The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1862-03-20
Message from the President.
WAsHrNGFoN, March s.

WASHINGTON, March b.
The Presiden; to day transmitted 10
Congress- the following message:
recommend tbs adoption Of joint
resolution by your honorable bodies,
which shall be substantially as follows:
Resoired. That the United States ought
to cooperate with any State which may
adopt gradual abolishment of slavery.
giving TO such State pecuniaiy aid. to be
used by such State in its discretion to
compensate for the .nconveniencies. public
and private. produced by such change of
system.
If The proposition contained in the reso-
luton does not meet the approval Of Con-
gress and the country. there is the end:
but. il it does command such approval, L
deem 1t of importance that the States and
people Immediately Interested should be
at once distinctly notified of the fact, 80
that they may begin to consider whether
10 accept OF reject 1t.
Tho Federal government would find iis
highest interest in such a measure. as one
Of the most efficient measures # self-pres-
ervaiion. I he leaders Of the existing in
surreciion entertain the hope that The gov
ernment will ultimately be forced 10 sc-
knowledge the Independence OF some darts
OF the dlsatlected region. and that all the
slave States north of such paris will then
say. he Union for which we have strug-
gled being already gone. Wa now cho-se
10 go with them. To deprive them of
this hope substantially ends the rebellion.
and the Imitation of emancipation com
pIetely deprI,es them of il as TO all States
initiating. The point is not that all the
S,a;es tolera'ing slavery would very soon.
if at all. Initiate emancipation. but that.
while the offer is equally made 10 all. the
more nothern shall by such initiation
make IL certain TO the moie southern that
in no event shall the former j,in the latter
in thsir prop sed Coniedetacy.
say initiation. because ia my iud gment
grad ual and not suddeH emancipation is
better Tor all In the mere huabcial or
pecuniarv view any member of Congress.
with the census tables AID The Treasury
reports before HIM. can readily see for
himself how very soon the current expen.
diures of the war would purchase at
fa': valuation all the slaves in any named
State.
Sach proposition on the part Of the
general goverr ment SETS up no c.aim or
right by Federal authority 10 Interfere
with slavery within State limits, referring
as It does. the absolute control Of tho
subject. in each case. to the Stale and lis
people Immediately interested Ii is pro-
posed as a matter of perfectly free choice
with them.
In the annu. message last Decemb Der
thought fit to say the Onion must be pre-
served. and hence all indispensable means
must be employed. said This not hastily.
but deliberately. War has been AID
continues - be AN indispensable mean. ia
this end. prsc ical Iescknow ledgment
of the national su horiry would render the
war unnecessary. and it would at once
cease. a. however resistance continues,
the war must also continue. ard il is i'm
possible 10 toresee all the incidents which
may attend and all the ruin wh:ch NAV
follow. Such measures ss NAV seem in
dispensabe. or may obviously promise
great efficiency towards ending the stIUg-
gle. must and will come
The proposition now made though an
offer only. | h1pe II may be esteemed no
ode nee 10 ask whether the pecunisry con-
sidera,ion rendered would not be Of more
value TO the States and private persons
concerned than are the institution and
property in 1t IL the presen. aspec, of
affairs. While il Is true that the adoption
of the proposed resolution wcald be merely
in'tiatory. and not within itself a practical
measure. II is recommended in the hops
that it would sooner lead TO important
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 suhie"t.
(Sigued) ABRAHAM LINCOLN.