Last month a delegation of planters from Louisiana visited President Lincoln and asked that he arrange for an election in Louisiana, November 1, in keeping with the Constitution of the United States and the constitution of the state of Louisiana. Now, the present constitution of Louisiana is a pro-slavery document, and the slaveholders of that state merely wanted the President to aid them in preserving the "divine institution". However, in this instance President Lincoln followed the correct course and told the planters that he knew that a large number of the citizens of Louisiana were anxious to have the constitution of their state amended and to hold a constitutional convention for that purpose, and that he, therefore, must deny their request, but would give the people of Louisiana opportunity to hold an election in due time.

We heartily commend the President for acting as he did. The Administration should steadfastly adhere to the principle of the Liberals: that the Union may be restored only on the basis of freedom for all its inhabitants, and that every Southern state must remove the stigma of slavery from its constitution before it can be readmitted into the Union.