Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1864-06-04

10 His ErceHency Abraham Lincoln,
PreSdent@ tie United States
Sir: "That the King can do no wrong"
is the theory Of monarchy. 1t is the
theory OF constitutional republic that its
chief magistrate may do wrong. In The
former the ministry are responsible for the
Kings acts, In the latter the President
is responsible for the acts Of his ministers.
Our Constitution admits that the President
may err in providing for iugemept upon
his dongs, by the people in the regular
elections In providing for his impeach-
ment it admits he may be guilty of crimes
In government of laws, and not of men,
the most obscure citizen may without u-
docorum address himself to the Chief
Magistrate, when to the Constitution,
whence you derive your temporary power
and he the guaranty Of his perpetual rights,
he has constantly paid his unquestionipg
loyalty, and when to the laws, which your
duty is to care for faithful execution Of,
he has rendered entire obedience.
If the matter Of his address be that in
his person, property ard rights, the Con-
slitution has been dsregarded and Tie
laws disobeyed; if its appeal to the prin-
ciples Of justice be no more earnest than
the solicitude Of its regard for truth, and
if The manner of his address: be no less tenn
perRte than firm, he does not need courlly
phrases to propitate an attentive hearing
| from magistrate who loves his country,
her Institutions and her laws.
In the IPO/M OF last Wednesday mora
ing was published a proclamation purport-
ing to be signed by your eXcolloncy and
countersignod by the Secretary of State
appointing a day Of fasting and prayer,
and calling into military service by volun-
teering and draft four hundred thousand
citizens between the ages OF eighteen and
forty-6yo. That proclamation was a for
gerry, written by person who, ever since
your departure from Springfield to Wash,
ington in 1861, has enjoyed private as
well as public opportunities Tor learning
to counterfeit the peouiarities Of your
speech and style, and whose services for
years as city editor of the New York
Times and upon the New York IrGj'ne
acquainted him with the entire newspaper
machinery of the city, and enabled him
to insert his clever forgery into the regu-
lar channels by which we receive news, Ut
a time when competent inspection Of its
genuineness was impossible, and suspicion
of its authenticity was improbable. The
manifold paper, resembling in all respects
that upon.which we nightly receive from
our agents news, and from the government
itself orders, annoupccments, and procla-
nations, was lett Sth night clerk about
three or four o'clocksjn th9morning, after
the departure Of every responsible editor,
and was at once passed into >tho hands ol
the printers, put in type, and published
No newspaper in The country but would
have been deceived as we were
Our misfortune was complete. At an
early hour, however, before the business
of the city had fairly begun, it was dscov-
cred that We had been imposed upon, and
were being made to appear the nstru-
ments of a deception Of tho public There
was no delay in vindicating on character
Our whole machinery for spreading news
was set IN motion instantly to announce
that we had been deceived by aforgcry--
that your excellercy had issued no procla,
nation, The sale Of papers oyer our coun