, 1863-12-26

OF IanQS. IL IS plODdDl6 IndI bu6 6ueCUS OF
these treati es willresult in the establishment
Of permanent friendly relation with such
of those tribes as have been brought into
frequent and bloody collisions with our out
lying settlements and emgrants Sound
policy and our imperative duty to these
wards Of the Government demand our anx-
ions and constant attention to their material
wellbeing, to see that they are progressing
in the arts Of civilization, and above ALL in
that moral training, which, under the bless
ing Of Divine providence, will confer upon
them the elevated and sanctifying influence
of the hopes and consolation of the Christian
faith ] suggested in my last annual mes
sage the propriety of reducing our Indian
system Subsequent events have satisfied
me of the necessity The details set forth
in the report of the Secretary will evince the
urgent need for immediate legislative ac-
ton.
BENEVOLENT INSTITUTIONS.
I commend the beneyolence of the insti-
tutions established or patronized by the Gov
ernment in this District to your generous
and fostering care. em
THE CANAL ENLARGEMENT SCHEME.
The attention of Congress during the last
session was engaged, to some extent, with
proposition for enlargeing the water commu-
nicatons between the Mississippi river and
the northern Lakes and the Eastern sea
board, which proposition, however, failed
for the time. Since then, upon the call Of
the greatest responsibility, Convention has
been called at Chicago upon the same sub
iect summary Of whose views is contained
in an address to the President and Congress,
and which now have the honor to lay be-
fore you That the enterprise is one which,
ere long, will force its own way, [ do rot
entertain doubt while it is submitted en-
tirely to your wisdom as to what can be done
now Augmented interest is given this
subject by the formal commencement Of work
upon the Pacific Railroad, under auspices so
favorable to its rapid progress and compile
ton. Enlarged navigation becomes a pros
pective need to the great road.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 4.
transmit the second annual report Of tho
Commissioner of the Department of Agricul-
ture, asking your attention to its require
ments as Of vital interest to the nation.
THE SITUATION.
When Congress assembled year ago.
the war had already lasted nearly twenty
months, ana there had been many conflicts
on land and sea, with varying results. The
rebellion had been pressed back into reduced
limits, yet the tone ofpublic opinion at home
and abroad was not satisfactory. With 9TH
or signs, the popular elections then just pass
ed indicated uueasiness among ourselves,
while amid much that was cold and mena-
cling, the kindest words coming from Eu-
rope uttered in accents Of pity that we were
100 blind to surrender Our commerce was
suffering greatly from few armed vessels
built upon, and furnished from foreign
shores, and we were threatened with such
addition from the same quarter as would
sweep our trade from the sea and raise our
blockade We had failed to elicit from Eu-
ropean Governments anything hopeful upon
this subject The emancipation procama-
tion which was issued in September was run
ming its assigned period to the beginning Of
the new year. A month later the final proc
lamation came, including the announcement
that colored men of suitable condition would
be received into the army service. The pol
icy of emancipation and employing black
soldiers gave to the future new aspect,
about which hope and fear and doubt con
tended in uncertain conflict According to
political system as a matter of civil admins
tration, the General Government had no law
ful power to effect emancipation in any State,
and for along time it had been hoped that
the rebellion could be suppressed without
resorting to it as military measure. 1t was
all the while deemed possible that the neces-
sity for it might come, and that if it should,
the crisis Of the contest would then be pre-
sented 1t came, and as was pOrtended, it
was followed by dark and doubtful days
Eleven months have passed. We are per
mitted to take another review. The rebel
borders are pressed still further back, and
by the complete opening of the Mississippi
river, then dominated over by the rebellion Is
divided into distinct parts with no praetica
bic communication between them. Tennes-
see and Arkansas have been so substantial
ly cleared Of the insurgents and their con-
troll and influence that the citizens in each
and the owners of slaves and those who were
advocates of slavery at the beginning of the
rebellion now declared openly for emancipa-
ton in their respective States. Of those
States not included in the Emancipation
Proclamation were Maryland and Missouri,
neither of which years ago would tolerate
any restraint upon the extension of slavery
into the new Territories. The only dispute
now is as to the best mode of removing it
within their own limits OF those who were
slaves at the beginning Of the rebellion fully
one hundred thousand are now in the United
States military service, about one-half of
which number actually bear arms in the
ranks, thus giving the double advantage of