The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1866-04-07
THE PEACE PROCLAMATION.

When an official paper which proclaims
that most desirable and vital Of all govern
mental wants, complete and honorable peace;
when il announces the end Of civil strife, and
heralds the glad tidings ofNuniversal submis-
sion to law, we can conceive Of no reason
based on either good policy or patriotism,
that should assail il or acclaim ii on mere
party grounds That the same authority
which announced to the world the existence
Of the rebellion should also indicate its sup
preston, is certainly proper and consistent.
President LINCOLN, in the most public man
ner declared to the world that an insurrec-
ton was in existence in certain States, and
invoked the war power, and welded the high
functions with which he was clothed to put il
down. President JOHNSON, one year after
the utter dissolution Of the confederacy-the
entire capitulation Of treason, civil and mill
tary, the disarmament of all opposing armies,
and the surrender of every individual traitor;
and when twelve months Of order had reigned
in the disaffected States, with the disappear
ance Of the fact and spirit of revolution, as
publicly informed the world that the insur-
rection had been suppressed. If the act Of
President LINCOLN was constitutional, the act
Of President JOHNSON was equally lawful.
Unless this proclamation is premature,
and not sustained by facts, then we aver that
general congratulation and heartfelt thanks
givings instead Of partisan calculations
should have welcomed its appearance. The
time was when generous support to the
Government by appreciation Of its chief Off
GERS was held to be the highest duty Of pa
triotism. 1t is an unfortunate day for this
land when the utterance of peace has to be
weighed in the political scale. We ask the
people to sink for once their party feeling,
conquer their prejudices," and view this
matter from an elevated, Christian and pa
triotic standard. Go to the proclamation IL
SELF and see if there can be found an untrue
statement, an unverifed fact, or an unwise
conclusion. 1t says, there now exists no
organized armed resistance Of misguided
citizens or others to the authority Of the
United States" that the States in rebellion
shave conformed or will conform in their
legislation to the condition Of affairs growing
out Of the amendment of the Constitution of
the United States prohibiting slavery within
the limits and jurisdiction Of the United
States" that it is an established American
principle "that each State ought to remain
and constitute an integral part of the United
States" and that the insurrectionary States
"acquesce in this sovereign and important
resolution Of national unity" 1t is in this
array of facts, each one of which is as true as
"holy writ" and should be cause Of common
Joy, that The President predicates his asser-
ton that standing armies, military occupa-
ton, martial law, military tribunals, and the
suspension of the writ Of hdbeas corpus are
in times of peace dangerous to public liberty
incompatible with the individual rights Of
the people, contrary to the genius and spirit
of our institutions, and exhaustive of the
national resources and ought not, therefore,
to be allowed or sanctioned, erceptin cases Of
actual necessity, for repelling inVdSion, or
suppressinJ instruction or rebellion.
II these are not familiar and popular
theories, if they are not the convictions of
all who believe in republican governments,
then we have studied American history and
been taught American principles in vain.
The proclamation does not release any polit-
ical prisoner held for trial; it takes away no
authority to keep the order of society wher-
ever disturbance may occur; it does not in
terfere with the operations of the Freedmen's
Bureau for one year to come it only promul-
gates the glorious truth that insurrectlon is
at an end. The recital of events and facts
in that proclamation is correct, or the most
stupendous and inspiring fact in our nation,
the putting down of the rebellion, is a liei
its enunciation of fundamental principles is
true, or every precept drawn from the foun,
tains of popular liberty are false and fatal,
We dare not teach the people such unwel-
come history or such damaging heresy.