March 4, 1863, The Charleston Mercury
The Black Republican Congress of the United States goes out of power today. The new House of Representatives elect have a right to their seats should an extra session be called. But it is not at all probable that the President will assemble them, or that they will exercise any legislative functions, until the regular session of December next, which may not be avoided. Before vacating their seats, the party of Mr. LINCOLN has taken care to put large powers into his hands – besides great appropriations of money, the right to call out and officer the whole militia of the United States, and to suspend the Habeas Corpus, and imprison at discretion. It remains to see whether the people of the North are prepared, for the sake of better attempting the conquest of the Confederate States, to yield every vestige of liberty to a Military Dictator. An issue is now upon the Northern Democrats which, it appears to us, must decide their fate, no less than their country. If they acquiesce in the execution of the powers recently conferred upon the President, they are likely to be crushed out. Mr. LINCOLN […..] than controlling the army, will master the country. Notwithstanding the Hew York Herald, we judge that the discontent and demoralization already existing at the North, will not be soothed by the bold attitude assumed by the Abolition party. Nothing but some great and early military success can enable the Yankee President to use these extraordinary powers.