Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1864-08-12
CONCLUDED.

ghat the proclamation covercd-adaea
c ~"a. title and judicia! remedies by
,.w n Inc disputed work the President pro-
fcssed to be so anxious to accomplish, Il
Slavery as an institution can DC anoi,s.ieu
only bv change OF the constitution OF 'Ae
Tinted States. or Of the law OF the State
and this is the principle OF the bill
II required the new constituents oil the
State 10 proyide for that prohibition, and the
President. in the face Of his own procla'na-
t,on does not venture to object on insisting
IN mt condition. Nor will the country
tolerate its abandonmen,--yet he defeated
the only provision imposing it
Rnt when he describes himself in spite OF
this great blow at emancipation, as "sincare-
" hopnv aud expecting that constitution
nj amendment aboIishing slavery through
ont the nation may be adopted, we curious
" inauirc on what his expectation rests,
after the vote Of tho House Of Representa-.
tiycs at the recent session, and IN the lace OF
the political complexion gilmore than enough
of the States to prevent the possibility OF iis
adoption within any reasonable tine; and
whv he did not indulge his sincere hopes
with so large an installment OF the blessing
of his approval Of the bill would have So
cured.
After this assignment Of his reasons for
preventing the bill from becoming la", the
President proceeds to declare his purpose to
execute it as law by his plenary DICTATOR
al power.
lie says
Nevertheless. am fully satisfied with
the system Of restoration contained IN the
bill ss one very proper plan for the loyal
people of any State choosing to adopt 1t
and that | am. and Mt all times shall be,
prcparcd TO give the Executive aid and as
s,stancc to any such people 50 soon as the
military resistance to the United States
shall have been suppressed IN any such
State, and the people thereof shall have sui
ficcntly returned to their obedience to the
constitution and the laws Of the Unit Il
States; in which cases Military Governors
will be appointed, with directions to pro-
coed according TO the bill
A more stupid outrage ON the legislative
authority of the people has never been per-
petrated.
Congress passed bill !; the President re-
fused 10 approve it, and the by proclama-
ton SUITS AS much Of ii in iorcce as he sees
fit, and proposes to execute those parts BY
officers unknown to the laws of the United
States and MT subject to the confirmation
Of the Senate.
The bill directed the appointment of Pro-
yisional Governors by and with the advice
and consent of the Senate.
The President, after defeating the Lax,
proposes to appoint without law, and with
out the advice and consent Of the Senate,
Military Governors for the rebel states
lie has already exercised this dca'olal
usurpation in Louisiana, and he dcieatsd
the bill to prevent its limitation.
Henceforth we must regard the following
precedent as the Presidential law ofthc rcb
el States:
EXECUTIVE MANsloN,(
"WAsnlNGToN, March Is, 1864
.His Excellency MrcuEAL HAHN, Governor
of Louisiana
"Until further orders, you arc hereby IN
vested with the powers exercised hitherto
by the Military Governor of Louisiana
Yours,
"ABRAnAM LlNCoLS.'
This Micheal Hahn is no officer of the
United States the President. without Law,
without the advice and consent of the Sen
ate. by a private note, not even countcrsign-
ed by the Secretary Of State, makes him
Dictator of louisiana
The bill provides for the civil administra-
ton of the laws of the State-till it should
be in a tit temper to govern itself-rcpcal-
ing all the laws recognizing slavery, and ma
king all men equal before the law.
These benifccnt provisions the President
has annulled. People will die, and marry,
and transfer property, and buy and sell;
and to these acts Of civil life, courts and Of
fcers Of the law are necessary. Congress
legslated for these necessary things, and
the President deprives them Of the protec-
ton Of the law.
The Presidents purpose to instruct his
Military Governors ITO proceed according
the bill Ia makeshift to calm the disap
pointment its defeat has occasioned-is not
merely grave usurpation, but transpar-
snt delusion.
lie cannot ''prccecd according to the
bill, after preventing it from becoming a
law.
Whatever is done will be done at his will
and p easme, by persons responsible to no
law. and more interested to secure the in
terests and execute the will of the President
than Of the people and the WIN Of Congress
is to be "held tornaught," ''unless the loyal
people Of the rebel States choose to adopt
Ifthey should graciously.preler the strin
gent bill to the easy proclamation, still the
registration will be made under no legal
sanction it will give no assurance that a
majority Of the people Of the States have Ia
ken the oath; if administered, it will be
without legal authority and void; no indict-
ment will lie for false swearing at the cleo
tons, or for admitting bad or rejecting good
votes; it will be the farce of Louisiana and
Arkansas acted over again, under the forms
Of this BILL but not by authority of ldr.
But when we come to the guarantee of
future peace which Congress meant to en-
act, the forms, as we'll as the substance, OF
the bill, must yield to the Presidents will
that none should be imposed
1t was the solemn resolve Of Congress to
protect the loyal men Of the nation against
three great dangers, "a the return to pow
or Of the guilty leaders of the rebellion, CD
the continuance Of slavery, and (3) the bur-
den of the rebel debt.
The President "holds for naupht" that
resolve Of Congress, because he is unwill.
ing ITO be inAexibly committed to any
one splsn Of restoration" and the people
Of the United States are not allowed to
protect themselves unless their enemies
agree to it.
The order to proceed according to the bill
u therefore merely 1T the will Of the rebel
States; and they have the option to reject
L, accept the proclamation Of the 9Th Of De-
cesnbsr, and demand the Presidents recog.
Mton f