The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1864-01-08
try, for these labors Of love, and, doubt NOT,
De enabled 20 continue them. BY the uhusss'"s
lberality Of the people.

try, for these iabors OF love, anu, :,
be enabled 20 continue them. BY the undsgsins
liberslity Of the people.
PRESIDENTS PROCLAMATION.
Tn the scale Of recent national events, inc
fact which most prominently challenges the ~
tentiou and sympathy OF Ssris.s On .Ss un;..J
stats. declaring thecmancipation Of the slaves
In the States In revolt Having given timely
waning 10 the rebels to lay down their arms
aud return TO their allegiance and d.ty. under
the penalty OF this assault upon their right 20
hold their fellow men In bondage, the madness
which precedes destruction made them deaf TO
th. v.rning. and this bolt which but for the
rebellion could not have been forged, was
hurled at their cherished Institution.
No measure of the Government has called
forth such fierce inycctiyes, or evoked more
constitutional criticism. Those who NJ the out
set OF the rebellion, and before any act Of war.
denied the right or power Of the nation 10 main
tain its authority, or. in their own stcreotyped
phrase, "to coeree a State" and who atao time
since have yielded any moral support 60 the
Government In its fierce struggle and extreme
need. but for time were awed to apparent ac-
quiescence by the earnestness Of the people. on
the issuing Of this Magma Charta Of freedom
to an oppressed and despised race, instantly
raised their voices In denunciation OF the Ad-
ministration, for waging . war for the abolition
Of slavery, aud not for the restoration Of the
Union. The want Of constitutional power, that
objection which always commands respectful
consideration, Is urged against u.
That In time Of peace. either the President, or
Congress. separately or In conjunction, had
any authority Whatever over slavery In the
States where IL existed, was never pretended;
no attempt 10 interfere Herewith was ever made
by either prior to the outbreak OF the rebellion.
and that no party in the country desiring such
Interference in the States ever commanded the
support Of any respectable number Of persons.
Is as well known as any other fact in American
history. The rights OF the States In this regard.
were under the protection Of the solemn guar
antees of the Federal Constitution, which the
nation never violated. But portion Of the
slaveholding States, not satisfied with the reli-
gious observance OF these obligations and guar
antees, and spurning still others which were
offered in good faith and friendship, trampling
upon that Constitution, sought to place the in
stitu,on of slavery upon amore stesdiast ioun-
dation, BY destroying the Government which
hal been It's shield and b.ckler, and to give IL
n wider expansion in the national Territories,
which they confidently expected To clutch in
the rqpine Of empire.
Thus and tor this war hogan. At its CON-
mencement, II was the hope and expectation
that il would be Of short duration; that the
citizens Of the States in revolt would boone
convinced that no invasion OF their rights was
intended, and that upon sober second thought,
they would return beneath the folds Of the dag
which was the symbol of our common glory
Beyond the punishment, OF some Of the more
promint and fiagitious criminals who melted
the rebellion, no other thought entered the
mind or the heart Ut the loyal people of the
country, than to welcome back those who were
regarded as erring brethren, to the protection
Of that Government which had blessed them so
greatly which they had enjoyed 50 long,and to
the possession Of their ancient rights. These
expectations have been disappointed, and
the progress of the war, while its objects have
not been changed, has developed the necessity
Of change Of instrumentalties. by which il is
to DO prosecuted to q successful conclusion.
: Measures which In the beginning would have
been rejected, and from which large proper
ton Of the loyal people OF the country would
have shrunk, have Mt length become inevitable.
The national necessities have demanded that MI
the national resources should be narshalled for
the conflict. The decimated ranks Of the army
demanded fresh recruits men were needed To
work on Notifications; laborers were required
to cultivate abandoned plantations the traitor
enemy had these men; aud just so far as we
could strengthen ourselves By winning them 10
our side, in that proportion we should weaken
our foe. Hence the emancipation proclamation
Of the President, and the cognate legislation OF
Congress. A people involved in such n war,
who should fail to avail themselves OF such re-
source, would be set down as stricken with ju-
dicai blindness to omit TO do sd would be trail
torously to strengthen the foe.
That in addition to these for US vast Access
sious Of strength, and corresponding depletion
Of the rebels, there comes the other fact that n
race whose Inheritance. for centuries, has been
ignominy and depression. TO whom Gods word
has been n sealed book, hedged In by penal en-
actments, who are denied all means Of enlight-
cnmsnt, aud all recompense for their toll (;
among whom msritual obligations are not per-
mitted; whose affections are treated with the
same tenderness as that accorded the lowing
herds for whom there has been no refuge but
the grave, where "the servant u free from the
MASTER" sand the weary be at rest :" that
such race should be summoned to the rights
Of n common humanity, can excite no emotions
but those Of satisfaction and Thanksgiving in
the bosoms Of all not dead 10 q sense of the val
ue OF civil liberty.
"AIan proposes but God disroscs." Opin-
ions, politics. and Institutions are compelled To
give way to the inexorable logic of events, for
these are the processes OF the Almighty. In q
voking for the discharge OF our official duties,
the inspiration Of His wisdom and the blessing
Of his goodness, when the period of our retire
ment from public station arrives may we enjoy
the consciousness of having endeayored "to do
the State some setvIce;" and may the banner
which floats over our heads this day then cover
with its folds free. peaceful aud united nation.
SAMUEL C0NY.