The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-12-07
TmE rREsIDENr,s MEssAaE.

THE FhENADEN - mENNAtaE.
From ne Times
The Presidents Message is brief, yet very COM
prehensive and explicit. It prcscuts sldsG,c-
tory view Of our foreign relations and of all the
great departments Of our internal administration.
The exhibit thus officially authenticated. may
well inspire the people with new confidence.
though they were already prepared for It's gene
raj outlines.
The President shows in a very forcib'e WAY the
undiminished strength of the country in respect
TO adult males, the first necessity in war. In
spite OF ne havoc made by battle and camp dis
cases during this mighty war, the number of
voters at the last election in the loyal portion of
the country, he declares, is greater than was the
number In 1860, by 10000 without including
the ninety thousand soldiers who could not vote
% ritores
This is a remarkable fact. Nothing like It, we
believe, can be found in the previous annals o
the world; OF course this supply Of the drain
mace by the war has come largely from foreign
immigration; but this does not make the increase
OF strength any the less positive. How different,
In this respect is the condition of the COnfede-
facy, as presented in the late message of jeff
DAVIS The Rebel leader directly admitted a
most serious diminution Of fighting material, and
made this strong point in his bold suggestions
respecting the eNpcdienCy of obtaining soldier
from the seryilo population. The prime want
the hcOclll)n-that which, II nothing else, must
in due time bring ruin 70 it's the want Of able
bodied men whereby to keep its armies up to a
capacity for resistance.
The Richmond correspondent of the London
ImeS, though committed to the Rebellion by
every prejudice, aud writing under all the re-
straint of the Rebel Capital, did not hesitate, in
one Of his late letters, to declare that this def
cheney, If the war should continue, must sooner
or later bring the South to condition of helpless
ness. What volume Of meaning is contained in
this simple showing by the President that the
North is growing stronger while the South is
thus coniessedly growing weaker What stronger
incentive could be presented for our perseverance
IN the war until the Rebellion shall sink and the
National Government, with its invigorating power,
DC re-establlshed throughout the length of the
land
The most salient feature in the Message is the
emphatic declaration of the President that he re-
cognzes but one single condition for peace--and
, that the return OF Rebels TO their allegiance He
Says:-"They can at any time have peace simply
by laying down their arms, and submitting to the
national authority under the Constitution" The
President neither insists upon, nor looks for, any
stipulation in advance in respect to the abandon
ment Of slavery. His only claim is for an abln-
donment of armed resistance.
This makes good precisely what we have con-
tended was the true construction of the famous
missiYe, ITO whom it may concern" It puts
beyond further dispute the Presidents absolute
singeness of purpose, and his determination to
maintain the war solely on Constitutional basis
for Constitutional ends. II is true, that he takes
occasion here TO repeat that he will not attempt
Proclamation. Yet in this he is perfectly con-
sstent. That proclamation was a war measure
authorized by the war power involved in the
duty prescribed to the Executive by the Const-
tuition, TO enforce the laws, Its operative force
must continue while the war lasts.
When the war ceases, itself must cease as war
measure. 1t can have no further continuing
effect, though the effect already consummated,
whatever the courts may decide that to be- can
not be undone, and must remain UNCHANGED
. The President holds to the Proclamation in lust
the right manner. He treats 1t as an instrument
for war, but in no way nterposes it against peace.
The Rebels can get peace at any time without
touching IL. All that is required Of them is that
they shall in good faith bow to the Constitution
But the President, nevertheless holds to the
civil necessity OF purging the nation from the
evil which has been proved 50 damaging to its
security. He strenuOusly urges a constitutional
amendment prohibiting slavery throughout the
land, and making teryent appeal TO the minority
IN the present House OF Representatives to per-
nit the question to be submitted 10 the States for
such action upon it as their legislatures may see
fit to take. We most earnestly hope that this ap-
peal will be received in the same liberal spirit in
which il is made.
Though the minority of the present House may
not personally like the proposed amendment, vet
it is only the initiative they asked to Join in.
The Constitution makes 1t the part of Congress
only TO propose Constitutional amendments The
final responsibility concerning their adoption or
rejection does not rest with it, but with the State
Legislatures All that is asked is, that these i'm
mediate representatives of the people should have
an opportunity to carry out the will OF their con-
sttuents, one way or the other, upon this mighty
question. Surely, nothing could be more anti
Democratic than to refuse the people this oppor-
tunity to declare their will in the way provided
by the Constitution. This refusal would have no
permanent effect for the next Congress would be
sure to propose the amendment The only effects
Of the refusal would be to make injurious delay,
and to bring new popular odium on the party
whose representatives should thus seek 70 baulk
the popular will
The President renews his liberal offer of am
nesty to the Rebels, but this time accompanies it
with a significant intmation that "the time NAV
come, probably will come when public duty shall
demand that IL be closed" The public mind of
the North will receive this language with satisfac-
ton. There is limit beyond which clemency
loses its character Of magnanimity and sinks into
weakness. That limit is nearly reached, in the
dealings of our Government towards persistent
Rebels The time has nearly come when expe-
dients which have not yet been applied in any
serious way should be visited upon the scat Of
the Bebellion in all their rigor. There is no lack
OF human precedent, and what is infinitely more,
there is an unquestionable divine one. The first
man who made fratricidal war was stripped of
his possessions, and made a vagabond on the face
of the earth. Il would be a fit reribuuon for all
men who persist in the same crime.