The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1862-03-15
Special Message of the President TO Com
IresSs
WASHINGTON, March 6

w WASHINGTON, March o.
The President to day transmitted to
Congress the following message:
felto0 Gti=ers Of tie Senate aud House Of
| RepreSentottces
recommend the adoption of joint
resolution by your honorable bodies which
shall be substantially as follows:
| EoSoiged, That the United States ought
to cooperate with any State which may
adopt gradual abolishIsent Of slavery,
/ giving to such State pecuniary AID, 10 be
used by such State, IN Its discretion, to
compensate for the Inconvenience, public
and private, produced by such change OF
! system.
If the proposition contained in the reso-
futIon does not meet the approval OF Con
sress and the country, there Is the enu );
but If it does command such approval, j
tsdeem il OF importance that the States and
I people Immediately interested should be
at once distinctly notified OF the fact, so
| that they may begin consider whether
| to accept or reject ii. The Federal Gov
I ernment would tiud its highest interest IN
/ such "a measure as one OF the most etilclent
/ measures OF self prrser |at!on. 1ne leaders
! of existing Instruction entertain the hope
/ that the Government viii ultimately be
| forced 10 acanow edge tLe independence
/ Of some part OF the dlsaiIccted region, and
/ that ali the lave States north OF such
point viii then say the Union for which
We have stTu I-ieu t<nI already gone, we
now choose 10 20 With them. To deprive
them OF THIS hope substantially ends the
rebellion, and the initiation OF omlncIHa-
I li,n completely dcErlves them OF 1t as to
/ the States iuiuatlJnG, Inc point J. not
that all the States to.cratiug slavery would
.
. but that while the Ger = equally ma ie 10
: ali, the more northern shall, by such
initiation. make it certain 10 the more
. southern that N no event sAal! the former
I JON the latter in their proposed Coaied-
c.aey.
/ say limitation" becau=e in my judy
meat gradual and not sudden cmlucjVI
ton : better Tor all In the mere tinin
( c.ul or pecuu.dFy view, any member If
! Congress, with the ceusds tables aud the
Treasury reporls before him, can readily
see for himself how very soon the current
4 expenditures Oi tAe war would purchase,
att, fair valuation, all the slaves IL any
named State.
Suru a proposition on the part OF the
. General Government ,e,s up TO claim or
right by Federal authority - interfere
with slavery within State limits, referring
a. !; doe, the absolute control oi the
-uhiec; iu each ease TO the State and its
people Immediately interested. |: is pro
ro-ed - a tier uf perfectly free causce
with them. L. the annual rs"ssa ge las;
Is--.-nb,r thuu-ht 1T - say the Union
mast be-. preserved and henee al! .nL.s
p.u-sti. myane m,I-t be employed
...d this Lot hastily. hat deliberately
War has tr,n and continues - tt-. "a.
ind -2-a-aj.s means - this md \ Irac
teal &c II wi..grD. n 81 the na,"oHa
authority would render ,Ac war unUcce>
-1rv. aud Il would u once cease. j., how
eyer, re-i-t-ace continue, tae war must
a.so continue: aaI i- !. i.ay side 20 iJ--ec
all tae Incidents which iaat attend, and
al the ruin which may follow. Such a.
may seem Indispensable. or may obvious >
premise greater efficiency toward ending
The st.ua.ie u-st and will como.
The p.,1.aa-ition uoy made Is an o.'s'
only | hope il may be esteemed nC
offence to ask whether the pecuniary con
slderition rendered would not he of more
yal,e u the States and private persons
concerned than are the Institution aao
property in II, iu the present aspect o
|afflirs3 While i j. true that the adoption
of thrr.1posrd resolution wcu,i be merely
iuit-atory and TO, uituju Itself practice,
mea-ure, it i recommended IN the hop
that il would sooner lead 10 ilHucrian
results.
In fall view of my great responsibility
to my God and 20 my coUatry. ! earnest,
beg the attention OF Congress and th'
peouia to the subject
(Signed) ABRAHAM LINCOLN.