Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-08-25

mise and naaintatm" by the army and navy the free
dom Of all the persons whom he ordered and de
clared to be free on the lst of January, 1868. tt
accept peace embracing less than the territoria
integrity of the whole Union would make him falls.
to the Union; to accept peace embracing Less
than the freedom of all the slaves covered by the
emancipation edict would make him false to pledge
he had assumed towards those slaves in the eyes Of
the whole world.
President Lincoln can be released from the
obligations he has assumed in this latter respec,
only by the expiration of his term of office Those
obligations attach to him personally; they do not
attach to the country, and they would not attach
to his successor if the people should, at the ap-
preaching election, relieve him from the Office he
now holds. But, if the people should e-elect him,
they will thereby make his pledges their own, for
he has given the country distinctly to understand
that while he "remains in his present position he
will not attempt to retract or modify the emanci-
patton proclamation" To this effect he wrote as
follows in his last annual message to Congress,
when explaining to that body the reason why he
required the bene6ciaries Of his amnesty to swear
to support his procamations in regard to slavery
equally with the laws of Congress:
But if be proper require as test of admission to
the political body, oath OF allegiance to the Constitution
OF The Uned States and TO the Union undeI why also
the laws and procamatons in regard to slavery Those
laws and procamaons were enacted and put forth for
purpose OF aiding in the suppression Of the rebellion To
give them their fullest effect there had to be pdge for
hetr analnenanee In my judgment they have adeo and
Will further aid, the cause for which they intended
nolD be nOf OnLu In sb
Der Of po,per but aooud also be cruel and astoundng
breach Of faith Imay add this point that ohis qin
N my present position shall not attempt to ferac mod
VIZ the emancipation proclamation shall to
slavery aly person VINO is free by The terms of that procia
nation, or by any Of the acts Of Congress-"
In the face of such declaration, we confess it
is with some surprise that we find the distinguish
ed editor pf the New York Times (who, as the
biographer of Mr.. Lincoln, must be presumed to
be familiar with his "record" on this subject now
contendng that it would be competent for the Pre-
sdent, in consistency with his declarations to con-
clude peace which should not embrace in its
terms the emancipation of all the slaves to which
his edict relates. And our surprise is increased
when, to this theoretical view of the Presidents
is added the assurance that it is not
only competent for him to conclude such peace,
but that he would do SO, should the occasion offer,
in spite of the reiterated and solemn asseverations
he has made to the contrary. "Whie l remain
in my present position" is his language, "I shall
not attempt to retract or modify the emancipation
pioclamston,"
His friends, as we conceive, do him no honor,
and just as little service, when they undertake to
place him in an equivocal posture before the cour-
try as regards this subject. If it be true that he
is willing to renounce his pledges, let the fact be
as solemnly avowed as the pledges were solemnly
assumed. If it be not true let there be no attempt
to palter with the people in double sense by COM
mending the President, as candidate for re-elec-
ton, to the support Of conservatives" on the
ground that he is wagipg the war exclusively
for the Union, and to the support of radi-
Gals" on the ground that he has plighted his
faith never to conclude peace until he has
destroyed the last vestige of slavery. In can
vas, conducted on such grounds he will be sure
to forfeit the support of both Let those who ap-
prove the pledges he has made, and who believe
that he will adhere to them, be free to give him
their sufrages in the impending electoral contest
Let those who di,approve those pledges, and who
do not wish to see them assumed by the country,
be equally free to vote for President who, when
he looks for the obligations which he is bound to
fulfil, shall find them only in the Constitution and
the Laws.