A Letter to the Hon. Benjamin R. Curtis: Late Judge of the Supreme Court of the United States, in Review of His Recently Published Pamphlet on the "Emancipation Proclamation" of the PresidentThis is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. |
Common terms and phrases
22d of September abolitionist acts adopt and carry argument assert attain any end authority believe belligerent right blessings cause clamation command Commander-in-Chief complete the fortifications Consti countrymen crime dark and dangerous declare Democratic party deprive distress and suffering doubt duties emancipation enemy such measures essen executive Executive Power exercise existence foreign forming right conclusions Georgia gigantic shadows go into actual governing majority imagine indispensable intended issue this proclamation justice labor lawful object lawlessness laws of war liberty matter means ment Mercer military power omit one-fifth pamphlet patriotism perfect peril Planters portentous clouds practical effect preservation President President's proclamation protection question reason rebel regard to truth republic Republican party right to entertain sanctioned Savannah scenes of bloodshed sense servile servile war slavery slaves stitutional studies and reflections tender tial particulars tion treason and rebellion tution unhallowed Union United usurpation views war-a white race wholly words
Popular passages
Page 14 - ... time recommend that all citizens of the United States who shall have remained loyal thereto throughout the rebellion shall (upon the restoration of the constitutional relation...
Page 14 - ... of the United States, could you and your associates of the minority, or any principle of law, military or civil, of justice, of reason, or of mercy, claim exemption from the effects of that measure ? The case supposed is precisely the case as it now exists between the " United States of America " on the one hand, and the " Rebel States and people,
Page 12 - I lay this down as the law of nations. I say that the military authority takes for the time the place of all municipal institutions, and slavery among the rest ; and that, under that state of things, so far from its being true that the States where slavery exists have the exclusive management of the subject, not only the President of the United States but the commander of the army has power to order the universal emancipation of the slaves.
Page 7 - State should reconsider their ordinances of secession, and again recognize the Constitution of the United States as the supreme law of the land.
Page 8 - State, will you delay action till you are compelled to contribute means for the protection, not only of all your slaves, but of your homes, your firesides and your altars ? I will not believe that there was a want of sincerity in your professions of liberality and patriotism when many of you threatened resistance to impressment upon principle, and not because you were unwilling to aid the cause with your means. I renew the call for negroes to complete the fortifications around Savannah, and trust...
Page 18 - ... hundred years of struggle against arbitrary power. If they fail to understand and apply them, if they fail to hold every branch of their government steadily to them, who can imagine what is to come out of this great and desperate struggle. The military power of eleven of these States being destroyed — what then? What is to be their condition ? What is to be our condition...
Page 4 - I am a member of no political party. Duties inconsistent, in my opinion, with the preservation of any attachments to a political party, caused me to withdraw from all such connections many years ago, and they have never been resumed. I have no occasion to listen to the exhortations, now so frequent, to divest myself of party ties and disregard party objects, and act for my country.
Page 14 - The freedom of their slaves was already provided for by the act of Congress, recited in a subsequent part of the proclamation. It is not. therefore, as a punishment of guilty persons that the commander-in-chief decrees the freedom of slaves. It is upon the slaves of loyal persons, or of those who, from their tender years, or other disability, cannot be either disloyal or otherwise, that the proclamation is to operate...
Page 13 - ... against the United States. So that the President hereby assumes to himself the power to denounce it as a punishment against the entire people of a State, that the valid laws of that State which regulate the domestic condition of its inhabitants shall become null and void, at a certain future date, by reason of the criminal conduct of a governing majority of its people.
Page 20 - To all persons who have sworn to support the Constitution of the United States, and to all citizens who value the principles of civil liberty which that Constitution embodies, and for the preservation of which it is our only security...