Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1862-12-10
From the 81. Paul Press.
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

the foundation of the Republic.
The moral, political and physical great
ness of the American people are fitting
" expressed in tho grandeur of the themes
which it is the province of an Americas
President 10 lay before the National
Legislature. But this document reflects
not only the gigan tic interests developed
by the wants of an empire, continental
in lis proportions but, still moro wildly,
tho grander interests thrown up on the
surface, the npheavsls of the mighty
civil CONFUSION wbIch shakes the empire
to its center. This las. great struggle
i5r civilization and humanity, in which
the plain man who read these words OF
nIg.ce to the represent tiyes Of tue nation,
las been destined 10 play SO central and
grand part, eliminates 10 the issues
which are presented in this document
the nero grouping Of which lifts it to the
dignity of sn epic.
To reverse the order in which the top
ics are presented, and 10 tako up first
that one which, in the sublimi!y and
scope OF its bearings, towers above and
oycrsbadows ali tho rest, the loyal milf
lions Of the Free North will note with
JOY, and ali the traitors of the South,
with waiIipg and gnashiag Of teeth-that
tlIs President stands firmly By has En-
cipafion Proclamation. lie does more.
He proposes it, for the first time IN an
Executive message, not merely rs war
measure, but as n permanent principle 20
be engrafjed % the constitution, dcclar
ing Freedom TO be The organic and uni
vers;.l law Of the land. There il is distin-
city set forth, relieved Of all bubbles and
CLOSES, Freedom FIR all, the consummate
issue Of the war, the only path to victory,
tie only enduring pledge Of peace, the
only permanent bond of national unity.
Thank God! the Time anil the Man have
at last met aad understand each other.
What the Time inspires, the Man has
the courage 10 utter. All American his
tory is but n preparation for this bold
and lofty proposition. No previous
,,,.s:c,, D.as;,lo,t ,,.o,,l1 I,,va J.,.ol
in the widest flight of speculation, to have
touched n topic which Abraham Lincoln
thus openly and without cquivocation
announces, after twenty ore months Of
war. as the settled policy of government.
We hazard nothing in the prediction
that the people, heretofore distracted 10y
apparently timid and vaciIlating counsels,
and disheartened by the want of adequate
AMI decisive craftsmanship, will rally en-
naasse in support of the President upon
this platform. 1t is the trumpet of resur-
rection to the dead genius Of the nation
Ire. 1t rolIs away the stone from the
serhulehre Of American Democracy. 1t
sweeps away at one blow al the illusory
equiv ocatiop which slavery has spun ike
cobweb around the Constitution, and
introduces Ncsr D;spensatioas with a
New Testament, ofwhich the old was
only promise and n prophecy-but a
prophecy whose spirit and purposes has
been buried BY the Scribes and Phar;secs
under vain ''tithss Of mint and cumlniu."
Among the secondary topics # the
Massage, the proposed colonization Of
free negroes does not seem 70 rs 10 pos
sess the Importance OF the feasibility at
'rihuteI 10 il. OF much greater impor.
tnnce is the recommendation for tho nd
ol,j"u of he great SHANGHAI scheme pro
posed by Mr. Chase year ago. 4 uni
:o.m national currency secured IS, Uni
tad States stocks, weuld forna au infinite
y better and more secure basis Of bank
ing than any now existing, and in the
West. n, ieast. woall be hailed as a de-
l;ycrance from he worst and most ruin
ous-eur: enc system under which poor
peorle ever grosned since the day Of tie
French a:ieaati--- ----------. ------
The Pacific Railroad anl the opening
of a national highway for steam vessels
from the Atlantic to the Mississippi are
urged upon Congress probably with no
expectation that it will immediately an
dertake these great enterprises.
The Atlantic telegraph is also favor
ably noticed, but among these great
measures of physical Development none
is more striking than the one often dis
cussed by our friend j. w. Taylor, of
te!egraphie communication with Europe
across the continent to connect by sub
inar.ae telegraph by the way of the AL.
cutian Islands or Bhoring's Straits with
the line now building from st. Peters
bu G to the Pacific coast of the great