Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1864-08-27

'uture peace which Congress meant 10 en-
act, the forms, as we'll as the substance Of
he bill, must yield to the Presidents will |
hat none should be imposed.
1t was the solemn resolve of Congress |
to protect the loyal men of the nation
against three great dangers, (l) the return
to power of the guilty leaders of the re
belIion, (2) the continuance of slavery, /!
and (3) the burden Of The rebel debt
Congress required assent to these pro-
visions by the Convention of the Statc;and
if refused, it was to'bo dissolved.
The President "holds for naught' that
resolve of Congress, because hs is unwil,
ling Ito be inAexibly committed to any one
plan of restoration y and the people Of the
United States are not be allowed 10 pro
tcct themselves unless their enemies agree
to it.
The order to proceed according to the
bill is therefore merely at tbs will OF the
rebel States and they have the option to
reject it, accept the proclamation of the 9Th
Of December, and demand the Presidents
recognition.
Mark the contrast The bill requires
majority, the proclamation is satisfied with
one.tenth the bill requires one oath, the
proclamation, another; the bill ascertains
voters by resignation, the proclamation by
guess the bill exacts adherence to exist
ing territorial limits, the proclamation ad.
mts Of others; the bill governs tho rebel
States by law, equalizng all before it, the
proclamation commits them to the laWless
discretion of military Governors and pro
vo-t mar.hals the bill forbids electors for
President, the proclamation and defeat of
the bill threaten us with civil war for the
admission or exclusion of such votes the
bill cxacted exclusion Of dangerous enemies
from power and the relief of the nation
from the rebel debt, and the prohibition of
slavery forever, so that the suppression Of
tho rebellion will double our resources to
bear or pay the nationsl debt, free the mas
ses from the old dominion of the rebel lead
ers, and eradicate the cause of the war ;
the proclamation secures neither Of these
guarantees.
1t is silent respecting the robel debt and
the political exclusion OF rebel leaders !;
leaving slavery exactly where it was by
law at the outbreak Of the rebellion, and
adds no guaranty even of tho freedom Of
the slaves he undertook to manumit.
1t is summed up in an illegal oath, with :.
ou, sanction and therefore void,
The oath is to support all procamations
of the President du,ing the rebellion hav-
ing reference to slaves,
Any Government is TO be accepted a,
the hands Of one-tenth OF tho people not
conlravening that oath.
Now that oath neither secures the abo,i-
ton Of slavery nor adds security to the
freedom OF the slaves the President declar-
ed free.
II does not secure the abolition Of ola.
very for the proclamation of freedom
merely profcssed to FREQ certain slaves
while it recognized the institution
Every Constitution of the rebel States at
the outbreak of the rebellion may be
adopted without the change Of letter ;
none Of them establish slavery.
1t adds no security 10 freedom of the
! slaves.
For their title Is the proclamation OF
freedom
II it bo unconstitutional, an oath 10 sup
port it is void Whether constitutional or
not. the oath is without authority of law
and therefore void.
If it is valid and observed, it exacts nc
enactment by tho State, either IN law OF
Constitution, to add State guaranty to
the proclamation title and tho rights of {
slave to freedom is an open question beo
! fore the State courts on the relative au
tbority Of tho State law and the procla anna
ton.
If the oath bidds the one-tonth who tak,
il, it is not exacted ofthe other nineteenth
who succeeded to the control of the Stat'
Government, so that it is annulled instant
ly by the act of recognition.
What the State courts would say of tht
proclamation, who can doubt
But the master would not 60 into cour
The would seize the slave,t
What the Supreme Court would say,wh
can tell 7
When and how ia the question to gc
kere.
No habeas corpus lies for him in a Uni
ted States court, and the Prosidout dofoat
cd with this bill its extension of that wri
TO this case.
Such arc the fruits ofthis rash aud fata
act of the President-a blow at tho friend
Of his Administration, at the rights Of hu
manly, and at the principals ot rePublica,
government.
The President has greatly presumed o,
the forbearance which tho supporters o
his Administration have so long practised
in view oi the ardous contest in which W
are engaged, and the reckless fcrocity o
our political opponents.
But he must understand that our supper
is Of cause and not of manj tha. tn
authority of Congress is paramount an(
must be respected that the whole bod
of the Union men of Congress will nc
submit to be impoached by him ofrash an
unconstitutional legislation and if h
wishes our support, he must confne him
self to his executive duties TO obey On
execute, not to make laws to suppress b
arms armed rebellion, and leave politics
| M or1oniz tiOn IN Conoreas