Shreveport daily news., 1861-07-16
Messagc of
ABE LINCOLN,
Felloac- Citizens 9fthe Senate
Ind House ofRez,resentutires

AAdSlAS Decu COuVelleO Oh all extra
ordinary occasion, as authorized by
the Constitution, your attention is
not called to any ordinary subject Of
legislation.
At the beginning Of the present
Presidential term, four months ago,
the functions Of the Federal govern
ment were found to be generally
suspended within the several States
of South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama,
Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida,
excepting those only of the Post
Office Department.
Within these States all the forts,
arsenals, dock-yards, custom-houses,
and the like, including the movea~
bic and stationary property in and
about them, had been seized and held
in open hostility to this government !;
excepting only Forts Pickens, lay
lor and Jefferson, on and near the
Florida coast, and Fort Sumter in
Charleston harbor, South Carolina
The forts thus seized had been
put in improved condition, new ones
had been built, and armed forces had
been organized, and were organizing,
all avowedly with the same hostile
purpose. The forts remaining in the
possession of the Federal Government
in and near these States were either
beseiged or menaced by warlke
preparations, and especially Fort
Sumter was nearly surrounded by
well protected hostile batteries, with
gums equal in quality to the best Of
its own, and outnuubering the lat
ter as, perhaps, ten to one
y disproportionate share of the
Federal muskets and rifles had some
how found their way into these States,
and had been seized to be used
against the Government. Accumu-
lations of the public revenue lying
within them had been seized for the
same object. The Navy was scatter
ed in distant seas, leaving but a very
small part of it within the Immediate
reach Of the Government. Officers
Of the Federal army and navy had
resigned in great numbers, and OF
those resigning a large proportion
had taken up arms against the Goven-
lnent.
simultaneously, and in connection
with all this, the purpose to sever
the Federal Union was openly arow-
ed. In accordance had been adopted
IN each Of these States, declaring
these States respectively to be sepa-
rated from the National Union. 4
formula for instituting combined
Government ofthese States had been
promulgated, and this illegal organi-
zation, in the character Of Confeder-
ate States, was already invoking re-
coguition, aid and intervention from
foreign powers.
Finding this condition of things,
and believing it to be an imperative
duty upon the incoming Executive
to prevent, if possible, the consum-
nation of such an attempt to destroy
the Federal Union, choice Of means
to that end became Indispensable.
This choice was made and declar-
ed in the inaugural address. The
policy chosen looked to the exhaus-
ton of all peaceful measures before a
resort to any stronger ones. 1t
sought only to hold the public places
and property not already wrested
from the Government, and to collect
the revenues, relying on the rest for
time, discussion and the ballot-b box.
1t promised Il continuance of!the
mails at Government expense to the
very people who We're resisting the
Government, and it gave repeated
pledges against any disturbance to
any of the people or any of their
rights. Of all that a President
might constitutionally and justifa-
! bly, do in such q case, everything