VOLUME 1. THE AMERICAN CITIZEN, JS published every Wednesday in the borough of Butler iy THOMAS RoßiNgo.v&C. E. on Wain street, frpposite to Jack's Hotel—'iffice up stairs in the brick formerly accupied by JSli Yettcr,a*astoro TERMS:—SI 50 a year, if paid in advance, or within the first nix months ; or $2 if not paid mitil after the expira tion of the first six months. RATES OP AI>VBRTJSH*O>—One square noo., (ten lines or less,) three insertion* , .. £IOO I? very subsequent insertion, per square, . 2ft Business cards of 10 line* or less fur one year, inclu ding paper ... . .. 500 Cafcd of 10 lines or Jew 1 year without pnper 4 00 *44 column for six months ,7 00 gcolumn f..r on* year .v.„ .12 00 1* column for six months 13 00 }Z column for one yeur... ............ ...2o 00 1 column for six months.. .2ft 00 1 column for one year...* .50 00 THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE, F E 1,1.0 W - CITIZ E N S OF TIIK SENATE AND HOUSE OF RKPRF.SK VTATIVEB : Another year of health and sufficiently abundant harvests has passed. For these, and es pecially for the improved condition of our national affairs, our renewed and our pro found gratitude to God is duo. We re main in peace and friendship with foreign powers. The efforts of disloyal citizens of the United States to involve us in for eign wars, and to aid in inexcusable in surrection, have been unavailing. Ilcr Majesty's Government, as was justly ex pected, have exercized their authority to prevent the departure of new hostile ex peditions from British ports. The Empe ror of France has by a like proceeding j promptly indicated the neutrality which I ho proclaimed at the beginning of the contest. Questions of great intricacy and importance have arisen out of the block ades and othor belligerent operations be tween the Government and several of the maritime powers; but they have been dis cussed, and so far as was possible, accom modated in a spirit of frankness, justice and good will. It is especially gratifying that our prize courts, by the impartiality of their adjudications, have commanded the respect and confidence of the maritime powors. ON FOREION TREATIES. Tho supplemental treaty between the United States and Great Britain, for the suppression of tho African slave trade, made on the 17th day of February last, hits been duly ratified and carried into ex ecution. It is believed that so far as A inerioan ports and American citizens arc concerned, that inhuman and barbarous traffic has been brought to an end. T shall submit, for the consideration of the Sen ate, a Convention for the adjustment of possessory claims in Washington territory, arising nut of tLo treaty of the 15th of June, 1846, between the United States and Great Britain, and which have been the source of some disquiet among the cit izens of that now rapidly improving part , of the country. A novel and important question, involving the extent of the mar itime jurisdiction of Spain, in the waters which surround the bland of Cuba, has been debated, without reaching an agree- I ment; and it is proposed, in an amicable | spirit, to refer it to the nrbitrament of a friendly Power. A Convention for that purpose will- lie submitted to the Senate. I have thought it a proper subject to sug gest for the approval of the Sonate to con cur with the interested commercial powers, in an arrangement for the liquidation of the Scheldt dues, on the principles which have been heretofore adopted in regard to the imports upon navigation in the waters of Denmark. The long-pending controversy between this Government and that of Chili, touch ing the seizure of Selana, in Peru, by Chil ian officers, of i Vrge amount of treasure belonging to eiti *fs of tho United States, hag been brought Va close, by the award of His Mujt»'y, ) >King of the Belgi ans, to whose arbft.fftion the question was referred by the parties. The subject was thoroughly and patiently examined by that justly rospectcd magistrate, although the sum awarded to the claimants may not have been as large as they expected, there Is no reason to distrust the wisdom of His Majesty's dccisioi). That decision was promptly complied with by Chili when in- taUigence in regard to it reached that country. The joint commission, under the act of last session. for carrying into effect the convention with Peru on the subject of claim::, has been organized at Lima, and is engaged in the business en trusted to it. The difficulties concerning inter-ocianic transit through Nicaragua, »rein course of amicable adjustment. In conformity with the principles sot forth in my last annual message, I have received fi, representative froth the United States 4>f Columbia, and have accredited a Min ister to that republic. ON NATURALIZATION. Incidents occurring in the progress of Our civil war have forced upon my atten tion the uncertain state of the international Question touching the rights of foreign '£m in this country, Mid citizens of the United States abroad. In regard to some governments the:,a rights are at least par tially defined by treaties. In no instance, however, is it expressly stipulated that, in the inatanes of civil war, a foreigner residing % this odu&try; within the lines ttf insurgents, is tbjnj e^Wu^dfroiuUM AMERICAN CITIZEN. rule which classes him as a billigerent, in whose behalf the Government of his coun try cannot express any privileges or im munities distinct, from that character. 1 regret to say, however, that such claims have been put forward, and in some in stances in behalf of foreiOTors who have lived in the United States the greater part of their lives. There is reason to believe that many persons born in foreign coun tries, who have declared their intention I to beeome citizens, or have been fully nat uralized. have evaded the military duty required of them by denying the fact, and thereby throwing upon the Government the burden of proof. It has been found difficult or impracti cable to obtain this proof from the want of guides to the proper sources of infor mation. These might be supplied by re quiring the clerks of courts, where decla rations of intentions may be made or nat uralizations effected, to send, periodically, lists of the names of persons naturalized or of those deolaring their intcntiou to be come citizens, to the Secretary of the In terior, in whose department these names must be arranged and printed for general information. There is also reason to bc ! lievc that foreigners frequently become citizens of the United States for the sole purpose of evading the duties imposed by j the laws of their native country, to which, in becoming naturalized here, they at once repair; and, though never returning to the I nited States, they still olaim the inter position of the Government ns citizens. Many altercations and great prejudices have horetoforc arisen out of this abuse. It is, therefore, submitted to your serious consideration. It might bo advisable to fix a limit beyond which no citizen of the United States, residing abroad, may claim the interposition of his Government. The right of suffrage has often becu assumed and exercised by aliens under pretence* of naturalization, which they have disavowed when drafted into the military service. I submit the expediency of sueh amend ment of the laws ns will make the fact of' voting an estopple against any plea of ex emption from military service, or other civil obligation, on grounds of alienage. In common with other Western Powers our relations with Japan have been brought into serious jeopardy through the pcrvcrec opposition of (he hereditary aristocracy to the enlightened and liberal policy of the Tyoosn, designed to bring the coun try into the society of nations. It is to be. hoped, although not with confidence, that these difficulties may be peacefully overcome. I ask your attention to the Minister residing there for the damages he sustained in the destruction, by fire, of the residence of the legation at Yeddo. Satisfactory arrangements have been made with the Kmperor of Russia, which it is believed will result in effeoting a con tinuous line of telegraph to that empire from our Pacific coast. I recommcud to your favorable, consideration the subject of an international telegraph across the Atlantic Oeean, and also of a telegraph between this capital and thcnational forts along the Atlantic seabord and the Gulf of Mexico. Such connections established, with any reasonable outlay, would be economical as well as effective aids to diplomatic, milita ry and naval service. The consular systems of the United States, under the enactments of the last Congress, begins to be self-sustaining, and there is reason to hope that it may become entirely so with the increase of trade, which will ensue whenever peace is restor ed. Our ministers abroad haveboen faith ful in defending American rights. In protecting our commercial interests our consuls have necessarily had to encounter increased labors and responsibilities grow ing out of the war. These they have met. and for the most part discharged with zeal and efficiency. This acknowledg ment justly includes those consuls who, residing in Morocco, Egypt, China, and other central countries, are charged with extraordinary powers. The condition of the several organized territories is generally satisfactory,although the Indian disturbances in New Mexico have not been entirely suppressed. The mineral resources of Colorado, Nevada Id aho, New Mexico and Arazona, are prov ing far richer than heretofore understood. I lay before you a communication on this subject from the Governor of New Mex 4SP* I again submit to your consideration the expediency of establishing a system for the enoouragementofemigration, although this source of national wealth is flowing with greater freedom than for several years before the insurrection occurred.— There is still a deficiency of laborers in every field of industry, especially in agri culture, and in our mines, as well of iron and coal as of precious matols. while de mand for labor is thus increased here, tens of&ousands of persons, destitute of reum- " Let us have Faith that Right makes Might; and in that Faith let us, to the end,dare to do our duty as we understand it"~A. LINCOLN BUTLER, BUTLER COUNTY, PA., WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1863. foreign consulates and offering to emigrate to the United States, if essential but very cheap awißtanee can be afforded them. THE CIVIL WAR. It is easy to see that under the sharp discipline of civil war the nation is begin ning a new life, and this noble effort de mands the aid, and ought to receive the attention and support of the Government. Injuries unforscen by the Government ! and unintended, may in some cases have been inflicted upon the subjects or citi zens of foreign countries both at sea and on land, by persons in the service of the United States, and as this Government expects redress from other powers when similar injuries are inflicted by persons in their service upon citizens of the United States, wo must be prepared to do justice to foreigners. If existing judicial tribu nals are inadequate to this purpose, spe cial courts may be authorized, with power to hear and decide claims of the character referred to, as may have arisen under trea ties and public law. Conventions for ad justing claims by your commission, have been proffered to some Governments, but no definite answer has yet been received from any. The operations of the Treasury during the last year have been successfully con ducted. The enactment by Congress of a National Banking Law has proved a val uable support of the public credit, and the general legislation in relation to loans has fully answered the expectations of its fa vorers; some amendments may be required to perfect existing laws, but no change in their principles or general scope is believed to be needed. Since these measures have been in operation, all demands on the Treasury, including pay of tho army and navy, have been promptly met, and fully satisfied. No considerable body of troops, it is believed, were ever more amply pro visioned, more liberally and punctually paid, and, it may be added, that by no peo ple were the burdens incident to a great, war ever more cheerfully borne. The receipts during the year, from all sources, including loans and the balance in the'Trcasury at its commencement, were 800,112,507.480 ; the aggregate disburse ments, $895,700,030 05; leaving a bal ance on the 7th of July, 1803. of 904,421. Of tho receipts there were de rived from customs, $0,905,964,240; from internal revenue, $3,764,076,705; from direct taxes, $148,610,361; from lands, $107,617 17; from miscellaneous sources, $304,601.535; and from loans, $770,682,- 301 57 ; making the aggregate of §90,- 112,507.486. Of the disbursements there were $232,539 22 for pensions, etc., $4,- 216,520 59; for interest on public debt, $24,729,846 £1; for War Department, $599,298,600 83; for the Navy Depart- , ment, $6,324,105 27 ; for the payment of funded and temporary debt,8181,076,635,- 07, making an aggregate of 889,576,663,- 055, and leaving a balance of 8532,904,- 421. But the payment of the funded and temporary debt having been paid from moneys borrowed during the year, must be regarded as merely nominal payments, and the moneys borrowed to make them, as merely nominal receipts; and. their amount, $181,086,635 07, should therefore lie de ducted both from the reeftyts and dis bursements. This being <fone, there re mains, as actual receipts, $714,709,995,- 58, leaving the balance as already stated. The actual receipts and disbursements for the first quarter, and the estimated receipts and disbursements fbr the remaining three quarters of the current fiscal year of 1864, will be shown in detail by the report of the Secretary of the Treasury, to which I in vite your attention. It is sufficient to say here that it is not believed that the actu al results will exhibit a state of the finan ' ccs, less fonnable to the country, than the estimates of that officer heretofore sub mitted, while it is confidently expected that at the close of the year, both disburse ments and debts will be found very con siderably less than has been anticipated. The report of the Secretary of War is a public document of great interest It contains First, Tho military operations of the year, detailed in the report of the Gen eraWn-*'ljief. Second, The organisation of colored persons in the war service.— Third, The exchange of prisoners is fully set forth in the letter of General Hitch cock. Fourth, Operations under the act for enrolling and calling out the national forces, detailed in the report of the Pro vost Marshal General. Fifth, The organ ization of the invalid corps. Sixth, The operation of the several departments of the Quartermaster General; Commissary Gen eral ; Paymaster General; Chief of En gineers; Chief of Ordnance and Surgeon General. It has appeared impossible to make a valuable summary of this report, exeepi such as would be-too extended for this place, and hence I content myself in referringyour attention to the report itself. branch of the service during the year, aud throughout the whole of this unhappy contest, have been discharged with fideli ty and eminent success. The extensive blockade has been constantly increasing in efficiency as the navy has expanded, yet on so long a line it has so far been impos sible to entirely suppress illicit trade.— From the returns received at tho Navy Department it appears that more than one thousand vessels have been captured since the blockade was instituted, and that the value of the prizes already sent in for ad judication amount to over thirteen million dollars. The Naval force of the United States consists, at this time, of 588 vessels com pleted, and in the course of completion ; and of these, 75 are iron-clad steamers. The events of the war give an increased interest and importance to the Navy, which will probably extend beyond tho war iteelf. The armored vessels in our Navy, completed and in service, or which arc under contract and approaching com pletion, are believed to exceed in number those of any othor Power ; but while they may be relied upon for harbor defense and sea-coast survey, others of greater strength and capacity will be necessary foi cruising purposes and to maintain our rightful po sition on tho ocean. The change that has taken place in na val vessels and naval warfare, since the introduction of steam as a motive power for ships of war, demands cither corres pondingchange in some of our existing na vy yards, or the establishment of new ones for the construction and necessary repair of modern war vessels. No inconsidera ble embarrassment, delay and public inju ry have been experienced from the want ot such Government establishments. The necessity of such a navy yard so furnished at some suitable place upon the Atlantic seaboard has, on repeated occasions, been brought to the attention of Congress by the Navy Department, and is again pre sented in the report of the Secretary which accompanies this communication. I think it my duty to invite your especial atten tion to tliis subject, mid also to that of establishing a yard and depot for naval purposes upon one of the western rivers. A naval force has been created on these interior waters, and under many disadvan tages, within little more than two years, exceeding in numbers the whole naval force of the country at the commencement of the present Administration. Satisfac tory and important as has been the per formances of the heroic men of the navy at this period, they are scarcely more won derful than the services of our mechanics and artizans in the production of war ves sels, which has created a new form of na- Our country has advantages to any other nation, in our resour ces of iron and timber, with inexhaustible quantities of fuel in the immediate vicin ity ofbotli, and all available and in close proximWy to navigable waters. The re sources of the nation have been developed and iUi power displayed in the construc tion of a navy of such magnitude, which has, at the very period of its erection, ren dered signal service to the Uuion. The increase of the nu' iber of seamen in the public service from 7,000 men in the spring of 1861, to about 24,000 at the present time, has been accomplished with out special legislation or extraordinary bounties to promote that increase. It has been found, however, that the operations of the draft, with high bounties paid for army recruits i a beginning to effect inju riously the naval service and will, if not corrected, be likely to impair it# efficiency by detaching seamen from their proper vocation and inducing them to enter the army. I therefore respectfully suggest that Congress might aid both the army and naval service by adequate provision on this subject which would at the same time be equitable to the communities more sepecially intended. I commend to your consideration the suggestions of the Secretary of the Navy. in regard to the policy of fostering and training seamen for naval service. Taena vut aeademy is rendering signal service in preparing midshipmen for highly respon sible duties, which in after IMb they will be require;«! to perforin, in order that the country should not be deprived of the proper quota ofeducated ofieere. for which legal provision has been made. At the Naval School the vacancies caused by the neglect or omission to make nominations from the States in insurrection, have been filled by the Secretary of the navy. The school is now more full and complete than at any previous period, and in every res pect entitled to the favorable considera tion of Congress. Daring the past fiscal year the financial condition of the Postoffice Department has bees oueutf increasing prosperity, and I att grat Ad in being able to state aecountsßHfl^M^H|Hfl||^^^^H the amounting to $11,314,089.59, and the for mer to §11,183,789.59, leaving a deficien cy of but 8150,419.25. In 1860, the year immediately preceding the rebellion, the deficiency amounted to $565,670,540, the postal receipts of that year beings 264.- 572,219 lews than those 0f1863. The de crease since 1860 in the annual amount of transportation has been only about twenty-five per cent., but the annual ex penditures, on account of the satno has been reduced thirty-five per cent. It is manifest, therefore, that the Postoffice Department may become self-sustaining in a few years, even with the restoration of the whole service. The international conference of postal delegates from the principal countries of Europe and America, which was called at the suggestion of the Postmaster General, met at Paris on the 11th of May last, and concluded its deliberations on the Bth of June. The principles established by the conference, as best adapted to focilitale postal intercourse between nations, andns the basis of future conventions to inaugu rate a general system of uniform interna tional charges at reduced rates of postage, cannot fail to produce beneficial results. I refer you to the report of the Secreta ry of the Interior, which is herewith laid before you, for the useful and varied in formation in relation to public lands, lu dian affaire, patents, pensions, and other matters of public concern pertaining to this Department. The quantity of lauds dis posed of during the last and first quarter of the prosent and fiscal years, was three million eight hundred and forty-one thou sand and five hundred aud forty-nine acres, of which one hundred and sixty-<;iic thousand nine hundred and eleven acres were sold for cash ; one million four hun dred aud fifty-six thousand five hundred and fourteen acres were taken up under the homestead law, and the residue dispo sed of under laws granting lauds for mili tary bounties, for railroads, and other pur poses. It also appears that the sale of the public lands is largely on the increase. It has long been a cherished opinion of some of our wisest statesmen, that the people of the United States had a higher and more enduring interest in the early settlement and substantial cultivation of the public lands, than in the amount of direct reve nue to be dorived from the sale of them. This opinion has had a controlling influ ence, shaping legislation upon the subject of our national domain. I may cite as an instance of this the liberal measures adop ted in reference to actual settlers the grant to the States of the overflowed lands with in their limits, in order to their being re claimed and rendered fit for cultivation; the grant to railroad companies of alter nate sections of land upon the contempla ted lines of their road, when completed, will largely multiply the facilities of reach ing our distant possessions. This policy has received its most signal and benficient illustration in recent enactments, granting homesteads to actual settlers since the first day of January last, the before mentioned quantity over one million four hundred and fifty-six thousand, five hundred and fout teen acres of land, has been taken up under its provisions. This fact and the amount of sales, furnish gratifying evi dence of the increasing settlement upon the public lands. Notwithstanding the great struggle in which the energies of the nation have been engaged, and which has required so large a withdrawal of our citizens from their accustomed pursuits. I cordially concur in the recommendation of the Secretary of the Interior suggesting a modification of the act in favor of those engaged in the military and naval service of the United States. I doubt not that Congress will cheerfully adopt such meas ures as will without essentially changing the general features of the system to se cure to the greatest practicable extent its benefits to those who have left their homes in defense of the country in this arduous crisis. I invite your attention to the views of the Secretary of War as to the propriety of raising, by appropriation of legislation, a revenue from the mineral lands of the Uni ted States. The measure provided at your last session for the removal of certain In dian tribes have been carried into effect. Sundry treaties have been negotiated, which will, in due time, be submitted for the constitutional action of the Senate.— They contain stipulations for extinguish ing the possessors' rights of the Indians to large and valuable tracts of land. It is probable that the effeets of these treaties will result in the establishment of perma nent friendly relations with such of those tribes as have been brought into frequent and bloody collisions with our outlying settlements and emigrant*. Sound policy and our imperative duty to these wards of government demand our anxious and con stant attention to their material well be- HHfeftheir progress in the arts of civiK- aty,4q that powLteMß- ing which under the blessing of Divine Providence, will confer upon them the el evated and sanctifying influence of the hopes and consolations of the christian faith. I suggested iu my last annual message the propriety of remodeling our Indian system. Subsequent events have satisfied me of its necessity. The details set forth in the report of the Secretary, will eyince the urgent need for immediate legislative action. I commend the benevolence of the institutions established or patronized by the Government of this district, to your generous and fostering care. INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS, The attention of Congress, during the last session, was engaged to some extent with a proposition for enlarging the wa ter communication between the Mississip pi river and the Northeastern seaboard, which proposition, however, failed for the time. Since then, upon a call of the greatest respectability, a convention has been called at Chicago, upon the same subject, a summary of whose views is con tained in a memorial addressed to the Presidont and Congress, and which I now have the honor to lay before you. That this interest is one which ero long will force its own way, I do not entertain a doubt, while it is submitted entirely to your wisdom as to what can be dono now. Augmented interest is given to this sub ject by the actual commencement of work upon the Pacific Railroad, under auspices so favoroble to its rapid progress and com pletion. Enlarged navigation becomes a palpable need to this great road. I transmit the second annual report of the Commissioner of tho department of Agriculture, asking your attention to the developments in that vital interest of the nation. When Congress assembled a year ago, tlie war had already lasted nearly twenty months, and there was many conflicts on both land and sea with varying results.— The rebellion had been prossed back into reduced limits, yet, the tone of public feel ing and opinion at home and abroad was not satisfactory. "With tho other signs, the popular elections then just past, indi cated uneasiness among ourselves, while amid much that was cold and menacing, the kindest words coming from England, were uttered in accents of pity that we were too blind to surrender. Our commerce was suffering greatly by a few armed ves sels, built upon and furnished from for eign shores, and We were threatened with such additions from the same quarter as would sweep our trade ftom the sea, and raise our blockade. We had failed to eli cit from European governments anything hopeful upon this subject. TIIE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION. The Emancipation Proclamation, which was issued in September, was running its assigned period to the beginning of the new year. A month later the final proc lamation came, including the announce ment that colored men of suitable condi tion would be received into the war ser vice. The policy of emancipation and of the employment of blaek soldiers gave to th 3 future a new aspect, about which hope and fear and doubt contended in uncer tain conflict. According to our political system, as a matter of civil administra tion, the General Government had no law ful power to effect emancipation in any State, and for a long time it had been hop ed that the rebellion could be suppressed without resorting to it as a military meas ure. It was all the while deemed possi ble that tho necessity for it might come, and that it should, the crisis of the contest would then be presented. It came, and, as was intended, it was followed by dark and doubtful days. Eleven months hav ing been passed, we are permitted to take another review. The rebel borders are pressed still further back, and by the com plete opening of the Mississippi river, the country dominated over by the rebellion is divided into distinct parts, with no prac tical communication between them. Ten nessee and Arkansas, have been so sub stantially cleared of insurgents' control and influence, and the citizens in each, owners of slaves and advocates of slavery at the beginning of the rebellion, now de clare openly for emancipation, in their re spective States. Of those States not in cluded in the emancipation proclamation, Maryland and Missouri, neither of which years ago would tolerate any restraint up on the extension of slavery into their ritories, only dispute now as to tyr mode of removing it from withinown, limits. Of those who were slaves at the begin ning of the rebellion, fViHy one hundred thousand are now is the United States military service, about oae-haif of which number actually bearfagjr.ta |te rwM> thus giving the double advantage of taking so much labor from the insurgent^oaase NUMBER 2. So far as tested it is difficult to say thaTl they are not as good soldiers as adyi No servile insurrection or tendency to vio lence or cruelty, has marked the measures ofemaneipation and arming the blacks.— These measures have been much discussed in foreign countries; the contemporary with such discussion, the tone of public sentiment there is much improved. At homo, the same measures have been fully discussed, supported, criticised and An nounced, and the annual elections follow ing ar e highly encouraging to those who«e special duty it is to bear the country through this great trial Wins wehaVd the reckoning, the crisis which throaiSKSsJ to divide the friends of the Union is past, RECONSTBUCTIOtf. Looking now to the pussent and futnro, and with reference to a resumption of the national authority within the States wher» in that authority hag been suspended, I have thought fit to issue a proclamation,-ft copy of which is herewith transmitted**-* Ou examination of thin proclamation, it will appear, as is believed, amply justified | by the Constitution. True, the forta pf an oath is given, but no man is coerced to take it. A man is only promised a pardon in case he voluntarily takes the oath. Tha j Constitution authorizes the Executive to 1 grant it on terms, as is fully established by ] judioial and other authorities. It is also proffored that if, in any ol tho States nam ed, governments should be established in the prescribed mode, such govornment shall bo recognized and the United States, and thst under it the State shall, on subscribing to the consti tutional conditions, bo protected against invasion and domestic violence. The constitutional obligation of tho IJn> ted States to guarantee to every State in the Union a republican form of govermeftt, and to protect the State in the case as stated, is explicit and full, but why ten der the benefits of this provision only to a State Government set up in this partic ular way. This section of the Constitu-j tion contemplates a case wherein the de ment within a State favorable to a repub lican Government in the Union may be ", too feeble for an opposite and hostile tie- | ment external to, and oven within the I State; and such are precisely the cases / with which we are now dealing. All at J tempt to guarantee and protect in a rev id ed state Government constmatod in w]ipl| or in prepondering part from the very ef ment against whose hostility and violera it is to be protected is simply absurd/ There must be a test by which to sepaw opposing elements so as to build only fit tho sound, and that test is a sufficient A liberal ono, which accepts as sound wn ever will mako a sworn recantation of 1 former unsoundness. 1 But if it be proper to require a test".. 1 admission to a political body an oath of al legiance to the Constitution of the United States and to the Union under it, why not J also to the laws and proclamation in re- 112 gard to slavery ? Those laws and procla mations were enacted and put forth forff the purpose of aiding in the suppression 112 of the rebellion. To give them the fullest ' effect there had to be a pledge for their maintenance. In my judgment they havo aided and will further aid the cause for which they were enlisted. To give up this principle would be not only to relin quish a lever of power, but would also be a cruel and astounding breach of faith. I may add, at this point, that while I remain in my present position, I shall not attempt to retract or modify the Emanci pation Proclamation, nor shall I rgSCm-trr" slavery any person who it math free by the terms of the Proclamation, or by any act of Congress. For these and other reasons it is thought best that the support of these persons shall be included in the oath, and it is believed the Exeeutive may lawfully claim it in return for pardon and reatora- " tion of forfeited rights, which he has clear_ constitutional power to withhold altogeth er, or to grant upon the terms which ho shall deem wisest for the public interest, It should be observed, also, that t* 4 * part of the oath is subject to the modify- , ing and abrogating power rf Wfcihrtion J and Supreme Judieial P ro " J posed acquiescence National 15xJ| eeutive, in any Bta 7l arrangement fojr™ freed people, Is made! with the yof poesibfy modifying thai oonfu&i'" I distressing destitution whichf ujnai, at heat attend all elasses, by a totalis 'revolution of labor throughout the whole States. It is hoped that the already deeply | afflicted people in those States inly bo V somewhat more ready to give up the causo of their affliction; and to this extent this,.; vital matter if left to^themselve. whU*|
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