The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1862-03-13
President Lincoln On tsae AbOi-
ishment OF slavery.

W ASHINGTON, Mafcn o.-lH he Iesi-
dent to day transmitted to Congress the
following message
.Fellow Citizens of the Senate and
House of Representatives. recommend
the adoption Of joint resolution by your
honorable bodies, which shall be substan-
TALLY as follows:
Resoloed, That the United States ought
to cooperate with any State which may
adopt gradual abolishment of slavery, CIV
ing any such State pecuniary aid to 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 res
olution does not meet the approval OF
Congress and the country, there Is the
end but if it does commend such appro-
val, deem it of Importance that the States
and people immediately interested, should
be at once distinctly notified Of the fact,
so that they may begin TO consider wheth-
er TO accept or reject 1t. The Federal
Government would find its highest inter
est in such measure as one OF the most
efficient means of self preservation.
The leaders Of the existing iIsurrectlon
entertain the hope that the Government
will ultimately be forced to acknowledge
the independence of some part OF the dis
Effected region, and that all the Slave
States north Of such parts will then say,
the Union for which we have struggled
being already gone, we now choose to go
with the southern section. TO deprive
them of this hope, substantially ends the
rebellion, and the initiation OF emanclpa-
ton completely deprives them OF 1t, as to
ali States initiating it.
That 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, make
it certain to the more Southern, that In
no event will the former ever join the
latter in their proposed Confederacy. l
say initiation, because, in my Judgment,
gradual, not sudden emancipation h better
for ALL
In the mere financial or pecuniary view,
any member of Congress, with the census
tables and treasury reports before him,
can readily see for himself how very sooa
the current expend nditures of this war we'd
purchase, at fair valuation, all the slaves
many named State. Such proposition
on the part of the General Government,
sets up no claim OF right, by Federal au-
thority, to interfere with slavery within
State limits, referring, as it does, to the
absolute control of the subject in each
case to the State and the people immedi-
ately interested. 1t is proposed as a mat
ter of perfectly free choice with them
In the annual message, last December,
[ thought bit to say the Union must be
preserved, and hence all Indispensable
means must be employed. | said this
Eot hastily, but deliberately. War has
been made and continues to be an indis-
pensable means TO this end. a practical
acknowledgment Of the national authority
would render the war unnecessary, and it
would at once cease If, however, resis-
tance continues, the war must also cOntin-
ue, and it is impossible to forssee all the
incidents which may atsend, and all the
ruin which may follow 1t. Such as may
seem indispensable or may obviously
promise great efficiency towards ending
the struggle must and will come. The
proposition now made is an offer only.
nope &c may De esteemed no oHeHce
to ask whether the pecuuiary consIdera-
ton rendered would not be of more value
to the States and private persons and
property on it, in the present aspect Of
affairs. While it Is true that the adop-
ton Of the proposed resolution would be
merely initiatory, and not within Itself u
practical measure, II is recommended in
the hope that it would SOON lead to i'm
portant practical results. In full view OF
my great responsibility to my God and to
my country, earnestly beg the attention
Of Congress and the people to the subject
ARRAuANf ITNCpT n