Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1862-03-13
The Presidents Message on Gradual
Emancipation.

WASHINGTON, March 6.-The President
to-day transmitted to Congress the follow
ing message.
FeRow citizens Of the Senate and House of
Representatives.
l recommend the adoption Of n joint res
olution by your honorable bodies, which
shall be substantially as follows
"Resolued, Thatthe United States ought
to cooperate with any State which may
adopt a gradual adjustment of Slavery,
giving to such State pecuniary aid, to be
used by such State in its discretion, to COM
pensate for the inconvenience, public and
private, produced by such change of sys-
tenn"
If tho proposition contained in the reso-
luton does not meet the approval of Con
gress and the country, there is the end, but
II il does command such approval, | deem
il of Importance that the States and people
Immediately interested should be at once
distinctly notified ofthe fact, 80 that they
may begin to consider whether to accept OF
reject it. The Federal Government would
find its highest interest in such a measure,
as one of the most efficient measures of self
preservation. The leaders of the existing
instruction entertain the hope that the
Government will ultimately be forced &c
acknowledge the Independence of some par
Of the disaffected region, and that all the
slave States north Of such parts will ther
say: The Union for which We have strug
gled being already gone, we now choose t.
70 with them. To deprive them of thi
hope substantially, ends the rebellion, ant
the initiation OF emancipation completed.
deprives them of it. As to all the State
initiating il, the point is not that oil tn,
States tolerating Slavery would very soon
If at all, initiate emancipation, but tina
while the offer is equally made to all, tn
more Northern shall by such initiation max
it certain to the more Southern that in n
event shall the former join the latter in thei
, proposed Confederacy. l say initiation
because, in my judgment, gradual, and nc
8 sudden, emancipation, Is better Tor ALL
: In the mere financial or pecuniary view
any member Of Congress, with the censu
) tables and Treasury reports before him, ca
readily zee for himself how very soon th
' current expenditures Of the war woul
purchase at o fair valuation oil the slaves !
; any named State. Such q proposition O
the part Of the General Government sets u
|, no claim or right by Federal authority. I
, interfere with Slavery within State limit
, referring as II uO6S TVS hDSOiutd COutTOl I
/ the subject in each case to the State and i
people Immediately interested. 1t is pr
, posed Is q matter Of perfectly free ohoit
with them. In the annual message lal
: December, | thought ft to say that. Il
$ Union must be preserved, and hence all il
+ d~ispensabls means must DO employed.
said this not hastily, but deliberately.
War has been and continues to be an il
h dispensabls means to this end. A pract
cal acknowledgment Of the national q,
) thority would render the war unneoessar.
and ii would at once cease. II, howsye
n resistance continues, the war must also co
/; time ; and it is impossible TO foIesee all Il
incidents which may attend, and eli the ru
which may follow. Such as may seem !
dispensabls or may ~obyionsly promi
81 great efficiency toward ending the strnggI
q must and will come. The proposition NJ
made, though an offer only, ! hope, 1t m
,f be esteemed no offense to ask whether I
/. pecuniary consideration rendered would I
be of more value to the States and priv,