The mountain Democrat., 1865-03-11
vGoIatod Pledges.

peelal pains 70 Impress upon the mloos
of the people that their idol is "hOnsst,"
that be adhsres to bis pledges, and that
he takes no step backwards. To bis
memorable Niagara Falls letter, directed
ITO whom it may concern, he announced
. fxod determination to make the abOli.
ton Of slavery the principal object Of
prosecuting The 49, H1Sd declared that
he would listen to no proposition for
peace from the Confederate States, unless
it was coupled with 1.-The abandonment Of
slavery" In one Of his messages, allud.
ing TO the abolition of slavery. he said,
"a promise given must be kept" He
keeps sacred his promises given to rAdi.
Gals and negroes, but has no hesitation in
violating those given to white men. Mr..
Lincoln says I'VE cannot escape history"
let US see what history must say Of Mr..
Lincoln on this subject. Let us see il he
is honest-if he takes no step back wards.
Let Us see il he has acted consistently
with his pledges 1t will be found thai
in his inaugural address be said:
81 declare that have no purpose, directly
or indirectly, to interfere with the institution
| of slavery in the States where il exists. | be-
lieve haze no lawful right to do so, and have
no inclination to do So"
A positive pledge, thatl In his first
message to the extra session Of Congress,
on the 4th Of July, 1861, after the war
had fairly begun, he renewed this pledge
in these words:
LEST there be some uneAsineSS IN the minds
of candid men, rs TO what is tu be the course
Of the Government toward the Southern States
after the rebellion shall have been suppressed,
| the Executive deems it proper to saw, il will be
his purpose, then as ever. To be guided By the
Constitution and laws; and that he probably
| will have no different understanding Of the
powers aud duties Of the Federal Government,
relative TO the rights Of the States and the
people under the Constitution, than that ex.
pressed in the inaugural address"
Lest " candid men" might still have
some misgiving as tos his sincerity, he
took occasion in his message of Deccm-
Der Sd, 1861, to repeat the pledge in the
following FORM
"The inaugural address at the beginning Of
| the Administration, and the message to Con.
gresH at the late special session, were both
mainly devoted 10 the domestic controversy
out OF which the insurrectiOn and consequent
war have sprung. Nothing now occurs to add
or subtract, t6 or from, the principles or gen.
eral purpose stated and expressed In those
| documents 49,
lie then had nothing to add to or sub
tract from his former pledges. Again, on
the 22d of September, 1862, he proclaim
cd to the world:
"a, Abraham Lincoln President Of the United
States of America, COMMANDMENT. Chief If the
| army and navy thereof do hereby proclaim
and declare that, hereafter as heretofore, the
war will be prosecuted for the object Of practi-
cally restoring the constitutional relation be-
tween The United State and the people there
OF, in which that relation is or may be suspend.
ed or disturbed"
Over and over again he renewed the
pledges that he had mo lawful right" and
mo inclination" to interfere with the in
stitution of slavery. He obtained men
and money without stint on the strength
of these pledges; but now, when there is
a prospect that the war could be AMIGA.
bly, and honOrably settled, and the Union
restored, he disregards his pledges and
declares that no proposition for peace will
be received that does not include "thc
abandonment Of slavery" Did he not
violate his pledges, voluntarily given,
when he yielded to the pressure Of the
Abolitionists and adopted their policy p
Is man, OCCUPYING his exalted position,
"honcst" who recklessly breaks his prom
iseH He declares that he has mo Lawful,
right" to interfere with the institution Of
slavery; but TO conciliate the Abolitionists
he assumes the right, in fagran violation
of pledges, right and law Where does
he get the authority to interfere il, as he
admits, he "has no Law full right to do So?
Is he above the Law ?-not amenable to
itI Can he infringe the law with impun
ityi Is his imperial will the supreme
law of the landP If it is where is our
boosted liberty? If he can tramplc upon
the law in one instance can he not do it
in another? What is to restrain him p
What is to prevent him from subverting
our institutions and assuming dictatorial
powers? The Constitution lie has no
respect for it! The lawsY lie has vic.
lated them! His pledges? He repudi-
ates them, and ioyali>ts justify and en-
courage him! With such a RECORD, black
with pertidy, it is an Insult TO the inteli.
gence of the American people to talk
about Lincoln's honesty.
Pooh BUTLER. Butler has fallen so low
there is none but Greeley to do him rev.
erence. Most of the Administration pa.
pers which have resented any criticism of
his rascalities, now seem determined to
recompense themselves by kicking the
dead hero. The most calling instance Of
this, is the course Of the New York Her
aid. After praising him to the skies, it