The Placer herald., 1864-07-02
Amos Kendall on the Crisis.
To oil american Citizens tcho Ion & for spe ed,
restoration Of Peace, Liberty and Union:

on his Inauguration, proclaiming to the peo,
Pile in front of the Capitol, what he consid,
cred his solemn duties under tie oath which
he was about to take, faithfully to execute
the office of President Of the United States"
Then and there he undertook to define the
meaning of the oath in its application to the
state of things then existing. Several States
had then passed ordinances Of secession. had
organized temporary government, and were
maxi Z military preparations for the purpose
of mH'ntang their Independence. Virtually
under oath President Lincoln declared
II have no purpose, directly or indirectly to
interfere with the institution Of slavery in States
where it exists.
II believe | have no lawful right to do so,
~ have no inclination to do So
THAT the maintenance inviolatc of the rights
OF the States, and especially the right of each
State 10 order and control it's own domestic nsti-
tullons according TO its own judgment, exclusive
ly. is essential to that balance of power on which
the perfection and endurance of our political fab
rc depend"
And with the same solemnity he declares:
II now reiteratc these sentiments, and in doing
so. only press upon the public attention the
most conclusive Evidence of which the case is sus
ceptlble that the property, peace and security OF
no section are to be in any,Oise endangered by
the incoming administration.
These declarations Of the President had no
effect IN checking the progress Of secession
Armies were formed in the South, Fort Sum.
ter was bombarded and captured Washinp-
ton itself was in danger, the massacre in Bal
timore took place, the President called out
first $4,000 and then 100000 men. and the
North and West were in flame of patriotic
and military ardor.
On the 4th of july 1861, Congress met
in special session at the call of the President.
The war had already began, and the Presi-
dent had all the war power he has now; vet
in bis message TO Congress he reiterated the
sentiment of his Inaugural Address. In
that document he undertook to declare how
The States whose people had rev olted would
be treated when the rebellion should be sup
pressed:
Lest there should be some uneasiness," said
he, in the minds Of candid men rs to what is to
be the of the government towards the
Southern States after the rebellion shall have been
suppressed, the executive deems it proper to say,
it will be his purpose then as ever to be guided
by the Constitution and laws, and he probably
will have no different understanding Of the power
and duties Of the Federal Government relative to
the rights Of the States and the people under the
Constitution, than that expressed in his Inaugural
Address. He desires to preserve the government
that it may be administered for all, as it WAS ad
ministe tered by the men who made it, Loyal citi-
zens everywhere have ri ght to claim this Of
them. and the government has no right to with
hold or neglect it,
In the same message the President said:
1T may well be questioned whether there is to-
day a majority of the legally qualified voters of
any state, except perhaps South Carolina, in IA
vor of disunion. There is much reason to believe
that the Union men are in the majority in many
if not in every one Of the seeded states'
And he concluded his message as follows:
I'm full view of his great responsibility, he
president Lineon] has so far done what he has
deemed his duty. You [Congressl will now. ac-
cording to your own judgment. perform yours
lie sincerely hopes your views and your actions
may so accord with his as to assure all faithful
citizens who have been disturbed in their rights
OF a certain and speedy restoration to them under
the consultation and laws. and having thus cho-
sen our course without guile and with n pure pur-
pose, let us renew our trust in God and go for
ward without fear and with manly hearts"
Thus spoke President Lincoln to Congress-
the country and the world, in July, 1861.
Congress almost unanimously responded
to the President by the adoption Of the fol-
lowing resolution, viz:
Resolued That the present deporable civil war
has been forced upon the country by the disun-
onsts Of the Southern States, now in arms against
the constitutional government, and in arms
around the capital; and in this national emergen.
cy Congress, banishing all feelings of mere pas
sion or resentm mt, will recolect only its duty
to the whole country. that .his war is not waged
on their part in any spirit OF oppression, or for
any purpose of conquest or subjugation, or pur-
pose Of overihrowing or interfering with the
rights or established institutions of those States,
but TO defend and maintain the supremacy of the
Constitution, and to preserve the Union. with all
the dignity, equality and rights of the several
States unmpAlrcd; and that rs soon as these OBJ
iccts are accomplished the war ought to cease.
This resolution was adopted by a vote Of
80 to 5 in the Senate, and by III to Q in
the House of Representatives. Upon these
assurances, the conservatives Of the North.
embracing more than nineteen twentieths of
the Democratic party, and the loyal men Of
the border States, entered with enthusiasm
into the war for the Union, while the loyal
men Of the seceeded States stood ready to
hail the approach Of the Union armies as
friends and deliverers.
Where stands The President now? Where
is Congress? Has the Constitution changed!
Has President Lincoln been absolved from
his inaugural oath2 Have the members of
Congress so far forgotten theirs as to think
themselves as omnpotent as a British Parla
menl9 Why is it that men who stand on
the same ground now as the President and
Congress did in 1861, are denounced as sym.
palhisers, copperheads or traitors! And why
is it that the South is now united and has
become desperate, and the north div ided and
measureably discouraged
We shall in another letter endeavor to
answer these questions.
AMOS KENDALL.
Apr! IL, 1864
A suspension bridge will be thrown across