The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1862-12-12
The Presidents Message.


Barnum's sWhat Is IT," is said to be "a great
curiosity, but we doubt whether it is not ex-
ceeded in oddity and general ridicu lousness by
the second annual Message of His Excelency,
President Lincoln. Of all the conglomcration
Of blunders, political, literary and logical, we
have ever attempted to analyse, this Message
is, beyond all doubt, the capstone. 1t is
stratification Of the loose sand Of special plead
ing and the hot lava of fanaticism, cemented to-
gether by the soft clay of an uncultiyated, and
ill-balanced mental organism
I. The President opens by very mild note of
complaint against the action of foreign powers
in recognizing the rebel confederacy as belliger-
ents. This would all be very well, had not the
President himself recognized the rebels as bel
ligerants, by arranging with them a cartel for
the exchange of prisoners and doing many
other acts of similar nature.
H. The organization of banking associations
under general act of Congress, is recommend
ed. We doubt the constitutionality Of this
proposition. Congress has power to coin mon
ey (hat is speeie) but not to establish banking
associations; and it is quite clear that it is a
right reserved to the States to charter banks
and to regulate the issuance of paper curren-
cy. Mr.. Lincoln, either ignorant or regardless
of State rights, under the Constitution, propo-
ses, by an act of Congress, to sweep away state
banks and establish upon their ruins United
States banks. If our astute President will
take the trouble to consult Chancellor Kent,
on this subject, he will find that he the Presi-
dent) recommends Congress to 60 beyondi its Con-
stitutional latitude.
III. The President tells us that the balance
in the Treasury on the first day of July last,
was $l3, ,O43, ,546,81. This is specious state
ment, intended to make credulous people be-
Treasury on July /, 1862. Now, the real
state of the case is this: During the last year,
according to the Message itself, the Government
borrowed $529,692, ,460,50, to which must be
added the former loans amounting to several
hundred mions, and OF tins bors' ~.-s,f " ere
---.arne past FISCAL year. Now. if
tho rcaders OF the Message win auu -c,.e,a %
546.sl to $95, 5,096,92 90, and subtract their
sum from about $500, 900, they win find
that instead of an actual balance remaining in
the Treasury on the first of July, the Govern
ment then owed nearly 100000, 900, for bor-
rowed money alone, and that there was not
copper in the Treasury whcrewith to meet the
interest. But the Presidents own figures make
our financial affairs bad enough. just think
of the expense of carrying on the Government
for the last year, amounting to $474, ,744,77s.
l6! Nearly million and half for every
day of our lives! Truly we pay enough to be
governed better.
w. Indian affairs. The President abstains,
with great caution, from giving any opinion as
to the cause of the Indian outbreaks in Minnes-
sofa. Flo has not one word to say about the
infamous conduct of his agents in endeavoring
to palm off "greenbacks' upon tho Indians, in
stead of paying them in specie, as they are requ
red to do, by the terms of the treaties with the
aborigines
V, ct JMayaa Pars. The Negro. Tho proc.
lamation of tho 22d of September, declaring
the freedom of all the negroes in the seeded
States on The first of January next, ana propo. |
sing to buy the freedom of all other negro slaves
in the Union, is adhered to, and, in addition. n
plan for gradual emancipation, which is to be
worked out by the year 1900, is submitted.--
Now, if the President has the power as he as.
'umes to have, to abolish slavery by proclama.
ION and armed invasion, VIC do not see the ne.
'essity for this proposed gradual emancipation.
Ii, as Mr.. Lincoln informed us on the 22d of
September, all the slaves in the states in rebell.
on by the first of January, 1868, will be free
IN that day, by virtue of his proclamation, what
lse is there in proposing to Congress this tcdi-
nus process of giving them freedom? Besi les,
the Establishment of slavery alone can restore
he Union, (which no sensible man ever believ-
d) are we to eman till 1900, (37 years) in the
orture and agony of partial disunion? And ,
lst here is the point at which Mr.. Lincoln stul-
iics himself Says he, s'The proposed eman. S
lpation would shorten the war;" sc. Does l
ne President desire to have us understand that !.
he war can, in any event, continue till 1900? :
not, then, how can his proposed emancipa- l.
on scheme, which is not to be fully tested till ]
900, "shorten the warp We are also told that Il
eeing the slaves would not prove injurious to :: !.
hite labor, because, forsooth, they sare alrca- n
IN the land! But, Mr.. Lincoln knows, or Fl
ignt to know, that freed negroes are thriftless v
eaturcs, working just enough to reduce the p
ages of labor and becoming dependents upon !,
Q subetauca Of the Ehita man As To tha;r :,