The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-01-16

of property except as to slaves aud in pro-
perty cases where rights Of third parties
Ishalt have iutervened."
The President, in his Proclamation, fur
Ither daclares 'lhat any provision which
may be adopted by such State Government
In relation 10 tho freed people OF such
Estate, which shall recognize and declare
their permanent freedom, prov de Cor their
education, and whcn may yet be consist
eni as temporary arrangement, with
their present condition as Il iahoring, land
less and homeless class, viii not be OBJ
iected to by the National Executive. And
it is suggested as not Improper, that in
constructing II loyal State Government in
any State, the name o. the State, the boun
dairy, the subdivisions, the Constitution
and the General Code u Laws, rs before
the rebellion, be maintained, subject only
to the notifications made necessary by the
conditions herein before stated, and such
others, ii any, not conttGveninE said con-
ditions, and which may be deemed expe-
dent by those framing The new State Gov
ernnent."
1t seems to me these terms and cOndi-
tons are eminentlv Just and proper-tair
and liberal TO those whom they are offered,
and such rs the permanent peace OF the
country requires.
i All the people in the rebe States, per-
haps, N law, certainly, a great majority,
both in law aud in tact, have committed
ltreaSon-are guilty OF that crime before the
law, and are liable to the punishment al
fixed, by law, 10 the commission OF .Eat
crime.
Ii would no. be safe and judiclous, either
% punish all or to perni. all To escape pun
ishment. The leaders, .he most guilty,
should be punished The mass. the least
/ ~ hn A,il iny
o. The exceptions rom pardon, made by
the President. VIII SHOW he has made his
distinction.
But, il extending parVen t. tn" mass, il
is just ana proper that reasona ole terms
and conditions should be made.
{ The terms and conditions proposed by
the PresiGen. are, That ,he guilty party
shall swear ist, "That he viii taithtully
! support, protect and defend the Consttu-
ton %. the United States. and the
+ union ofthe States hereunder ii. That
+ he viii abide by and faithfully support
al acts 9! Congress passed during the e&-
listing rebellion, with reference 10 saves,
so long and 50 far as not repeated, no~ih-
> ed OR held void bv Congress or by decision
/ Of the Supreme Court And 81, That he
f wiz abide by and faithfully support all
prouiamations Of the President. made lu-
, ring the existing rebellion. having refer
, ence to slaves, SO long and SO far as not
modified or declared void by decision OF
the Supreme Court.
i Are these terms and conditions reasona-
9 Die? No possible objection can DE taken
! 70 the frs. rcquiremant-tha these men
. shall support the Constitution and the
! Union. Tho second and third requ ire-
ments are, that these men shall abide bv
the laws Of Congress and the Procianlations
of the President concerning slaves, until
these laws shall be changed by Congress,
or those laws or The Presidents proc,ama-
tons, be decided void by the SUpreme
. Court. This is jusi what it is the duty OF
. every loyal citizen TO dn-tO abide by and
nj support the law until changed uv the law
making power, or declared void by the
q Courts.
e 1t may be said tina. the Proclaina;lons OF
. the President are not laws; that he had not
= the Constitutional power 10 issue such
Y Procamatons. But the President believes
u he had the Constitutional power 50 TO do,
!, aud has so done, and he only proposes that
a these acts shall stand in law so long and
1 SO tar as not modified or declared void by
: decision OF the Supreme Court. IN ina
posing these terms and conditions on those
in rebellion against our Government, W no
may desire 20 lay down their arms, the
: President is but requiring OF them the per-
: iormance az a duty required ofall men who
5 have remained loyal.
Upon accepting these terms and cofdi-
tons, the men now guilty of treason and
: liable 10 punishment as criminals. are
at once pardoneeu-are restored TO their
4 rights as citizens and again permitted 10
g take part in administering our Govern
l ment, and, at the same time, are restored
$ to AZ their rights of property, except as
1 to slaves and wherein rights OF third par
Z ties have interviewed. These exceptions are
$ inevitable. If the acts of Congress and the
t Proclamations of the President concerning
: slaves are Constitutional, then, far as
: these acts and Proclamations reach, the
: slaves have become free, and cannot be re-
1 stored to their former masters. Where
1 property has been dispostd OF to third par
: ties, under the Contiscation act it cannot be
restored. Whatever has been lost to these
men has been lost by reason OF their own
! crimes; whatever yet remains Will be re-
: stored if they will cease to be criminals.
g Aside from tine consideration, that il the
g laws of Congress and the Proclamations OF
the President concerning slaves are valid as
4 law, those who have been freed thereby
4 cannot again be enslaved-aside from the
: consideration, that, even if this could be
S lawfully done, the doing of ii would in.
t volve such breach of honor and good
: faith, as would justly render US, as IA ma
e ton, infamous throughout ChristendOm--
aside from all considerations connected
G with slavery, as a social or moral Question
Q aside from all considerations connected
| with its political effects upon the particular
g communities in which ii exists, and looking
e upon it only in its bearing upon the pres
e ent condition Of our country, ii seems ia
2 me that no man, who does not set the insti-
tuition of Slavery above the Union OF the
: States, can now fail to do all that he law
!, fully may to aid in removing this curse
> from our nation.
e 1t is directly or implicitly admitted by
: all, that slavery is the cause Of the civil
: war now desolatns the land, although diff
!, ferent parties endeavor to throw heimme-
: diate blame upon their adyersaries. The
t anti-slavery men of the country say that
], slavery is tho cause of the war because,
i being founded on force, il is necessarily
n aggressive in its character; that il necessa-
,fl rily makes slave boiaers, as class, haugh.
i ty, oyerbearng, impatient OF control and
# unwilling to submit their opinions to those
OF the majority, whom they consider their
), interiors. Some OF the rebels admit, frank.
h ly, that the desire To porpetuate slavery and
G to make it The corner stone OF The new
g consederacy, caused the rebellion, while
n others, and their apologists generally insist
= that the cause OF our troubles is not slave
e nv itself, bat the "fanatacism' OF anti
!, slavery men on the subject OF slavery;