Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-08-11

ming slavery, and making all men equal before
the Law.
These bcnefcent provisions the President has
annulled. People will die. and marry and trans
fer properly, and buy and sell; and TO these acts
of civil life. courts and officers OF the law sre
necessary. Congress legsIated for these neces-
sary things, and the President deprives them of
the protection of the law
The Presidents purpose 10 instruct bis Mill
tary Governors Ito proceed according to the
bill"-a makeshift to calm the disappointment
It's defeat has occas0ned-is not merely grave
usnrpation, but q Transparent delusion-
He cannot proceed according TO the bill, at
ter preventing il from becoming Law.
Whatever il done will be at bis will and pleas
ure, by persons responsible 20 no law, and more
interested to secure the interests and exeeate the
will of the President than OF the people, and
the will OF Congress j. 10 be 'held for naught
unless the loysl people 81 the rebel States choose
20 adopt il
II they should gracioBsiy prefer the stringent
bill TO the easy proclamation. still the registra-
ton will be made under legal sanction, IL will
give no assurance that majority OF the people
of the States have taken the oath; il administer
ed. IL wil~be without legal authority aud void; no
indictmenSwill lie for false swearing az the cleo
tions, or for admitting bad rejecting good
votes; IL will be the farce OF Louisiana and Ar
kansas acted over again, under the forms OF this
bill. but not by authority OF law.
But when We come to the guarantees OF future
peace which Congress meant to enact, the forms.
well as the substance of the bill. must yield
TO the Presidents will that none should he i'm
posed.
1t was the solemn resolve of Congress TO pro
tect the loyal men of the nation against three
great dangers; ID the return to power OF the
guilty leaders of the rebellion, ~ the cOntinu-
ance of slavery, and ~ the burden of the rebel
debt
The President holds for naught' that resolve
of Congress, because be is unwilling Ito be in
fexibly committed to any one plan Of restora-
ton, and the people of the United States are
not to be allowed to protect themselves unless
their enemies agree to it.
The order 10 proceed according To the bill is
therefore merely at the will of the rebel States
and they have the option to reject it. accept the
proclamation OF the Sth of December, and de
mand the Presidents recognition
Mark the contrast The bin requires a major
ty, the proclamation is satisfied with one-tenth
the bill requires one oath. the proclamation an
other; the bill ascertains voters by registering,
the prOeama by guess: tAe bill exacts adher-
ence TO existing territorial limits, the prOclama-
ton admits of others; the bill governs the rebel
States by law, equalizing all before it, the proc
lamation commits them to the lswless discretion
Of Military Governors and Provost Marshals; the
bill forbds electors for President. the proclama-
ton and defeat of the bill threaten with civil
war for the admission OF exclusion of such votes
the bill exacted exclusion of dangerous enemies
from power and the relief of the nation from the
rebel debt and the prohibition Of slavery forever,
so that the suppression of the rebellion will
double our resources to bear or paw the national
debt. free the masses from the old domination of
the rebel leaders, aud eradicate the cause of the
war; the proclamation secures neither of these
guarantees.
IL is silent respecting the rebel debt and the
political exclusion of rebel leaders; leaving sla-
very exactly where it was by law at the out
break of the rebellion, and adds no guarantee
even of the freedom Of the slaves he undertook
10 manumit.
1t is summed up in an illegal oath, without a
sanction, and therefore void.
The oath is to support all procamations of tho
President during the rebellion having reference
TO slaves.
Any government Is TO be accepted at the
hands of one-tenih ct the people not contraven-
ing that oath.
Vow that oath neither secures the abolition OF
slavery odds any security To the freedom o.
slaves the President declared free
II docs not secure the abolition Of slavery: ton
the proclamation of freedom merely psOfessed
to free certain slaves while il recognized the in
s,itution.
Every constitution Of the rebel States at the
outbreak of the rebellion may be adopted with
out the change of a letter; for none OF them con
travene that proclamation; none Of them estab
lish slavery
II adds no security Ia the freedom of the
slaves.
For their title is the procla nation of freedom
If it be unconstitutional, an oath to support il
is void Whether constitutional or not, the oath
is without authority o: law. and therefore void
II it be valid and observed, il exacts no en-
actmeIt by the State. neither in law or cOnstitu-
ton, TO add State guarantee TO the pTocama-
ton title; and the right of slave to freedom is
an open question before the State courts on the
relative authority Of the State law and the proc
lamation
Ii the oath binds the one tenth who take it. il
is not exacted of the other nine tenths who sue.
coed to the control Of the State government; so
that it is annuled Instantly by the act of recog-
milton.
What the State courts would say of the proc
lamation, who can Doubt
But the master would not go into court--he
would seize his slave
What the Supreme Court would say. who can
tell7
When and how is the question to get there!
No habeas corpus lies for him in United
this bill It's extension of that writ to this case
Such are the fruits of this rash aud fatal act
of the President blow at the friends of his al
ministratiOn, at the rights of humanity, and nc
the principles of republican government.
The President has greatly presumed on the
forbearanee which the supporters Of his admin
isration have so long practiced, in view of the
arduOus conflict in which we are engaged,
and the reckless ferocity Of our political oppO
nents
But he must understand that our support is of
a cause and not of a man: that the authority of
Congress is paramount and must be respected;
that the whole body Of the Union men of Con-
gress will not submit 20 be impeached by him
of rash and unconstitutional legslation and ii
he wishes our support, he must conhne himself
Co his executive duties-to obey and execute.
not make the laws-tO suppress by arms armed
rebellion, and leave political reorganization TO
Congress
II the supporters OF the government fail TO in
sist upon this. they become responsible for the
usurpations which they fail to rebuke, and are
justly liable TO the Indignation of the people
whose rights and security, committed 10 their
keeping. they sacrifice.
Let them consider the remedy for these usuF
pations, and. having found il, fearlessly exc
cute it. B. F. WADE,
Chairman Senate Committee
II. WINTER DAVIS,
Chairman Committee House Of Representatives
on the Rebelli0us States
Nss ntupNran Observation-Disclosures