Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-08-16

Iu tltlC uuuoi bLt piV' hHA HSA'SNNNN
the work the President prOIessed to be SO
anxious to accomplish.
Slavery US an institution can be abolished
only by a change Of the Constitution OF the
United States or OF the law Of the States and
this is the principle of the bill
1t required the new constitution of the State
to provide for that prohibition and the Pres-
dent, in the face OF his proclamation, does not
venture to object to insisting on that condition.
Nor will the country tolerate its abandonment
yet he defeated the only provision lmposlnglt.
After discussing these reasons assigned by the
President for refusing his approval Of the bill,
the protest continues
After this assignment Of his reasons for pre-
venting the bill from becoming a law, the
President proceeds to declare his purpose to
execute it as law by his plenary dicIat)rial
powers. He says
" Nevertheless am fully satisfied with the
system for restoration contained in the bill as one
very proper plan for the loyal people Of any
State choosing to adopt it; and that | an, and
at all times shall be, prepared to give the Execu
tive aid and assistance to any such people az soon
as the military resistance to the United States
ohuiA A"'N HNeh hlli''7' v ~ hhJ ehNh DN"tNt
and the people thereof shall have sufficiently
returned to their obedience to the constitution
and the laws Of the United otates-ln which
cases military governors will be appointed, with
directions ~ proceed according 10 the bill
more studied outrage On the legislative au-
thority Of the people has never been perpetrated,
Congress passed a bill the President refused
to approve it, aud then by proclamation puts as
much Of it in force as he sees tit, and proposes
to execute those parts by officers unknown to
the laws Of the United States and not subject to
the confirmation OF the Senate.
The bill directed the appointment Of proys.
lonal governors by and with the advice and con.
sent Of the Senate.
4 The President, after defeating the law, pro
| poses 10 appoint, without law and without the
advice and consent of the Senate, military gov
ernors Tor the rebel States
lie has already exercised this dictatora usur.
patton in Louisiana, aud defeated the bill to
prevent It's limitation.
HencefOnh we must regard the following pre-
cedent as the Presidential law If the rebel
States
&" EXECUTIVE Mansion,
WASHINGTON, March Is, 1854.
" HIS Ereeteney Michael Hahn, Governor Of
Louisiana:
Until further orders you are hereby invest
ed with the powers exercise hitherto By the
military governor Of louisiana
Yours, ABRAHAM LINCOLN
This Michael Hahn Is no officer OF the United
States the President, without law, without the
advice and consent of the Senate by private
note not even counterslgned by The Secretary OF
State, makes him dictator oil Louisiana
The bill provided l0' the civil administration
of the laws OF the State--but it should be in q
fit temper to govern ilseli-repealing all laws
recognizing slavery and making all men equal
before the law.
These boneheent provisions the President has
annulled. People will die aud marry and trans.
fer property, and buy aud sell and to these
{ acts of civil life courts and officers Of The law
( are necessary Congress leglslated for these
necessary things, and the President dcprlyes
them OF the protection Of the law
The Presidents purpose to instruct his mill
tary governors to proceed according To the bill ="
"a makeshlit TO calm the disappointment is
defeat has occasoned-is not merely u We
usurpation but transparent deluslon
lie cannot proceed according t. the bill go
after preventing 1t from becoming Il law.
Whatever Is done will bc at his Sll and llee
sure, by persons responsible to no law, and more
interested to secure the interests aud execute the
, will OF the President, than of the people, aud
the will OF Congress is to be he'd for uaughi !,
" unless the loyal people OF the rebel States
} choose to adopt it,
II they should gracousIy prefer the stringer t
bill to the easy proclamation, still the reglstra
ton will be made undf no legal sanction II
will give no assurance that a majority OF the
people of the States have taken the oath il ad-
mlnlstered, it will be without legal authority and
@ void no indictment will lie for false swearing
at the election, or Tor admitting bad or rejecting
e good votes 1t will be the farce OF Louisiana
1 and Arkansas acted over again, under he forms
OF this bill, but not by authority Of iae.
The mIschievous consequences of the Presi-
dents plan Of reconstruction in connection
with the defeat of the congressional plan, are
thus SGT forth
1t is silent respecting thejrsbel debt and the
political exclusion OF rebel leaders leaving
Slavery exactly where it was by law at the out.
, break OF the rebellion and adds no guaranty
even Of the freedom Of the slaves he undertook
{ to manumlt
0 Ii it. summed up in an illegal oath, without
, a sanction, and therefore void
The oath is to support all proclamations OF
( the President during the rebellion having rel.
r erence to slaves.
Any Government is to be accepted at the hands
OF one-tenth of the people not contravenlng
that oath.
Now that oath neither secures the abolition of
Slavery nor adds any security to the freedom of
4 the slaves the President declared free.
3 IL does not secure the abolition of Slavery
S Tor the proclamation OF freedom merely pro-
iessed 10 tree certain slaves while it recognized
! the institution.
Every Constitution OF the rebel States at the
outbreak OF the rebellion may be adopted with.
d cut tue change OF letter; for none of them
r contravene that proclamation none of them
/ establish Slavery.
1t adds no security to the freedom of the
slaves.
For their title is the Proclamation of Free.
, dom.
! 1t 1t be unconstitutional, an oath to support
. 1t is void. Whether constitutional or not. the
oath Is without authority OF law, and therefore
. void,
II 1t be valid, and observed, it exacls M an.
actmeut by the State, esther in law or Constitu.
; tion TO add State guaranty 10 the proc una
Q ton title; and the right Of slave to freedom
Is an open question before the State courts on
8 the relative authority of the State law and the
Proclamation.
e 1t the oath binds the one-tenth who take 1t.
1t Is not exacted OF the other nine tenths who
succeed to 'he control of the State Government
r. SO that 1t is aunalled instantly by the act Of re
oognitlon.
s What the State courts would say of the Proc.
amatlon, who can doubtP
: But the master would not 20 into the ooirt