Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-03-07
THE ADVANTAGES WHICH WOULD
EhSUEl
The Question ably Discussed
by the President!
WHAT IS THOUGHT or IT IN
CONGRESS-
News from General Banks
Division!
SPEEDY OPENING OF THE BALTI-
MORE & OHIO ROAD
Last Nights Repsrs.
IRssAGE FROM THE PREsIDENT.

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT.
WAsMEsToE, March 9.
The President to-day transmitted to Con-
gress the following message:
Fsll0y LitizsHs Of The Senate and Rotss OF
Representatives.
recommend the adoption of a Joint reso
luton by yeur honorable bodies, which shall
be substantially as follows:
Resolved, That the United States ought 10
cooperate with any State which may adopt &
gradual adjustment of slavery, giving to
such State pecuniary aid, to be used By such
State in its discrs ton TO compensate for the
inconvenience, public and private, produced
by such change of system.
II the proposition contained ia the resolu
ton does not meet the approval of Congress
and the country, there Is the end; but If il
does command such approval, deem it Of
importance that the States and people i'm
mediately interested should be at once dis
tinctly notified of the fact 90 that they may
begin TO consider whether to socept or re-
ject it,
The Federal Government would find its
highest interest in such a measure IS one Of
the most efficient measures of self PreserVa-
ton. The leaders Ol the existing insurrec-
ton entertain the hope that the Government
will ultimately be forced TO acknowledge the
independence Of some part Of the disafected
region, and that all the slave States north Of
such parts will then say, fthe Union, for
which we have struggled, heiag already
gone, we now choose 70 go with them To
deprive them OF this hope substantially ends
the rebellion, and the initiation Of emanci-
patton completely depriVes them Of il. l,fI
As tOsll the States intending it, the point
is not that all the States toleraiing slavery
would very soon, if at all, initiate emanci-
patton, but that while the offer is made
equally TO all, the more northern shall, by
such initiation, make it certain to the more
southern that in no event shall the former
join the later in their proposed confederaey.
I say initiation. because in my Judgment
gradual, if not sudden, emancipation is bet
Ter for all. In the mere financial or pecu
mary view, any member Of Congress, with
the census tables and Treasury report before
him, can readily see fer himself how very
soon the current expenditures Of the war
would purchase, ct fair valuation, aii the
slaves in any named State. Such proposi-
ton on the part OF the General Government
sets up no claim orright by Federal authori-
ity to interfere with slavery within sate lin
its, referring, as it docs, the absolute con-
troll Of the subject in each case to the State
end its people Immediately interested It
is proposed as q matter of perfectly free
choice with them.
In the annual message last December I
thought fit to say that the Union. must be
means &st Rd BS hS hP6Sysd ssSd P. 56s
hastily but deliberately. War has been and
continues to be an Indispensable means to
this end. A practical acknowledgment Of
the national authority would render the war
unnecessary and it would at once cease. II,
however, resistance continues the war must
also continue, and it is impossible 70 foresse
all the incidents which may attend and all
theruin which may follow. Such as may
seem indispensable, or may obviously prom
ise great efficiency towards ending the strug-
/ gle must and will come. The proposition
now made, though an offer only, I hope it
may be esteemed no offence TO ask whether
the pecupiary consideration rendered would
not Be of more value to the States and pri-
vate persons concerned than are the institu-
tion and property in It in the present aspect
of affairs. While it is true that the adoption
of the proposed resolution would be merely
/ initiatory and not within itself a practical
measure, it Is recommended in the hope that
it would soon lead to important results
In full view Of my great responsibility tony
God and to my country, earnestly beg the
attention Of Congress and the people 70 the
subject. (signed,)
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.