Presidents plan we find, somewhat to our
surprise, the National Lnteiyigencer and the
St. Louis Republican,. The latter closes
an editorial upon the Message and Procla-
nation with this paragraph
Still, the Proclamation assumes this aspect,
and it is important. 1t opens the door for
reconciliation. 1t grants an amnesty TO nine
tenths Of the inhabitants of the seeded
States. 1t invites them to come back and to
participate in all the benefits of the Union.
Il is not accompanied with any degrading
conditions, though to take an oath at all may
be so regarded. But it must be remembered
that the South has sinned against the Union,
and who ever sinned without having to pay
some penalty for it? Any one of the States
now in rebellion may organize State Gev-
ernmcnt, elect Senators and Representatives
who will take their seats in Congress, and
elect Electors Of President and Vice-Presi-
dent next November, and it is not proposed to
question their right to do so. They are to
hnA hafN nnt
to interrupt the fraternal bonds Of the Union.
Why NAV not the South accede to these
terms and put an end to the civil strife which
has already existed too long, and out Of which
they can never hope to come successfully
The Lateiigeacer is more reserved, but
ventures to say:
The method proposed by the President for
turning the obstacles which he perceives to be
placed BY the "committals" Of the proclama-
ton in the way of restoring "the Union as it
was" strikes us rs being the best that can be
devised. Remitting the fnality of the edict
to the decision Of Congress or of the Supreme
Court, he could not have done anything more,
even BY revocation of the proclamation /;
for, whether the proclamation be revoked or
maintained by him, the question of its legal
effect would equally come up for final adjudi-
cation BY the Federal judiciary-the only diff
ference being that, in the one case, the ques-
ton would be whether, in spite of its revoca-
ton, the slaves Of the insurgeut States were
not actually emancipated by it; and, in the
other case, whether it is competent for the
President, in the exercise ofhis war powers,"
as Commander-in-Chief Of the army and ma
w, to abrogate the laws of 4 State recognizing
slavery. We need hardly say that it is the
duty of all good citizens ''to abide by and
to support all Acts Of Congress passed during
the existing rebellion with reference to slaves,
SO long and so far as not repealed, modified
| or held void BY Congress or by decision Of the
Supreme Courts" and the same may be said
of the proclamations of the President under
this head, it being understood that such "fath-
full support" of the latter, any more than OF
the former, does not preclude that loyal oppo-
SitiOn which is candidly and honestly con-
Quoted, under the Constitution and laws, for
the purpose of enlightening the public judg-
ment