East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1864-07-27
Dated Detroit, July 3, 1864
What Have we Gained ?

What Have we Gaincdp
Three years and half have inter
vened since war actually began be-
tween the North and South. During
that period President Lincoln has is
sued no less than twenty-one war
proclamations, and large number Of
others upon inferior subjects. Proba-
bly, those most talked of by the peo
pie, most read about in newspapers
and of least importance, are the one
issued Sept. Odd, 1862, known as the
Emancipation Proclamation; one is
sued two days later, suspending the
writ of haJeas corpus, and one issued
Dec. Sth, offering terms TO all the
rebels who would return to their allie
glance, called the Amnesty proclama-
ton.
1t has in former years been under
stood that the object in issuing a pro-
clamation by any authority, was for
the purpose of effecting some end,
achieving some work or putting at
rest a disputed question. Have any
of Lincoln's proclamations been of
this character? Have they not been
aimed at improbabilities-at subjects
both beyond MS conrrol ana beyond
the reach of his authority Did the
first mentioned proclamation accomp-
lish its avowed purpose? Its pretend
ed authority was the destruction of
slavery in Alabama, Arkansas, Flori-
da, Georgia, Mississippi, North Caro-
lima, South Carolina, Texas, and
portion of Virginia and Louisiana,
embracing slave population of over
three millions, while it left intact the
entire slave interests of Delaware,
Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Ten
nessee, West Virginia and q portion
Of Virginia and Louisiana, compris-
ing total Of over eight hundred
thousand slaves. If its object was
secured by its publication, wherefore
,bo +or,,,s 1;o1o+,l 30 +Lo ao.o,,4, -
the Southern Confcderacy a few days
since at Niagara Falls ? If it did
not and could not fill its pretensions,
what other object could the Washing
ton authorities have had for its pro-
mitigation than to deceive and mis-
lead the people? What othor object
could there have been in issuing the
Amnesty Proclamation? and what but
the subversion of all law was intend
ed by that gross usurpation of power
manifest in the proclamation of Sept.
Oath, 1862, annulling the writ of
habeas corpus? What war act then
has Lincoln done that has benefited
the people, sustained or strengthened
the nation at home or abroad, or
tended to crush tho rebellion. True,
on the 18th Of April, 1861, he called
for $4,000 troops to put down a rebel
lion that has 50 nearly consumed two
millions of soldiers, that it now be-
comes necessary to call for five hun
dred thousand more. And yet the
menacos Of the rebels upon our own
capital create as much or more alarm
among us than has yet been created
in Richmond. Why is our country in
this deplorable condition? Why is the
South united and the North divided !?
There can be but one solution of these
questions -the incompetency Of the
Washington authorities, Presidentand
all. The masses of the people know
this, and notwithstanding all the
pressure Of dominant power and all
the terrors of Fort Lafayette and Ban
ishment, etcetera, they will make
use of their knowledge and export
ence next November, and allow the
"honest old rail-splitter" to retire to
his native element, obscurity.