The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1862-03-14
Presidents Special Message.
WAsHINGToN, Mar

10 Congress the following message:
FeiloD Citizens ofMe Senate and
House Of Repressntdtives:-I rec
commend the adoption of q joint res
olution by your honorable bodies,
which shall be substantially as fol-
lows: t
Resolved, That the United States
ought to cooperate with any State
which may adopt gradual abolish
ment Of Slavery, giving to such
State recuniary aid. to be used by
snch State in its discretion to com.
pensate Tor the inconvenience, pub.
lie and private, produced by euch
change ofsystem.
II the proposition contained in the
resolution does not meet the approx.
.0l OF Congress and the country,
there Ia the end, but II it docs com.
mand such approval, deem 1t Of
that the States and peo-
pie Immediately interested, shouli
be at oncl distinctly notified oftho
fact, 80 that they may begin to con.
slider whether to accept or reject IL.
The Federal government would find
Its highest interest in such meas
ure, as one of the most efficient meas
ures Of selfpreservation. The lead,
ers Of the existing insurrectiou enter
tain the hope that the Government
will ultimately be forced TO acknowl'
edge tho independence of some part
OF the disstltcted region and that all
the slave States north of such part
will then cay: Tho Union for
which we have struggled being al
ready gone, we now choose to so
with them. To deprive them ofthis
hope substantially ends the rebellion
. AMI the initiation of emancipation
completely deprives them Of it, as to
all the States initiated. The point
ia not that all tho States tolorating
slavery would very soon if at oil in.
itiate emancipation, but that while
the offer is equally made to all. the
, more Northern shall by such initia.
tion make it certain to the more
, Southern that no event shall tho for.
mcr join tho latter in their proposed
Conicdcracy. | cay initiation be-
cause in my Judgement gradu Il and
. not sudden emancipation is better
Tor all. In the mere financial or pc.
,, cnniary view, any member of Con.
gress with the census tables ani tho
treasury reports before lIm, can
readily see for himself how very
soon the cnrrent expenditures OF tho
7 war would purchase, at II fair vslu
alton, all the slaves in any named
5 State. Snch u proposition on tho
} part Of tho General Government,
scts up no claim or right by Fejer'
! al authority to interfere with slavery
within the State limits, referring a.
=; it does the absolute control OF tho
subject in each cnse to the Safe AID
its reopIe Immediately Interested.
: II il proposed as a matter Of per.
r .clily free choice with them. IN
the annual message, last December
/ | thought fir to say tho Union must
= be preserved, and hence oil indis.
pensihlo means must pc employed.
9 ! said this not hsstily, but deliber-
pr. ately. War has been and coutin
ues to be an spensible weans 10
, this end. a practical reacknowl.
p. elgment OF the N ,tional authority
, would render the war unnecessary
/, and It would at once Cease II,
: however, resistance continues to
war must allD continue. aud it u
. impossible to furcseo all tho Incl.
dents which may attend and all the
ruin which my follow. Such a'
3 may seem indispensible, or NAV OBJ
viOusly promise great efficiency to-
I wards ending tac struggle, must
and will come. The proposition
f now made, thongh an offer only. !
@ hope it may be esteemed no otleEca
n to ask whether the pecnui ,ry cpnsid.
d Grafton rendered would not be oi
a more value to the States aud private
: persona concerned thtn are tho in.
q stitution and property in it. in the
# present aspect oi fl .irs. While it
n is true that the a lopIiou of the re.
n posed rcsolution wou be merely
r. initiatory and not within itself q
= practical measure it is recommended
# in the hopo that it wonll sooner lead
,. to important results.
1, In luli view Of my great respons'
" ibility to my God and to my count
{. ry, i earnestly beg the attention of
!. Congress and the people to the sub
e j ct. [Si.ned,]
!, ABRAHAM LINooLN.