The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1863-12-11

ty to these wards of the government demand
our anxious and constant attention TO their ma
terial well being, to their progress in the arts
OF civilization, and above all, to that moral
training which, under the blessing OF Divine
Providence, will confer upon them the clevating
and sanctifying influences. the hopes and con-
solutions of the Christian faith.
l suggested in my last annual message the
pr0priety Of rcmodeling our Indian system.
Subsequent events have satisfied me OF its ne.
cessty. The details set forth in the report OF
the Secretary, evince the urgent need for im'
mediate Legislative action.
commend the benevolent institutions estab-
lishcd or patroni1ed by the Government in this
district to your generous and fostering care.
The attention of Congress during the last
session was engaged to some extent with q
proposition for enlarging the water communi.
cation between the Mississippi river and the
Northeastern seaboard which proposition, how
ever. failed for the time. Since then. upon
call of the greatest responsibility, convention
has been held at Chicago upon the same sub
ject, n summary of whose views is contained in
q memorial addressed to the President and
Congress. and which ere long will force its own.
do not entertain doubt, while it is submitted
entirely to your wisdom, as to what can be
done now. Augmented interest is given to this
subject by the actual commencement of work
upon the Pacific Railroad, under auspices so
favorable to rapid progress and completion
that the enlarged navigation becomes q palpa-
BILE need 70 the great road,
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. When Con-
Cress assembled year ago the war had already
lasted twenty months and there had been many
conflicts on both land and sea with varying re-
suits. The rebellion had been pressed back in
to reduced limits, yet the tone OF public feeling
Mt home and abroad was not satisfactory
With other signs the popular election then just
passed indicated uneasiness among ourselves,
which amid much that was cold and mcrcena-
nv, the kndest words coming from Europe were
uttered in accents OF pity that we were too
blind to surrender q hopeless cause. Cur com;
mercc was suffering greatly by few armed
vessels built upon and furnished from foreign
shores, and were threatened with such addi-
tions from the same quarter as would sweep
our trade from the sea and raise our blockade.
We had failed to elicit from European govern
ments anything hopeful on this subject.
The preliminary emancipation proclamation
issued In September, was running its assigned
period to the beginning OF the new year. a
month later the final proclamation came, IN
GLIDING the announcement that colored men oi
suitable condition would be received into the
war service. The policy Of emancipation and
of employing black soldiers gave to the future
new aspect, about which hope and fear anu
doubt contcnded in uncertain conflict Ac-
cording to our political system, as q matter OF
civil administration, the General Government
had no lawful power to effect emancipation IN
any State, and for long time 1t had been hoped
that the rebellion could be stopped without re.
sorting to it rs n military measure. II was all
the while deemed possible that the necessity for
il might come, and that If 1t should, the crisis
of tho contest would then be presented. IL
came, and was antcipted. 1t was followed by
dark and doubtful days.
E.eyen months having now passed, we are
permitted to take another review. The rebel
borders are pressed still further back, ana 6y
the complete opening Of the Mississippi, the
country dominated by the rebellion is divided
into distant parts with no practical commune
cation between them. Tennessee and Arkansas
have been substantially cleared OF insurgent
control, and influential citizens in each, owners
of slaves and advocates of slavery Mt the begin
ming of the rebellion, new declare openly Tor
emancipation in their respective States. VI
those States not included in the emancipation
proclamation, Maryland and Missouri, neither
of which three years ago would tolerate any
restraint upon the extension of slavery into
new Territories, only dispute now as to the best
mode Of removing 1t from within their own
limits.
or those who were slaves ut the beginning Of
the rebellion. full one hundred thousand are
now in the U. s. military service, about one
halt of which number actually bear arms III
the ranks, thus giving the double advantage OF
taking 50 much labor from tho insurgents
cause and supplying the places which other
wise must be filled with so many white men.-''
So far rs tested, il is difficult to say that they
are not rs good soldiers rs any. No scrvic in
surrection or tendency to violence or cruelty
has marked the measures of emancipation anu
arming the blacks.
These measures have been much discussed in
foreign countries, and contemporary with such
discussion the tone of public sentiment there IS
much improved At home the same measures
have been fully discussed. supported, criticised
and denounced, and the annual elections fol-
lowing are highly encouraging to those whose
official duty il is to bear the country through
this great trial. Thus we have the new rcck-
oning. The crisis which threatened to divide
the friends of the Union is past
Looking now to the present and tnture, and
with reference to resumption of the national
authority with the States wherein that author
ity has been suspended, l have thought tit to
issue proclamation, n copy OF which Is here
with Transmitted. On examination of this proc
lamation, il will appear, as is believed, that
nothing is attempted beyond what is amply
justified by the Constitution. True, the FORM
of an oath is given, but no man rs coerced to
take it. The man is only promised pardon
i'm case he voluntarily takes the oath. The
Constitution authorizes the Executive to grant
or withhold tho pardon at his own absolute dis
erection. and this involves the power to grant
ON terms. rs is fully established by judicial and
other authorities. II Is also proposed that II
in any of the States named, n State government
shall be, in the mode prescribed, set up, such
government shall be recognized and guafah-
tced by the United States, and that under II the
State shall, on the constitutional condition. DC
protected against invasion anu domestic 'io-
encc.
The constitutional obligation OF the United
States to guaranty to every State in the Union
n Republican form Of Government and to pro-
tract the State in the cases stated. is explicit
and FULL but why tender the benefits of this
provision only to State Government set up in
this particular wayy This section OF the Con-
sttution contcmplates a case wherein tue cle-
ment within n State favorable to Republican
Government in the Union may he too feeble
for an opposite and hostile element, eSternall
or even within the State, and such are espcc-
tally the cases with which we are now dealing:
An attic npt to guaranty and protect revived
State Government, constructed In whole or I'D
prepondcrating part from the very element
against whose hostility and violence 1t " to DO
protected, is simply absurd. There must be n
test by which to separate the opposing elements,
50 rs to build only from the sound. and that
test is a sufficiently liberal one which accepts
rs sound whoever will make sworn recanta-
ton of his former unsoundness.
But if 1t be proper to require as n test OF adj
mission 10 the political body an oath OF allegi-
ancc 10 the Constitution Of the United States,
aud to the Union under 1t, why not also the
laws and procamations In regard To slavery
These laws aud proclamations were enacted aud
nut forth for the purpose of aiding In the sup
al, OF tt,.,r php NJ