Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1861-12-12
Tie Presidents Tcssagc---sts
Omissions and DciicienciCs---
Emsticip.siiOu. COlOniZatiOu,

pected OF him. 1t is, in many respects,
singular document. OF 1t the Statesman says
the omissions nl deficiencies on some points .
arc as remarkable as is The want OF clcaruc;s ,
and fulness on others.
The message gives no satisfactory ntorma-
tiou as to the state of our relations with Euro
pean powers. What is said on this topic
seems to DO chiefly an argument addressed |
to those powers to show them that il would .
be against their interest to interfere in our
national quarrel by siding with the -cSol Con
fcderacy.
1t is strange that not word is dropcd in
the message about the proposed intervention
of England, France and Spain in the affairs
of Mexico. Although the fleets of these
powers are already fitted out and on their
way to take formal possession Of Mexican
ports, the President has no rcmonstrancc to
make, and no indications to give as to what
should be our course in regard to these ag.
grcssions upon sister Republic.
Although allusion is made in the message
to events of more recent occurrence, that
document is entirely silent upon the seizure
of Mason and SLrnELL. 1t would seem that
the circumstance was worthy at least of a
passing remark, and some Slight indication us
to whether the Administration was prepared
to justify the act of Capt. WILKES IN captur-
ing the rebel Commissioners on board a Brit
ish vessel
But the most surprising omission OF all is,
that though the President speaks of tho 10y
atty of Western Virginia, he does not dcign
to mention the organization and proposed ad
mission into the Uaion of the new State of
Kanawha. No more important question than
this will probably come before Congress at
the present session; yet its constitutional ad-
wiser has no suggestion to offer as to what
should be its course on this aud kindred topics
Those who have been hoping that the mes
sage would declare, in plain, uncquvocal
terms, the settled policy Of the Administration
in regard to the propricty Of clnancipating
and armiHg the slaves in aid of the Union
cause, must feel sorcly disappointed. The
President says that sall indispensable means
must be employed" to 'preserve the Union,''
but that "wc should not be in haste to dctcr
mine what radical and extreme measures,
which may reach the loyal as well as the dis
loyal, are Indispensable" II now law, in
relation to the confscution, emancipation and
employment Of slaves by the United States,
should be proposed, ''ts propricty will be
duly considered" But whether any new law
is needed, or whether any "radicaI and ex-
trcmc measures, which may reach the loyal as
well as the disoyal," win be regarded as
"indispcnsblc," the President gives Congress
or the country, no sign or intmaion, unless
by implication, in the part Of that message we
are about to notice.
The President seems to havc in coDtenpla.
tion the emancipation Of slaves on II large
scale, and this to be accomplished in two
ways--iirst, by conilscaton under United
States lawi and secondly, by probable acts OF
conGscaton and emancipation passed by in
dividual States, How to dispose of these
cmacipated slaves is with him, as it must be
with every other man, serious and pcrplex
ing question. He proposes the aquiStion OF
now tcrrit ory in some congcnal cline, for
the purpose of their colonization. 1t must,
then, of course, be a territory in or near the
torIid zone. But how and where such terri e
tory is TO be acquired, he fails to- Indicate
Must we iillibustcr for il, and find our iustiii
cation in "military ncccssityP'
This colonization scheme Is one of long
standing. Tho Abolitionists in tho party
which placed President Lincoln in his scat
will as general thing, bitterly oppose and
denouncc it. They will say that when the
blacks are once freed, they viii have as much
night to stay in the country where they were
Scrn and reared, as the whites. An attempt,
on the part Of the Government to remove
them without their consent will be dcmoun-
ced as oppressive AMI cruel as TO remand
them back into slavery. The Abolitionsts
having gained the point Of the ucgro's cman.
cpaiun, viii demand his fun recognition
As nee man and an American citilrn Pres.
idcut Lincoln will find that these mon as
long as n' doier7 To thnm a. ho appears dis |
posed to do, will hamper ana defeat any re-
Orgautati scheme he or his Cabinet may
invent,
The President enters into a adiscussion Of
the relation between capital aud labor
lie thinks this subject not .hackncycd AS
others" but, with due defc cnca to hi, Ex.
ce lcncy, We hardly know Of a subject more
"hackncyed." Nothing is nero obvious
than that cer hrsliont IS by no means pro-
.oundly yersed in the rudmcnts of political
economy. However, the mass of our coun.
tt4mcn, as lie iutimatcs, arc laborcrs, either
m1ri 10y others OF operating upon their own
ttHlItl lac