The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1862-03-28
Message from Lincoln.
no Otisens Of he Ssnats and

Feflo'o- Cifsers Of The Ssnats ana KY t
House Of Representatives.
recommend the adoption of q Joint
resolution by your honorable bodies which
shall be substantially as foliowE
Resolved, That The United States on rht
to co operate with any State which may
adopt gradual ,abolishmeht of siav sry.
giving to such State pecuntary aid 10 be
used by such State in its Nliscretion, To
l.compensate for the Inconvenience, pub
lie and private, produced by such change
Of system"
II the proposition contained in the
resolution does not meet the approval Of
Congress and the country, there is the
end; but ifit does command such approx.
al, deem it of Importance that the
States and people Immediately interested
shonh be at once distinctly notified Of
the fact. 30 that they may begin to con.
slder whether to accept or reject 1t. The
Federal Government would find its high
est interests in such measure. as one of
the most efficient means Of self-preserva.
tion. The leaders of the existing insur-
rection entertain the hope that this Gov
eminent will be forced to acknowledge
the independence of some part of the
disaHected region, and that all the slave
Stntes North Of such parts will then saw
the Union for which we have strug-
gled being already gone, we now choose
to go with the Southern section.
70 deprive them OF this hope substar-
TALLY ends the rebellion, and the ipitia.
ton OF emancipation completely de.
priyes them of il as. to all the States mi.
tiatingit. The point Is not that ali the
states tcierating slavery would very soon,
II atall, initiate cmancipation;b but that
Tnile the offer is equally made to all
the more Northern. shall, BY such ipitia.
tion. make IL certain to the more South
erfi that, in no event, will the former ey.
er join the latter in their proposed Con
federacy. Isay initiation, because, in
my judgment, gradual and not sudden
emancipation is better for all. In the
mere financial or pecuniary view, any
member Of Congress. with the census
tables and Treasury reports before him,
cen readily see for himself how very soon
the current expenditures Of this war
would purchase, at fair valuation, oil the
slaves in any named State. ilsls aHl
Such q proposition on the part of the
General Government sets up no claim OF
a right, by Federal authority, to inter.
iere with slavery within State limits, re.
ferrlng, as it does, the absolute control
OF the subject in each case to the State
and Its people Immediately Interested
It is proposed as a matter of perfectly
free choice with them. In the annual
message. last December, l thought fit to
say: The Union must be preserved, and
hence all indispensable means must be
employed. said this not hastily, but
deliberately. War has been made, and
contlnues to be an indispensable means
70 .nis enc; "A pracIicai re.acknowl,
render the war unnecessarv and 4 would
at once cease. h
If, however resistance continues, the
war must also continue and it is impos-
nav attend and ali al t she nU,ue rhi "c,
follow it. Such as NAV seem ,ndisnensa.
BILE, or may obviously promise great eff.
ciency towards end1ng the struggle, must
4 q. NJ 4