Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-08-10

United States or of the law of the State; and
this is the principle of the bill. ILmc e
| 1t required the new Constitution OF the
State to provide for that prohibitions; and
the President, in the face of his own proc
lamation, dees not venture to object to in
sisting on that condition. Nor will the
country tolerate its abandonment-yet he
defeated the only provision imposing it J! .
But when lie describes himself, in spite Of
this great blow at emancipation, as ''sin-
cerely hoping and expecting that consti-
| tutional amendment abolishing slavery
throughout the nation may be adopted"
we curiously inquire on what his expecta-
| tion rests, after the vote of the House OF
Representatives at the recent session, and
in the face of the political complexion Of
more than enough of the States to prevent
| the possibility of its adoption within any
reasonable time; and why he did not in
dulge his sincere hopes with so large an in
stallment of the blessing as his approval OF
the bill would have secured.
After this assignment of his reasons for
preventing the bill from becoming law,
the President proceeds to declare his pur-
pose TO execute it as laoo 6yhis plenary dtcta-
tOrial pOeoer. 1875 ..
He says: f1" ...... ..l. ...H
Nevertheless, / am fully satisfied with
the system for restoration contained in the
bill as one very proper plan for the loyal
people of any State choosing to adopt it;
| and that am, and at all times shall be, pre-
pared to give the Executive aid and assist
ance to any such people so soon as the mil
itary resistance to the United States shall
have been suppressed in any such State,
and the people thereof shall have sufficient
ly returned to their obedience to the Con-
stitution and the laws of the United States;
in which cases Military Governors will be
appointed, with directions to proceed ac-
cording to the bill.'' .... -..
A more studied outrage on the legislative
authority Of the people has never been per-
petrated. . Hl..
Congress passed bill; the President re-
fused to approve il, and then by proclama-
tiOn puts as much of it in force as he sees
fit, and proposes to execute those parts by
| officers unknown to the laws of the United
States and not subject to the confirmation
| of the Senate ... ...
The bill directed the appointment of Pro-
| visional Governors by and with the advice
and consent of the Senate.
The President, after defeating the law,
| proposes to appoint without law, and with
out the advice and consent OF the Senate,
Military Governors for the rebel States
| He has already exercised this dictatorial
usurpation in Louisiana, and he defeated
the bill to prevent its limitation.
Henceforth we must regard the following
precedent as the Presidential law of the
Rebel States: '... aa...
.-r. "ExEouTIvE MANSION,
'WAsHiNGToN, March 10, 1S64.}
''HiS Erceuency Michael Hahn, ...... ....
..,..... GorernOr Of Louisiana:
Until further orders, you are hereby in
vested with the powers exercised hitherto
by the Military Governor of Louisiana.
Yours, f' "ABRAHAM LINCOLN"
This Michael Hahn is no officer of the
United States; the President, without law,
without the advice and consent of the
Senate, by private note not even counter
signed by the Secretary Of State, makes him
Dictator of Louisiana! '.
The bill provided for the civil admins
tration of the laws of the State-till it
repeating all laws recognizing Slavery, and
making all men equal before the law.
These beneticent 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 officers
of the law are necessary. Congress legisla-
ted for these necessary things, and the Pres
ident deprives them of the protection of the
law!
The Presidents purpose to instruct his
Military Governors ito proceed according
to the bill''--a makeshift to calm the disap-
pointment its defeat has occasioned-is not
merely grave usurpation but transpar-
ent delusion. '4 ... a.t $3.50"
He cannot 'proceed according to the bill'
after preventing it from becoming law.
Whatever is done will be at his will and
pleasure, by persons responsible to no law,
and more interested to secure the interests
and execute the will of the President than
of the people; and the will of Congress is
to be SHIELD for nduglt," sunless the loyal
people of the rebel States choose to adopt
e If they should graciously prefer the strin-
gent bill to the easy. proclamation, still the
registration will be made under no legal
sanction; it will give no assurance that ma
jority of the people of the States have taken
the oath; if administered, it will be with
out legal authority, and void; no indict-
ment will lie for false swearing at the cleo
tion, 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 lau.
But when we come to the guarantees of
future peace which Congress meant to
enact, the forms, as well rs the substance of
the bill, must yield to the Presidents will
that none should be imposed, o. 90, .-....
1t was the solemn resolve of Congress to
protect the loyal men of the nation against
three great dangers, Q) the ereturn to pow
er of the guilty leaders of the rebellion,
(2) the continuance of slavery, and (3) the
burden of the rebel debt.
Congress required assent to those provis-
ions by the Convention of the State; and if
refused, it was to be dissolved. yoJ-t-rr,.f "a
0 The President ''holds for naught" that
resolve of Congress, because he is Unwilling
''to be inflexibly committed to any one plan
of restoration" and the people of the Unit
ed States are not to be allowed to protect
themselves unless their enemies agree to it.
The order to proceed according to the bill
is therefore merely at the will of the rebel |
States; and they have the option to rejectit
accept the proclamation of the Stll of De-
cember, and demand the Presidents recog-
milton! . r s4.b ..'.,,..f 80
Mark, the contrast! The bill requires |
majority, the proclamation is satisfied with |
one-tenth; the bill requires one oath, the |
proclamation another; the bill aseertains |
voters by registering; the proclamation by |
guess; the bill exacts adherence to existing |
territorial limits, the proclamation admits |
of others the bill governs the rebel States |
by ta,c, equalizing all before It, the pf6ela-
nations commits them togthe lawlessidis-t I
cretion of military Governors and Provost,
Marshals; the bill forbids electors for Pres
ident, the proclamation and defeat Of the |
bill threaten us with civil war for the all |
mission or exclusion of such votes; the bill |
exacted exclusion of dangerous enemies |
from power and the relief OF the nation /
froun fhe rebel debit and the nrohihit;on Of |