The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-03-14
FROM WASHINGTON
HIGHLY IMPORTANT
Message of the President.
THE SLAVERY QUESTION.
He Recommends Pecuniary Aid to
States that may Abolish slavery.

WARRINGTON, March 6th.-The Presi.
dent today transmitted to Congress the
following message:
FELLOW Citizens of the Senate and House of
Representatives:
I recommend the adoption of joint res
olution by your honorable bodies which
shall be substantially as follows:
Resolved, That the United States ought to
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 discretion to compensate for the incon.
venience, public and private, proposed by
such change of system.
If the proposition contained in the 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 be at once
distinctly notified OF the fact, 80 that they
may begin to consider whether to accept or
reject it.
The Federal Government would find it's
highest interest in such measure, as one
of the most efficient measures of self pres.
ervation.
The leaders of the existing instruction
entertain the hope that the Government
will ultimately be forced to acknowledge
the independence of some part of the dis
affected region, and that all the Slave
States north Of such parts will then say,
" The Union for which we have struggled,
being already gone, We now choose to go
with them"
To deprive them of this hope substan-
TALLY ends the rebellion, and the initiation
of emancipation completely deprives them
of it.
AS to all the States initiating it, the
point is not that all the States tolerating
slavery would very soon, if at all, initiate
EN- inoipat!On, but that while the offer is
equally made 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 latter 10 their proposed
C0nfederacy.
l say initiation, because in my judgment
gradual and not sudden emancipation is
better for all in the mere financial or pecu-
mary view.
ANY member of Congress, with the Gems
sus tables and the treasury reports before
him, can rapidly see for himself how very
soon the current expenditures of the war
would purchase at a fair valuation all the
slaves in any named State.
Such proposition on the part of the
General Government sets up no claim or
right by the Federal authority to interfere
with slavery within State limits, referring
as it does to the absolute control of the
subject in each case to the State and its
people Immediately interested.
Ii is proposed as matter OF perfectly
free choice with them.
10 the annual message of last December,
l thought fit to say the Union must be pres
served, and hence all Indispensable means
must be employed.
l said this not hastily, but deliberately
war has been and continues to be an indis-
peDsable means 10 this euG.
A practical acknowledged OF the ma.
tional authority would render the war IN
necessary, aud it would at once cease.
1t, however, resistance continues the war
must also continue and it is impossible to
foresee all the incidents which may attend
and all the ruin which may follow. Such
means as may seem Indispensable or may
obviously promise great efficiency towards
ending the struggle must and will come.
The proposition now mace, though an offer
only, hope it may be 30 offence to ask
whether the pecuniary GOES Iteration ten
dered would not be OF more value TO the
States and private persons concerned than
are the institution and property in it.
La the present aspec; 9. affairs, Will it
is true that the adoption OF the proposed
resolution would De merely initiatOry, and
not within itselfa pr ct;cai measure, it is
recommended IN the hope ,hat it would
sooner lead to important results.
In full view OF my great responsibility to
my God and my country, earnestly beg
the attention OF Congress and the people Cd
the subject.
(Signed) ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
ANDREW JOHNSON AND ME5SRS. May
NARD AND ETHERIDGE LEAVE FOR
TENNESSEE.
WASHINGTON, March 6.-GeDeral Andy
johnson and Representatives Maynard and
Etheridge leave for Tennessee tomorrow.
General johnson will Immediately upon bis
arrival at Nashville, call upon the loyal
people of the State to elect delegates to a
a convention to be charged with the duty
of declaring vacant the places OF Governor
Harris and bis rebel associates and electing
new officers, and setting loyal State Gov
eminent on its feet.
BROADER GENERALS.
General Spear of Tennessee was con-
firmed Brigadier General today. Three
more Brigadiers in persons of Lieutenant
Colonel Emory of the 9th cavalry, and
Colonies Qaimby aud Patrick have been
nominated.
TROUBLE WITH NAIL CONTRACTORS.
The Postmaster General TODAY com.
planned in letter to the Post Office Com.
mittees of both Houses of the refusal of
Commodore Vanderbilt to carry the South
American mails, and of some Northern
Railroads to contract to carry mails. He
recommended that legislation be adopted to
free the government from the dictation of
Railroad and Steamboat proprietors.