The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1863-12-16

suggested, in my last annual message,
/ the propriety of remodeling our Indian sys.
tenn. Subsequent events have satisfied me
( of its necessity. The details set forth in the
report of the Secretary will evince the ur-
| gent need of immediate legislative action.
commend the benevolent institutions es-
tablished or patronized by the Government
in this District to your generous care.
! Tho attention of Congress, during tho
last session, was engaged to some extent
with proposition for enla-gingthe waite
communications between the Mississippi
1 river and the North eastern seaboard, which
/ proposition, however, failed for the time
| Since then upon a call of the greatest respec
7 liability Convention has been called at Chi
cago upon the same subject, a summary of
whose views is contained in a memorial adj
dressed to the President and Congress, and
which / now have the honor to lay before
you. That this interest is one which, ere
long, will force its own way, do not enter
1 tain doubt, while it is submitted entirely
| to your wisdom as to whatcan be done now.
Augmented interest is given to this sub
! ject by the actual commencement OF work
upon the Pacific Railroad, under auspices
so favorable to its rapid progress and COM
pletion. Enlarged navigation becomes a
( palpable need to the great road.
! / transmit the second annual report OF the
I Commissioners of the Department of Agricul-
| ture, asking your attention to the develop
ments IN that vital interest of the nation.
When Congress assembled a year ago the
war had already lasted nearly twenty
months, and there aad been many conflicts
on both land and sea, with varying results.
| The rebellion bad been pressed back into
reduced limits, yet the tone of public feeling
and opinion, at home and abroad was not
satisfactory.
With other signs, the popular elections,
I then Just passed, indicated uneasiness among
! ourselves while, amid much that was cold
aud menscing, the kindest words coming
! from Europe were uttered in accents OF pity
| that we were too blind TO surrender hope
less cause. Our commerce was suffering
greatly by few armed vessels built upon
and furnished from foreign shores, and we
/ were threatened with such additions from
the same quarter as would sweep our trade
from the seas and raise our blockade. We
| had failed to elicit from the European Gov
ernments anything hopeful on the subject
| The preliminary Emancipation Proclama-
| tson, which was issued In September, was
/ running its assigned period to the beginning
of the new year. A month later the final
! proclamation came, including the announce
/ ment that colored men of suitable condition
would be received into the war service.
/
ploying black soldiers gave to the future a
new aspect. about which hope, and fear and
doubt ccntended in uncertain conflict.
According to our political system, as q
matter of civil administration, the General
| Government had no lawful power to effect
| emancipation iu any State, and for a long
time it had been hoped that the rebellion
would be suppressed without resortiDg to it
as military measure.
1t was ali the while deemed possible that
the necessity for it might come, and that if
it should, the crisis of the contest would then
be presented. 1t came, and as was partici
pated, it was followed by dark and doubtless
days.
Eleven months having now passed, we are
J permitted to take another review. The reb-
ell borders are pressed still farther back, and
! by the complete opening of the Mississippi
river, the country dominated by the rebel
lion, now declare openly for emancipation
| in their respective States. OF those States
not included in the emancipation proclama-
tion, Maryla land and Missouri, neither of which
three years ago, would tolerate any restraint
upon the extention of slavery into new ter
ritories only dispute now as to the best
mode of removing it within their own limits.
OF those who were slaves at thebeginnlng Of
the rebellion, full one hundred thousand are
the in United States military service, about
one-half of which actually bear arms in the
ranks, thus giving the double advantage OF
taking so much labor from the insurgent
cause, and supplying the places, which 9TH
erwise must be filled with so many white
men. So far as tested it is difficult to say
that they are not as good soldiers as any
No servile insurrection or tendency to vio-
] lence or cruelty has marked the measures
of emancipation, and arming the blacks
These measures have been much discussed
in foreign countries, and contemporary with
4 such discessions the tone of public sentiment
there is much improved. at home the same
measures have been fully discussed, sup
ported, criticised, and denounced ard the
annual elections following are higly en-
couragiDg to those whose official duty it is
to bear the country through this great trial.
Thus we have the new reckoning. The
crisis which threatened to divide the friends
Of the Union is past
Looking now to the present and future,
and with reference to a resumption of the
national authority within the States where
| in that authority has been suspended, l
/ have thought fit to issue q proclamation,
copy of which is herewith transmitted. On
| examination of this proclamation Il viii
! appear, as is believed, that nothing Is at
| tempted beyond what is amply justified by
| the Constitution. True, the form OF an
oath is given, but no man is coerced to take
It. A man is only promised a pardon IN
| case he voluntarily takes the oath. Ine
| Constitution authorizes the Executive to
grant or withhold the pardon at his own ab-
soute discretion, and this includes the pow
er to grant on such terms as is fully estab-
lished by judicial and other authorities.
! 1t is also profered that if. ''in any OF the
! States named, State Government shall be,
in the mode prescribed, set up, such Gov
ernment shall be, recognized and guaran-
teed by the United States, and that under
! it the State shall, on the constitutional con-
ditions, be protected against invasion and
domestic violence.
The constitutional obligation Of the Uni,
| ted States to guarantee to every State In
the Union a republican form of government
and to protect the State in the cases stated.
| is explicit and full. But why tender the
i IL A. kaka