The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-06-11
MIR. LINCOLN AND THE SOUTH.

dent takes iss,ie with the opinion Of
 The Advertiser, that Lincoln was of large and kindly heart. without malice. and fuu of desire for reconciliation, and | if he had lived. we of the South would
 have been spared the horrors Of re-
 construction and the bitterness or negro domination" Our correspon- dent asserts that he has never been able to find one act of MT. Lincoln to justify such an opinion."s and in sup | mort of his view cites the fact that MT. l Lincoln in his first inaugural address declared he had mo right to inter fere with slavery in the States, and certainly had no intention of doing so," yet. in less than two years. he issued his emancipation proclamation" The Advertiser is aware that MT.
 Lincoln said in that address that he
 but quoted from his many published
 speeches when he declared that he had no purpose. directly or indirectly.
 to interfere with the institution of , slavery in the States where it existed" that he believerd he had no lawful , right to do so. and no inclination to
 do so." He also said in the same ad-
 dress that the oaths of the members
 of Congress who swore to support the Constitution of the United States were
 unanimous and that every one of them , swore to the faithful execution of that clause which provided that when : persons held to service or labor in one 2 State escaped to another they should | be delivered up on the claim of the party to whom such service or labor : was due" and -that this clause applied s to slaves"
 There can be no question of~the fact > that Mir. Lincoln held that slaves were o property and that the President had ,- no right to interfere with the institu- "a ton of slavery in the States where 1t 's existed. It is equally beyond ques- -- ton that he was unalterably opposed to :. the institution. and desired above all g things, except the preservation of the iiSo Union, the abolition of that instiu- Is ton. He was a lawyer of no mean ,,o ability and learning. He had care ls fully studied the Federal Constitution,
 
 ia When therefore, he took the oath as ss President to support the Constitution eS he had very much more than ordinary = knowledge and appreciation of the :" oath While he was possessed of ar o4 intense horror of slavery he at the v same time. was fully conscious that he the Federal Constitution clearly re. Ib of ready to admit and observe. and in thi. ws particular he differed from many othel e- slavery fanatics. When therefore
 Mir Lincoln issued his emancipation ,,. proclamation 1t was resorted to as
 military measure. Treating this mat
 ter in his message of December 8. 1868 -- MT. Lincoln said: According to ou
 political system, as a matter of civi - administration, the General Govern
 ment had no lawful power to effec ~ emancipation in any State. and for or long time 1t had been hoped that tn ,a rebellion could be suppressed withou .o resorting to it as a military measure a. It was all the while deemed possible tha
 the necessity for 1t might come. an !, that If 1t should the crisis of the con ,ra test would then be presented" Prio ct to the issuance of the emancipatio of proclamation MT. Lincoln favored com we pensation to the owners for their eman ,es cipated slaves. He commended to Cor
 a gress in a special message. March ell 1862. the adoption of joint resolutio
 declaring that the United States ougt
 F se may adopt gradual abolishment md slavery. giving to such State pecunis ion ry aid to be used by such State. Ids It's discretion. to compensate for tf ,an inconveniences, public and privat wn produced by such change of system wis Even the emancipation proclamatic 2o- contained in the outset the Idea of con not pensation to the owners of slaves. TT om same policy is discussed at length in u an. annual message of December. 1862, or which Is submitted draft of certa
 to proposed amendments to the Constit' is- tion providing for the abolition rth slavery by certain States wherein his existed. at any date prior to Janual 1ds 1, 1900, in which provision is made f um payment m OnlIeo OtdleS pOHQS tO VI
 to State abolishing slavery. an amou lag equal to the aggregate sum to be fix hat for each slave shown to have been on. such State by the census of 1860.
 is Perhaps the last deliverance of N can Lincoln upon this matter is contain
 in his note of instructions to N has Seward when he dispatched tn sal- gentleman to meet Messrs Stepher our Hunter and Campbell as peace commi 'ere sioners, January S1, 1865. After me ven tioning three things that he said we lro- indispensable to peace. one of whi elts was mo receding by the executive nse. the slavery question" he said that lted propositions not inconsistent wi the these would be considered and pas DOT ed upon in a spirit of sincere libera lave ty." That such would have been t ? to case The Advertiser believes Is now t } to commonly accepted opinion of two world.
 Seek In other words. with the abolition joys slavery assured beyond question. an Lincoln seemed to be willing to lea
 at the settlement of other questiC ance largely to the white men of the seve