The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-04-05
The proeian.s,ios Of peace.

LILO IIOoluohb . tAOoioM%tAon'" " PS~"o
lis the most welcome official announce
ment thattas been made during the past
six years. 1t is hailed everywhere with
satisfaction and has enabled every citi-
zen Of the United States, whether North
or South, to breathe freely once more.
The days of war measures" military
necessity" martial law. and all-the spe-
cious pretexts for the destruction of civil
| liberty are now past, let MS hope forever
The effect of this proclamation Will be
TO restore the benefits of the writ OF hd-
beas corpus to the people OF the whole
nation. and to make the military every
where subordinate to the civil power.
In one year from the date of the procla-
nation the Freedmans Bureau will ex'
pire by limitation, and, with this excep'
ton, the governments of the several
States will be conducted and the rights
of the people enjoyed from this time
forth precisely as they were before the
war.
It is a striking fact that the only per
sons who now wear gloomy counte'
nances and refuse to rejoice in the resto
ration of the Union and the proclama-
nation of peace, are those who have
been most noisy and profuse in their
protestations of love for the Union, The
return of peace has stripped the mask
from these men, and they now show by
their action in Congress, and by their
sullen countenances upon the streets,
that their love of the Union was subor-
dinate to their love of party, and that
they mourn over the restoration Of
peace because peace will ruin the polit
| ical organization that could only MAIN
tain its supremacy amid the passion,
tumult, confusion and bitterness of war
Now all that is over, and. along with
other "war measures, the eXtraordl.
nary powers and pretentions of the Re-
publican party will cease, and its exist.
ence must soon become thing of the
past. 1t has fulfilled its mission, and
will soon sleep with its progenitors,
federalism aud Abolitionism, leaving
the national debt as a monument that
the party once existed, and, in an evil
hour. obtained control of the govern
ment
The natural effect of the proclana-
ton of peace should DO to open the
doors of Congress to the representatives
of the Southern States and admit them
to both houses upon perfect equality
with the representatives. ofother States.
In fact the proclamation contemplates
precisely this thing when it declares
that such constituent States must nee
essarily be and by the constitution and
laws Of the United States are made
equals and placed or a like footing as to
political rights. .immuni tiles dignity and
power with the several States. with
which they are reunited
It follows therefore tina. fthe radi-
Gals in Congress still persist in the ex-
elusion of the Southern States from
their constitutional right Of representa-
ton an the government they place
themselves III such a revolutionary at
tituie as will justify the employment
of extreme measures for the enforcement
of the supreme law This proclamation
takes from the disUnionists in congress
the last pretext by which they can jus.
sstanee in their schemes no less than
open rebellion 1t is death blow to
the 3tata~nirida theory" aud iemol.
ishes all the superstructdre OF tyranny
ana wrong stat such men a. THAnDEUs
STEVENS have erected thereon
Whether or not the proclamation will
also have the effect OF stoppins proceed
,ng~ FOR the cODfscati0u Of property
is a-qdestiOH susceptible f argument -
AT least all trials tor treason henceforth
must be III accordance with civil law,
and whatever DEGREES OF confscation
2re hereafter rendered must be after |
legal CONVICTION ana the constitution
has prescribed ,hat no at,ainder of.
treason shall work corruption Of blood, |
Or forfeiture, except during the life of |
the person attsinted." AS the constitu
ton - DON "lurolled" and the people |
are entitled 10 ali the rights it gnaran-
tees this clause can 40 longer he dis
regarded.
$50