The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1862-03-14
WHOLE NO., 6y5.
Message Of the President.
wAsH1Naror. March q.

| WASHiNuION, Mafch ..
Tho President to-day transmitted to Con-
gross the following Gesssgei s R' 3
Ftlio,o Ciiisens Of the Senate and House of
R'Prcsentotitcs: Q ast
recommend the adoption Of Joint reso-
luton by your honorable bodies. which sbnll
bo substantially as follows:
Resolved, That the United States ought
10 corporate with any State which NAV
adopt gradual adjustment Of slavery. eiv-
ing TO such State pecuniary aid, to be used
by such Stat in its discretion to compensate
for the inconvenienccs, public and private,
produced BY such chage of system. y.
II the proposition contained in the rcso-
luton docs nof meet the approval OF Com
gress and tho country, thero Is tho end; but
II it docs command such approval, deem it
OF importance :hat tho States and people
Immediately interested, should be at once
distinctly notified OF the fact, so that thcy
may begin 10 consider whether to acccpt'or
teject u. nts'
Tho Federal Government would find jts
highest interest In such measure as one of
tho most efficient measures of self.prescrva-
ton. Tho leaders of the existing insurrec-
tion entertain the hopo that the Govern
ment will ultimately be forced to acknowl-
edge the Independence Of some part of the
disaffectod region, and that all slave states
north of such parts will tben say, "the Uuion
for which we havo struggled, being already
gono, we now choose to 90 with tbem.D TO
deprive them Of this bopo substantially ends
the rebellion, and the initiation Of emapci.
patton completely deprives them of it.
As to all tho states intending IL, the point
is not that all tho statesto olerating il would
very If at all, initiate emancipation, but
that while tho offer is made equally to all
tho more northern shall by such initiation,
mako it certain to tho moro southern that
in no event shall tLo former JOIN the latter
IN their proposed confederacy. say ipitia-
ton, because in my judgment, gradual. if
not sudden, emancipation is betfer for all.
In the mere financial or pecupiary view. any
member Of Congress, with the census tables
and treasury report before him, can readily
see for himself how very soon the current
expenditures Of tho war would purchase at
a fair valuation, all the slaves 10 any named
state. Such proposition on the part of the
General Goyernmont sets up no claim or
right by Federal authority to interfere with
slavery within state limits, referring as ie
docs, the absolute control of the subject, in
each case TO tho state aud its people imme-
distely interested. IL is propo4ed as q mat
Ter of perfectly free choice to ali.
In the annual message last December.
thought fit TO say that the Union must be-
preserved. and therefore oil Indispensable
means must be employed. said this not
hastily but deliberately. War has been and
continues TO be an indispensable means to
this end. practical acknowledgment Of
the national authority would render the war.
unnecessarf.a and il would at once cease. If,
however, resistance continues, the war must
also continue. and it is impossible to foresee
oil the incidents which may attend. and all
the ruin which may follow. Such as NAV
seem Indispensable, or may obviously prom
ise great efficiency towards ending the struq.
gle must and will come. The proposition
now made, though IN offer only, l hope Il
may be esteemed no offense to ask whether
the pecuniary consideration tondered would
not be of more value to tho States and pri.
vate persons concerned than are the ins,itu.
tion and property in it in the present aspect
Of affairs. While 1t is true that the adoption
of the proposed resolution would DO merely
initiaiory and not within itself a practical
measure, IL is recommended in the homo
i that 10 would soon lead TO important results.
4 In foil view OF my great res possibility to my
God and to my country, / earnestly beg the
attention Of Congress and the people to the
to tho subject. (Sipnod,)
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.