Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1862-03-22
SPECIAL. M ESsAGE.
FsAotc citizens o the Senate
r IA and HouSe of ReDresentak tines

FeAou citizens ofthe Senate
and House Of Representatives.
recommend the adoption of joint
resolutions by your honorable bodies, which
shall be substantially rs follows:
/ Resoicsd, That the United States ought
to CO operate with any State which may
adopt gradual adjustment Of slavery.
giving to such State pscuniary aid to be
used by such State in its discretion. to
compensate for the Inconvenience, public
and private, produced By such change of
system. ~ Be- . l.
If the proposition contained in ths reso.
luton does not meet the approval of Con-
gress and the country, there is the end,
but if it does command such approval, |
deem it of Importance that the States and
people Immediately interested should bs
At once distinctly notified of the fact, SO
that they may begin 10 consider whether
to accept or reject it.
The Federal Government would find its
highest interest in such n measure. as one
OF the must efficient means of self preser.
walton. The leaders of the existing in.
surrec.ion entertain the hope that the Gov.
eminent will ultimately be forced to &C.
knowledge the independence Of some part
Of the disatfec,ed region, and that all the
slave States north Of such parts will then
say the Union for which We have strug.
gled being already gone, we now choose
to go with them.
TO deprive them Of this hope, subslan-
tall ends the rebellion, and tho initiation
Of emancipation completely deprives them
OF it as to all States initiating it. The
point is not that all the States tolelaring
slavery would very soon, If at all, initiate
emancipation, but while the offer is equal
y made to oil, the more northern shall,
by such initiation, make it certain to the
more southern that in no event shall the
former join the latter in their proposed
coniederacy.
say in imitation because in my judg.
ment gradual and not sudden emancipa-
ton is better for ALL In the mere fnan-
cial aud peculiarly view any member Of
Congress, with the census tables and the
Treasury reports before him can readily
see for himself how very soon the current
expenditures Of the war would purchase
I at fair value oil the slaves in any named
State
Such a propositioa on the part OF the
General Government, sets up no claim Or
right by Federal authority to interfere
with slavery within State limits. referring
as it does, tho absolute control of the sub
ject in each case to the State and its peo
pie Immediately interested. l, Is proposed
as matter of perfectly free choice with
them.
In the annual message, last December,
thought fit to say that the Union must
be preserved, and hence all indispensable
means aust be employed. said this not
hastily. but deliberately. War has been
and continues to be and Indispensable
means to this end. A practical reac
acknowledgement Of the nationa! authority
would render the war unnecessary, and it
would at once cease.
If, however, resistance continues the
war must also continue, and it is impossi
bic to torsee al! the incidents which may
| attend, and all the ruin which may follow,
such as may seem indispensable or may
obviously promise great efficiency towards
ending tae struggle. The proposition now
made, though an offer only, hope it may
be esteemed no offense to ask whether the
pecuniary consideration rendered would
not be OF more value to the States snd
private persons concerned, than are the
institution and property in it. In the
present aspect Of AFFAIRS while it is true
that the adoption OF the proposed resoiu'
ton would be merely initia,ory and not
within itself a practical measure, it is re-
commended in the hope that il wonld soon
lead to practical results In full view of
my great responsibility to my God aud to
my county, earnestly beg tho attention
of Congress and the people to the subject
Signed ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
NAsuIsGroy, March 9th, 1862