Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1862-12-04

subject The military and commerc ial imper-
tance Of enIarging the Illinois and Michigan
Canal. and improving the Illinois River is
presented in the report af Col. Webster to
the Secretary of War, and now transmitted
to Congress respectfully ask attention to
it.
To carry ont the provisions of the Act of
Congress of the 18th of May last, | have
caused the Department of Agriculture of the
United States to be organized. The Commits
sioner informs me that within the period of
few months this Department has established
an extensive correspondence and exchanges,
both at hcme and abroad, which promise to
effect highly beneficial results in the develop
ment of correct knowledge of recent im
provements u Agriculture in the introduction
of new products, and in the collection of the
agricultural statistics of the different States !;
also, that it will soon be prepared to distrib
ute largely seeds, cereal, pants and cuttings
and has already published and literally iffus
ed much valuable information, in anticipa don
of more elaborate report, which will in due
time be furnished, embracing some valuable
test in chemical science, now il progress in
the laboratory The creation of this Depart
ment was for the more immediate benefit of
| 4
trust the liberal basis upon which it has been
organized, will not only meet your approba
ton, but that it will realize at no distant day
all the fondest antcipatonS Of its most san
guine friends. and become the fruitful source
Of advantage to ali our people
On the 22d day of September last, a pre-
camation was issued by the Executive, a copy
of which is herewith submitted In accord
ance with the purpose expressed in the second
paragraph Of that paper, | now respectfully
recall your attention to what may be called
" Compensated Emancipation" A nation may
be said to consist OF It's territory, its people,
and its laws The territory is the only part
which is Of certain durability. Que generation
passeth away, and another generation cometh,
but the Earth abdeth forever 1t is of the
first importance to duty, 10 consider and est,
mate this ever enduring part. That portion
Of the earth's surface which is owned and in
habited by the people Of the United States is
well adapted to he the home of one national
family, aud it is not well adapted for two or
more. Its vast exteHt and its variety Of eli
mate and productions are of advantage in this
age for one people, whatever they fright have
been in former ages. Steam aud telegraph in
intelligence, have brought these to be an ad
vautageous combination for one united people.
In the Inaugural Address briefly pointed
out the total inadrquacy of diSunion as a rem
cdy for the difference between the people of
the two sections. | did so in language which
cannot improve, and which, therefore | beg
to repeat: " One section OF our country be-
leveS slavery is right, aud ought to he extend
ed, while ,he other believes it is wrong, and
ought not to be extended. This is the only sub
stantial dispute. The Fugitive Slave clause
OF the Constitution and the law for the sup
preston OF the African Slave trade are each
as well enforced, perhaps, as any law can ever
!, be in community where the moral sense of
the people imperfectly supports the law itself
The great body of the people abide by the dry
legal obligation in both eases, aud few break
over in each This, [ think, cannot be per-
fecty cured, and it would be worse in both
cases after the separation Of the sections, than
before The foreign Slave trade, now imper-
fectly suppressed, would be ultimately revived
without restriction in one section, while fugi-
tive slaves now only partially surrendered,
would not be surrendered at all by the Other
Physically speaking, we cannot separate we
cannot remove our respective sections frvm
each other, nor build an impaSsable wall he
tween them a husband and wife may be di-
vorced. and 60 ont of the presence, and be.
you'd the reach of each other, bat yhe different
paris tf our country cannot do this They
cannot but remain face to face, ard inter
course, either amcahle or hostile, must con
time between them. Is it possible, then, to
make that Intercourse more advantageous or
more satisfactory after separation than before?
Can aliens make treaties easier than friends
can make laws Can treaties be more faith
fully enforced between aliens than laws can
among friends Suppose yon 90 to war-you
canuot fight always aud when, after much
loss en- both sides, and no gain cn either. you
cease fighting, the identical old questions as to
terms of intercourse are again upon Won /"
There is no line, straight or crooked Sni 4
be for national boundary upon which to di
vide. Trace through from east TO west upon
the line between the free and slave country
and we shall find little more than one thlrd
Of its length are rivers easy to he crossed. and
populated, or soon 10 be popnlated thickIy
upon both sid S, while nearly all its rrma:niug
length are merely surveyors hnaS over which
people may walk back and forth without any
consciousness of their presence NJ part OF
this line can be made any more d fiji ,uIt to pass
by writing it down on paper or parchment as
national boundary. The fact OF separation,
1t 1t comes, gives up on the part Of the Seced-
in@ section, the Fugitive Slave clause, along
with all other constitutional Obligations upon
the section seeded from, while should ex
pect no treaty stipuatIonS would ever be made
to take its place.
But there is another difficulty. The great
interior, bounded east by the Aeghanies
north by the British domnions, west by the
Rocky Mountains, and south by the line along
which the culture o. corr aud cotton meets
and which includes part of Tennessee all of
Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Wiscon
sin, Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota, and
the territories of Dacotah, Nebraska and part