Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-03-10
Tbe Pres,aenrs uessape

WASHINGTON, March 6-The President to-day
transmitted TO Congress, the following message:
Fellow citizens of the Senate and House of
Representative: L recommend the adoption of
joint resolution by your honorable bodies, which
shall be Substantially as follows:
ReSOlDed. That the United States ought to co
operate with any State which may adopt grad
ual adjustment of slavery, and giving to such
State peculary aid. to be used by such State in
its discretion; 10 compensate for the incOnvenen-
ces, public and private. produced by such change
of system. If the proposition contained in the
resolution, does not meet the approval of Con
gress and the country, there is the end; but if it
does command such approval, ! deem it of i'm
portance 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 it. The Federal Govern
ment would find its highest interest in such
measure as one OF the most efficient measures of
selfpreservatiOn. The leaders of the existing in
surrection, entertain the hope that the Govern
menJ will he ultimately be forced to acknowledge
the Independence of some part of the disaffected
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 them To deprive them of this hope. sub
stantiay ends the rebellion, and the initiation of
emancipation completely deprives them of it as
to all the States initiating it.
The point is not that all the States tolerating
slavery would very sOOn If at all, initiate eman
cipation, bat that while the offer is equally made
to all. the Northern shall by such initiation
make it certain to the more Southern that in no
event shall the former join the latter in their pro-
posed con iederacy, say initiation, because in
my judgment gradual and not sudden emancipa-
ton IS better for all. In the mere financial or pc
cuniary view any member of Congress, with the
census tables and treasury reports before him,
can readily see for himself how very soon the
current expenditures of the war would purchase
at fair valuation, all the slaves in any named
State Such proposition on the part Of the Gen.
eral Government sets up no claim or right BY
Federal shortly TO interfere with slavery within
State limits-reierring as it does the absolute
control Of the subject in each case to the State
and the people Immediately interested. 1t is
proposed as matter ofperfectly free choice with
them.
In TIE annual message last December thought
fit to say that the Union must be preserved and
hence all indispensable means must be employed.
| said this not hastily but deliberately. War has
been and continues 10 be indispensable means
TO this enc. A practical acknowledgment of the
national authority would render the war unneces-
sary, and it would at once cease 1t, however,
resistance continues, the war must continue and
il IS impossible % fOresee all the incidents which
may attend and all the ruin which may follow
such as may seem indispensable or may obvious
ly promise, great efficiency towards ending the
struggle must and will come. The proposition
now made, though offer only, ! hope it may
be esteemed no Offense to ask whether the pecu-
MARY consideration rendered would be of more
value to the States and private persons concern
ed than are the institutions and property in it in
tie present aspect of affairs. While it is true
that the adoption of the proposed resolution
would be mercy initiatOry, not within itself a
practical measure. it is recommended in the hope
that il would sooner lead to important results.
In full view of my great respons bility TO my
God and 70 my country, earnestly beg the at
tention of Congress and the people to the subject
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.