Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1862-03-11
SPECIAL MESSAGE OF THE
PREslDENTIO CONGRESS.

WARRINGTON, March 6-The President
to day transmitted to Congress the follow
ing message:
FslIop Citizens ofthe Senate and House Of
Representatives.,
recommend the adoption Of Joint re-
polution by your honorable bodies which
shall be substantially as follows:
Rssolred. That the United States ought
to cooperate wieh aDy State which may
adopt gradual abelishmcnt Of slavery
giving to such State pecuniary aid TO be
used by such State 10 its discretion to COM
penaate for the inconve niences, public and
private, produced BY such change of sys-
TEN.
II the proposition contained in the reso-
luton does not meet the approval of Con-
gress and Country thar is the end but if it
does command such approval, deem it of
Importance that the State and people inn
medietely interested should he at once dis
tinctiy notified of the fact so that they NAV
begin TO consider whether to reject it.
The fe6e:sf government would find its
kigbest interest 10 such measure as one
OF the most efficient measures of self pres
ervetion The leaders Of existing iusur
reetion entertain the hope that the Gov
ernment will ultimately be forced to ack-
nowledge the independence of some part of
the disafccted region, and that all the slave
States north Of such points will then say
the Union for which we have struggled be
ing alread y gone we now choose to 90 with
them. To deprive them Of this hope, sub
stantiaIly ends the rebellion. and the mi
tia.ion Of emancipation completely deprives
q ..ls 4 A. Ill Al. -
Tho poiot is not that all the State t,lera-
ing slavery would very soon. if at all,
initiate emancipation, but that while the
effer 10 equally made to al, the more north
eTn shall by such initiation, make 10 cer-
tain to the more Southern that in no event
shall the former join the latter in their
proposed Confederacy.
say {" initiation" because in my Judg
msnt gradual, and, and not sudden, eman-
sipation is better for all In the mere
financial or pecuniary view, any member
Of Congress, with the census Italics and
Treasury reports before him, can readily
see for himself how very soon the current
expenditures ofthe war would purchase,
at fair valuation, all the slaves in anv
named State.
Such a proposition on the rart Of the
general Government sets up no claim OF
right by Federal authority to interfere with
slavery within State limits, referring. as il
does, the absolute control of the subject in
each case to the State and its people i'm
mediately interested. II is proposed as a
matter of perfectly free choice with them
10 the annual message last December,
thought ct to cay the Union must be pre-
served. AMI hence all indispensable means
must be employed. said this not hastily
but deliberately. War has been. and con
i'nues to be. an indispensable means ia
this end. A practical re- acknowledgement
Of tie national Authority, would render tn
war unnecessary, and would at once cease
IL, however, resistance continues, the wal
mus. rlsu continue aud it is impossible to
forcsee al the incidents which may attend
end all the ruin which mag follow. Such
as may seem indispensable, or NAV obv-
ousIy Promise greater efficiency towards
ending the struggle, must and will come
The proposition 1ow made is an offer
only, hope it may be esteemed no nfense
to ask whether the pecuniary consideration
rendered would not be Of more value to the
States and private persons concerned than
are the institution and property in it. in
the present aspect Of etfairs! While it is
true that the adoption of the proposed rsso
lHtion would be merely iuitiatory, and not
within itself 3 practical measure, it is re-
commended in the hope that it would
sooner lead 10 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 subject.
lSigned ABRAHAM LINCOLN.