Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1863-12-17

which when completed will so larItly h "A .f|.<
! The facilities for reaching our dist tW ri ;l
/ ions. 4&. I/|
| This policy has received its most it1< 44<.
beneitcent illustration in the recent u.nll,, I.1.
granting honest ads n actual settle IL E;, ;i<a
the lst day OF January last, the be a. y A.-
toned quantity OF one million four I06,i ~
and f'tN-SX thousand five hundred NJ n "a.
teen acres of land have been taken uuUh.i S. .
is provisions. This fact and the anHhi 81
sales furnish gratifying evidence of incfattAI
settlement upon public lands. Notwith II W
ing the great struggle in which the enersi& =.
the nation have been engaged, aud whie,NHse
required so large a withdrawal of our cMienH
from their accustomed pursuits cordial yEs4.,.
cur IN the recommendation OF the secret arr1nf
IN" INTERIOR suggesting modification dfthe
act IN favor Of those engaged in the military
ana naval service of the United States |
doubt not that Congress will cheerlullv adopt
such measures, without essentially changing
the general features of the system. and secure
to The greatest practical .e tatent, the benefit
to those who have left their homes in defense
OF the country in this arduous crisis. invite
your attention to the views of the secretary as
TO the propriety OF raising. by appropriate leg.
lSlation, revenue from the mineral lands of
the United States
TIE INDIANS.
The measures provided at your last session
Tor the removal of certain Indian tribes have
been carried into effect. Sundry treaties have
been negotiated, which will in due time be sub.
mitted for the constitutional action of the Sen.
ate' lhey contain stipuaions for txtinguish-
ing the poSsessory rights of the Indians to
large and valuable tracts Of linds, and it is
hoped mat the effects of these treaties will re-
Sut IN the establishment Of permanent friendly
relations with such of these tribes as have been
Drought INTO frequent and bloody collision with
our outlying settlements and emigrants,
Sound policy and our imperative duty to these
wards OF the government demand our anxious
ana constant attention to their material we'll
neihg' to their progress in the arts of civiliza-
tion, and above all to that moral training which,
under the blessing OF divine Providence, will
confer upon them the elevated and sanctifying
influences, the hopes and consultations of the
OnrlStah iaith. | suggested in my last annual
message the propritty of remodeIing our In
dIan system. Subsequent evstis have salts
he'd me OF its necessity The details set forth
III the report Of tie secretary evirce the urgent
need Tor immediate legislative action
THE DISTRICT CHARITIES.
.. commend the benevolent institutions estab-
Iisheu or palronized by tn. government in this
uiStrict TO your generous and fostering care.
THE SHIP CANAL.
The attention OF Congress during the last
session was engaged te some extent with
proposition for enlarging the water communi |
cation between the Mississippi river and the
northwestern seaboard, which proposition how
ever Jailed for the time. Since then, upon a
eau OF the greatest reSpectIbiIity, convention
mas Oeen held at Chicago upon the same sub /
lect, summary of whose views is contained |
IN memorial addressed to the president and |
congress, and which now have the honor TO
i1f before you. That this interest is one which |
ere long will force its own way. do not en- /
teraln doubt. while it is submitted entirely /
~ Vo''' wisd )n as to what can be done now. /
Augmented Interest is given to this subject by |
the actual commencement of work upon the |
r"cihc railroad under auspices so favorable to
rapid progress and completion. The enlarged
navigation becomes paIpable need to the great
road.
AGRICULTURE.
transmit the second annual report of the |
commissioner of the department of agriculture.
asking your attention to the developments in |
that vital interest Of the nation
PROGRESS IN THE WAR.
When Congress assembled year ago the
war had already lasted nearly twenty months,
and there had been many conflicts on both land
and sea with varying results The rebellion
la been pressed back into reduced limits.
Yet the tone of public feeling and opinion at
home and abroad was not satisfactory. With
Iiher signs, the popular elections then lust
past indicated uneaSness among ourselves,
while amid much tint was cold and mena-
'ing, the kindest words coming from Europe
were uttered in accents Of pity that we were
90 blind to surrender hopeless cause. Our
was suffering greatly by few
lrmed vessels built upon and furnished from
oreign shores, aud we were threatened with
such additions from the same quarter as would
weep our trade from the sea and raise our
blockade. We had failed to elicit from Eu-
opean governments anything hopeful upon
his subject.
EMANCIPATION AND NEGRO SOLDIERS.
The preliminary emancipation proclamation
ssued in September was running lis assigned
'eriod to the beginning of the new year. A
month later the final proclamation came, includ-
ng the announcement that colored men of
uitabe condition would he received into the
var service. The policy of emancipation and
If employing black soldiers gave to the future
new aspect, about which hope and fear and
'NuOt 'Oh'S"u'u III uHCtIlulH COUHltt. ACCOr-
ling to our political system, as a matter of civil
administration the general government had no
awful power to effect emancipation in any state,
md for long time it had been hoped that the
ebellion could be suppressed without resort
ng to 1t as a military measure. 1t was al! the
While deemed possible that the necessity for it
night come, and that il It should, the crisis of
he contest would then be presented. 1t came
nd as was anticipated, it was followed by dark
nd doubtful days.
Eleven months having now passed, we are
ermiued to take another review. The rebel
,orders are pressed still further back, and by
he complete opening Of the Mississippi the
ountry dominated by the rebellion is divided
nto two distinct paris with no practical com
nunication between them. Tennessee and Ar
ansas have been substantially cleared of in-
urgents, and influential citizens in each, own.
RS of slaves and advoC ates of slavery at the
eginning of the rebellion, now declare openly
or emancipation in their respective states
Of those states not included in the emanci-
aton proclamation, Maryland and Missouri,
either of which, three years ago. would toler-
te any restraint upon the extention OF slavery
lo the territories, only dispute now as TO the
est mode of removing it within their own
mits. OF those who were slaves at the be-
inning of the rebellion full one hundred thou
and are now in the United States military
eryice, about one half of which number actu
lily bear arms in the ranks thus giving the
ouhle advantage of taking so much labor from
re insurgent cause and supplying the places
hch otherwise might be nj fed hv so many