The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-01-31

the difference 10 tho views Of buyers and sellers Gre
ceries were quiet Cotton dull and heavy, Petroleum
about steady Frslshta were quiet and unchanged
President LincsIn's Plan Of Rsconstrue-
tion--SEhat Dass It Amount TOT
With the pronuleation Of President nu-
cola's last annual message, tsWss evident upon
the facAs the -dseRmsnt that BIZ vas 9 candl.,
date feF another term, and that his ssnnesty
proclamation Involving hia plan for the re.
construction of the Union,-waa bis bid and bis
platform for the coming Presidential campaign.
This fact has been of length ostentatiously
paraded before the country BY some Of his
leading newspaper organs, with many reasons
and arguments going to show that this bcned-
cent programme Is the very thing demanded
by the crisis, and that in thus winning Che ap-
probation and confidence of the loyal States
President Lincoln has become Che choice Of
their people for the succession.
Thus challenged by this boastful flourish Of
trumpets, let US briefly examine this wonderful
system of Reorganization, whereby slavery Is to
be abolished with the readnission OF Che rebel
lious States, and the millennium OF univer-
sal emancipation is to dawn upon our
Union restored. The amnesty proclamation
excluding from its benefits numerous oata
logue Of rebel civil and military offenders
which ii is needless here to repeat, proposes to
grant full pardon to all other persons con-
cerned in the rebel States upon the simple con-
dtion Of an oath by every such person to sup
port and defend hereafter the federal constitu-
ton and the Union of the States hereunder,
and that 81 will in like manner abide by and
faithfully support all acts Of Congress passed
during the existing rebellion with reference to
slaves, SO long and SO far as not repealed, mo-
diHed or held void by Congress or by decision
of the Supreme Court; and tot will in like
manner abide by and faithfully support all
proclamations Of the President made during
the existing rebellion having reference to
slaves, so long and 90 far as not modified or
declared void by decision of the Supreme
Court. So help me God"
Such is the individual oath which is to be the
groundwork of the proposed system of recon
struction. Now We come to the superstructure
itself. Thus proceeds the President to develop
it. Hear him:-"And I do further proclaim.
declare and make known that whenever, in any
Of the States Of Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana,
Mississippi Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Flo
| rida, South Carolina and North Carolina, q
number of persons not less than one-tentb in
number Of the votes cast in such States at the
Presidential election of the year Of our Lord
1s60-each having taken the oath aforesaid,
and not having since violated it, and being
qualified voter by the election law Of the State
existing Immediately before the so-called act of
secession and excluding all others-shall re-
establish State government, which shall be
republican, aud in nowise contravening said
oath, such shall be recognized as the truegov-
ernment of the State and the State shall re-
ceive hereunder the benefit OF the constitu-
tional provision which declares that the United
States shall guarantee to every State in this
Union q republican form Of government, and
shall protect each Of them against invasion,
and on application Of the Legislature, or of the
Executive when the Legislature cannot be con-
vened, against domestic violence"
Now, let us suppose that under this arrange
ment Arkansas, for instance, is readmitted into
dately reinvested with all the State rights,
powers aud reservations which belong to the
loyal States Say that even one-ffth or one
third OF the voters Of the State, under the oath
prescribed have achieved this rehabilitation,
what does IL amount TOT The authorities and
the people Of the State may Immediately pro-
coed, through another constitutional conven-
ton, to change their State constitution, aud
thus slavery may be fully re-established before
the end Of the year. Wendell Phillips thorough
~ comprehends this thing es q trick Of the
Presidential juggler. Mr.. Lincoln makes sure
work Of the Presidential vote Of any State or
States he may thus reclaim in season for the
| November national election; but beyond that,
within the States concerned, this crude and i'm
perfect system Of restoration foreshadows moth
ing better than confusion worse confounded'
than ever before.
| There will be rupture in the administration
camps on this question. The genuine abolition
elements Of the party have no faith in these
double-desling theories OF President Lincoln.
From the day Of his revocation Of General
Fremont's Missouri emancipation edict they
have learned to distrust Old Abe and to
watch him, and have been laboring to supplant
him. II they still entertained any reservations
in bis favor they were dismissed with his settle
ment Of the late Missouri muddle, and with the
reading Of this amnesty proclamation, and is
pettfogging nimsy and incoherent plan Of recon
structlon. Between the Lincoln trimmers and
the unoompromising radicals Of the republican
party we may, Therefore, expect two parties
and twoPresidsntial candidates as the results
Of the Republican National Convention. The
silence Of the New York Tribune in regard to
the claims Of Honest Old Abe Is omiuous Of
impending mischief.
What, then, are We to do TO avoid the excite.
msnt and dangers Of disorderly Presidential