Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-02-22
INDIANAPOLIS, IND, MONDAY,

Il
cluded classes are numerous and so potential
as probably TO defeat il as peace measure. OF
| those TO whom the pardon is offered an cath is
required as a condition so Objectionable in its
! terms, and to which such extraordinary conse-
quences are attached, as TO array against the
! measure hostility both in the South and in the
| North. Each person is required to swear fidelity
to the Constitution and the Union. That is EN-
inently right and proper Blu: then he must also
swear that he will ''abide by and faithfully sup
port all acts of Congress" and s'ail rroclamations
| of the President passed and made during the ex-
listing rebellion having reference TO slavery"
! This language would seem to include laws and
proclamations hereafter to be passed and made as
well as those already known to the country
| And is it not most extraordinary. and a cruel
thing, that as a condition OF a general pardon,
| which the peace and happiness of the country
demand, men shall become bound by oath to
''abide by and faithfully support" that which
they cannot knowf The great body of the
people of the South, and very powerful ele
ment in Northern society, constituting. as |
believe, decided majority of the people of the
United States. DO not belsve that much of the
legislation of the last Congress. and the proc
amaiions of the President ON the subject of
I slavery in the States. are Sanctioned by the
| Constitution; but, on the contrary. they believe
them in palpable violation thereof. How. then,
/ sir is it proper to require of such men, in the
same oath. to swear that they will .'henceforth
faithfully support, protect, and defend the Con
| stitution of the United States" ard in like
manner that they will 'abide bv and faithfully
support" acts and proca nations which they
1 honestly believe viOlative and subversive of that
/ Instrument?
In his letter to the Springfield convention of
last fall, the President quantity said, "But the
/ proclamation, law. either is vali'l or is not
valid. Ifit is not valid, it needs retraction
| If it Is valid. il cannot be re;racted any more
than the deid can be brought TO life % If not
valid, men ought not to be sworn to its support;
and il Is a horrible condition of pardon that
man shall be the support OF an invalid
and unconstitutional proclamation. But if valid
the President claims for it the force and effect of
law-that it did its work. propria rigore. by the
instant freedom of the slaves; and if so, why in
woke TO its aid the oaths of the people so to re-
! gard IL? IL indicates doubt, IL convic
tion. oh the part OF the President adverse to its
validity, when he appeals to the Shareholders by
4 the hope and assurance of pardon upon the cOndi-
ton of becoming bound by oath to treat their
4 slaves as Tree. 49, .Ittea lt
By this IAst procla nation the President under
takes to the country that whenever so
many as one tenth of the voting population in
1 either of the States of Arkansas. Texas LOcis
ana, Mississippi, Tennessee. Alabama, Georgia.
| Florida, South Carolina and North Carolina,
shall have taken the oath which he prescribes,
establish such STATE governments, which shall be
! republican and in nowise contravening said oath,
land such shall be recognized as the true govern
ment of the State;" and he suggests not i'm
4 proper
"That in constructing layal State government
| in any State, the name of the State, the bound
/ airy, the subdivisions, the constitution aud the
4 general code of laws, befnre the rebellion te
maintained subject only TO the notifications
lxof,
stated, and such Others, if any, not contrayening
said conditions. and which may be deemed ex-
pedient by those framing the new State gov
1 ernment."
Will the Senate and the country pause to con-
template the extra ordinary powers here arrogaied
by the PreSidentg Ten States are mentioned;
three of them were of the original and lustrious
thirteen Are these ten political communities
part of the Union this day or. in the eve OF the
/ Constitution, are they outside the UniOnr If
! they outside and no longer States OF the
/ Union, by what power tina, we recognize and by
what action that we respect did this OccurT Ii
was by no action of the United States The
/ Federal Government has all the while claimed
jurisdiction over them, and 10y legislative and
ecutive action has exercised that jurisdiction
when and where not hindered by armed resistance.
If not by the action of this Government. then
these States out OF the Union by their own action,
each State by her separate act of secession taking
herself outf 1t would be rank political heresy to
assert il. They are yet States OF the Union. but
States in which the people are in armed resist
ance To the United States; and they can cease to
be States of the Union only I.y the success of the
revolution We have but 10 restore the lawful
authority OF the Federal Government the
people thereof, and secure their ncquiescence and
obedience and the Union i restored
4 In these ten States the President proposes a
plan for organizing "new State governments"
n. sl.. IL
as the true governments of the States" By what
authority is this assurance given? What prov-
sion OF the Constitution constitutes him the ar
chltect 10 tear down and rebuild State govern
men,s? Our fathers held. and the patriot
statesmen from ;heir d,y until now have held,
that the people only could lay the foundations of
State governments, and build thereon the insti
tuti0ns OF their choice This work. however,
the President commits TO the hands of such as
shall take the cath that he requires, being not
less than tenth of the voting population
Has il been heard of before in modern times that
ole tenth of the people shall frame the govern
ment and enact the laws that the other niue tenths
are TO respect and obey? Ii has been cherished
American sentiment, and esteemed vital to lib
4 elty, that governments derive their Just powers
frrm the consent of the governed;" but
are told that they may derive their powers from
the consent OF one man out OF ten; provided,
however, that he may consent onis to that which
the President consents to, and do what he re-
quires, and must first be bound by oath to sup
port the executive policy. Viewer told at one
time that popular institutions being estab
lished in France; that all were allowed TO vote
for the chief executive officer, provided however.
they must vote for Louis Napoleon; and we
laughed in derison, and said that slavsh des
potsm was being established. What think you
then. sir, of this scheme of allowing political
power in ten States of the Union TO none but
such as the President shall designate, and they
first to be sworn to casry out his wishes? And
the President says the new State governments
! must be republican, Our fathers thought, and
we were taught, that republican government
was one in which the people. through representa-
tives chosen by themselves make their own laws;
and that where the few govern the many it was
an oligarchy. But now we must uplearn all that
/. and allow that repubicanism may survive when
the few form the government and make the laws
which the many must obey When so many as
| one-tenth of the people in any State shall have
taken the oath and have formed the rev State
government, the question will arise what repre-
| sentation shall they have in Congressf When
recognized as Safe. the Constitution likes the
Representations at two Senator's and representa-
ton based, not upon the tenth of sworn men
D voting men-but upon the "whole number of
free persons" which will then include all the ne
. groes. for the new State would then regard them
J as free; so that the Presidents new made voter.
{ in his new State, would have political power
/. equal to ten men in Indiana. Who are likely
/ first 10 take the prescribed oaih and thus be,
, come the Presidents voting clansmen, clothed
e with political power above all the men of the
I country? II is proper to presume there will be
! many true Union men, who opposed secession;
then will come that class who always array them
sely es on the strong side, and who were noisy
. a of herr raus m