Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1862-03-13
Message from President Lincoln.

WASHINGTON. Thursday, March, B.
The President to-day submitted to Congress
the following Message !: ... '
Fsllotc.citizens of the Senate and House Of
Representatives. -
/ recommend the adoption of joint reso-
luton by your honorable bodies, which shall
be substantially as follows
Resolred That the United States ought to cooperate
with any State which may adopt gradual abolishment
of Slavery, giving such States pecunlaTy Gd be
used by such State in its discretion to compensate for
the inconvenience public and private produced by such
change OF system.
If the proposition contained in the resolu-
tiou does not meet the approval of Congress
and the country, there is the end but if it
does command such approval deem it of i'm.
ly interested should be at once distinctly moti,
frd Of the fact, so that they mag Begin to eOmsid,
er aChetter TO accept or reject ii.
The Federal Government would find its
highest interest in such measure as one of
the most efficient means of self preservation -
The leaders of the existing iuSurrection enter
tain the hope that the Government will ulti
mately be forced Ito acknowledge the indeprn.
dence of some;part of the disaffected region
and that all the Slave States north of such
parts will than say, The Union, for which
we have struggled, being alread gone, we now
choose to go with the Southern section" TO
deprlUe them of this hope substantially ends the
rebellion, initiation of emancipation complete
ly deprives them of it, as to all the States ini-
tiating it. The point is not that all the States
tolerating Slavery would very soon, if at all,
Initiate emancipation, but that while the offer
is equally made to all, the more Northern
shall by such initiation, Tnakeit certain to the
Southern that IN no eUent tciI the former ever
join the latter in their proposed Contedeyacy-
say " initiation" becau e, in my judgement,
gradual and not sudden emancipation is better
for all
In the mere financial or pecuniary view any
member of Congress, with the census tables
and the Treasury reports before him, Can read
lily see for himself, how soon the cIrrent expend-
tureS of this war, would purchase, at fair
valuation, all the slaves in any named State.
Such proposition or the part of the Gen.
eral Government, sets up no claim of a right By
Federal authority TO interfere 1oith SLarery
within State limits referring, as it does, the
absolute control of the subject in each case, to
the State and its people Immediately interest
ed. 1t is proposed as matter of perfectly
In the annual Message last December
thought fit to say =" The Union must be
preserved, and hence all indispensable means
must be employed" J. said this not hastily,
but deliberately. War has been, and continues
to be, an indispensable means to this end
A practical reacknowledgemen of the Nation
al authority would render the war unnecessary,
and it would at once cease II, hotpersr, re.
siStaace continues, the ,oar must also continue
and it is impossible to foresee all the incidents
which may attend and all the ruin which may
follow it. Such as may seem indispensable
or may obviously promise great efficiency to
ward ending the struggle, must and will come.
The proposition now made though al offer
only. hope it may be esteemed no offence
to ask whether the pecuniary consideration
rendered would not be of more value to the
States and private persons concerned that are
the Institution and property in it, in the pres
ent aspect of affairs.
While it is true that the adoption of the
proposed resolution would be merely initiate
ry, and not within itself practical measure,
it is recommended in the hope that it would
soon lead to important results. In full view
of my greet responsibility to my God and to
my Country, earnestly beg the attention oil
Congress and the people to the subject.
(Sgned, ABRAHAM LINCOLN.