Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1862-12-13

Webster to tie Secretary of War, and now
transmitted to Congress. [ respectfully
ask your attention to it.
THE AGRICULTURAL BUREAU.
To carry out the provisions of the act of
Congress of the 18th of May last, have
caused the Department of Agriculture of
the United States to be organized. The
Commissioner informs me that within
the period of few months this depart
ment has established an extensive system
OF correspondence and exchanges both at
home and abroad, which promises to eff
feet highly beneficial re'ults in the devel-
opment OF correct knowledge of recent
improvements ia agriculture in the intro
ductlon OF new products, and IN the COL
lection OF agricultural statistics OF the diff
terent States also, that it will soon be
prepared 10 distribute largely seeds, &C.
reals, plants and cuttings, and has already
published and literally difused much val
liable information, in anticipation of
more elaborate report which in due time
will be published, embracing some valua-
bic tests in chemical science now in pro-
gress in the laboratory. The creation of
this department was for the more imme-
diate benefit of a large class of our most
valuable citizens, and | trust that the lib
eral basis upon which it has been organ
lied will not only meet your appreciation,
| but that it will realize at no distant day
all the fondest anticipations of its most
! sanguine friends. and become the fruitful
source of advantage to all our people.
EMANCIPATION.
On the 22d day of September last a
proclamation was issued by the Executive
"a copy of which is herewith submitted.
In accordance with the purpose expressed
in the second paragraph of that paper |
now respectfully recall your attention to
what may be called compensated emanci-
patton. nation may be said to consist
of its territory, its people and its laws
The territory is the only part which is of
certain durability. Zone generation pas
seth away and another generation cometh,
but the earth abldeth forever" 1t is of
| the first Importance to duly consider and
estimate this ever enduring part.
THE UNION ONE AND INsEPARABLE.
That portion Of the earth's surface which
is owned and inhabited by the people of
the United States is well adapted to be
the home of one national family. 1t is not
well adapted for two Or more. It's vast
extent and its variety of climate and pro-
duction are of advantage in the age of our
people, whatever they might have been in
former ages. Steam, and teegraphs and
intelligence, have brought these to be an
advantageous combination for one united
people.
THE FOLLY OF DIsUNION.
In the Inauguration Address | briefly
pointed out the total inadequacy of dis
union as remedy for difficulties between
the people OF the two sections. did so
in language which | cannot improve and
which, therefore, beg to repeat.
"One section of our country believes slavery is
right and ought to be extended, while the other
| believes it to be wrong and ought not to be ex-
tended. This is the only substantial dispute. The
| fugitive slave clause of the Constitution and the
laws, Tor the suppression of the African slave
| trade, each well enforced, perhaps, as any
law can ever be in community where the moral
| sense OF the people imperfectly support the law
itself. The great body of the people abide by the
| legal obligations in both cases, and a few break
over each. This think cannot be perfectly cured
and it would be worse in both instances after the
| separation of the sections than before. The for
eign slave trade, now mperfectly suppressed would
be, ultimately, revived without restriction in one
section, while fugitives only partially surren
dered would not be surrendered at all to the
| other.
| "Physcally speaking, we cannot separate We
| cannot remove our respective sections from each
| other, nor build an impossible wall between hem
| husband and wife may be divorced and go out O.
| the presence and beyond the reach of each other
! but the different parts of country cannot dc
this. They cannot but remain face to face, and
| Intercourse either amicable hostile must con.
| tnue between them. Is it possible, then. to make
that intercourse more advantag Gus or more salts.
n han hefn I1..
make treaties easier than friends can make Zdaos
Can treaties be more faithfully enforced between
| aliens than Jaws among friends? Suppose YOU
| go to war, you cannot fight always and when,
after much loss both sides, and no gain on
either, you cease fighting, the identical old ques.
tons as to terms of intercourse are again upon
YOU"
NO SUITABLE LINE OF DIVISION.
There is no line, straight or crooked
suitable for national boundary upon
which to divide. Trace through from East
to West, upon the line between the free
and slave country, and we shall find lit.
tie more than Oue-third Of it's length are
rivers easy to be crossed, and populated,
Or soon to be populated thickly, upon both
sides, while in nearly all its remaining
length are merely surveyors linz over
which people may walk back and forth
without any consciousness of their pres
ence. No part of this line can be made
any more difficult to pass by writing it
down on paper, or parchment, as a nation
al boundary.
WHAT SECESSION sUREENDERs.
The fact of separation if it comes, gives
up on the part of the seeding section, the
fugitive slave clause, along with all other
constitutional obligations, upon the sec
ton seeded from, while [ should expect
no treaty stipulation would ever be made
to take its place.
{" TIE GREAT BODY OF THE REPUBLIC.n
But there is another difficulty. The
great interior region-bounded east by
the Alleghanies, north by the British Do
minions, west by the Rocky Mountains,
and south by the line along which the
cultivation of corn and cotton meets-and
which includes part of Virginia, part of
Tennessee, ali of Kentucky, Ohio Mchi-
gan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas,
Iowa, Minnesota, and the territories of
Dacotah, Nebraska, and part of Colora-
do, has above ten millions of people, and
will have fifty millions within fifty wears,
If not prevented by any political folly or
mistake. 1t contains more than one third
OF the country owned by the revolted
States certainly more than one million
of surface miles. One-half as populous as
Massachusetts, already is, it would have
more than seventy-fve millions of people.
A glance at the map shows that, terrific.
rally speaking, it is the great body of the
Republic. The other parts are but mar
giaal borders to it, the magnificent region
sIoping west from the Rocky Mountains