Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1863-12-10

the amount of direct revenue to be de-
rived from, the sale of them This opin-
ion has had controlling influence in
shaping legislation upon the subject of
our national domain | may cite, as an
instance of this, the liberal measures
adoptedsin reference to actual settlers;
the grant to the States of the overhowed |
lands within their limits, in order to t
their being reclaimed and rendered fit |
for cultivation; the grants to railroad I
accompanies of alternate sections of lands |
upon the contemplated lines of their roads |
which, when completed, viii largely null
tiply the facilities of reaching our distant |
possessions. This policy has received |
its most signal and beneficial illustra- |
ton intae recent enactments granting |
homesteads to actual settlers Since the |
first day of January last the before mem
| toned quantity Of ,456,514 acres of
land had been taken up under its pro-
] visions. This fact and the amount of
! sales furnish gratifying evidence of
the increasing settlements upon the pub
lie lands, notwithstanding the greatstrug-
/ gle in which the energies of the nation
have been engaged, and which has re-
4 quired so large withdrawal of our citi-
zens from their accustomed pursuits.
cordially concur in the Recommendation
i of the Secretary of the Interior, suggest
ing modification of the act in favor of
those engaged in the military and naval
service of the United States I doubt
not that Congress will cheerfully adopt
such measures as will, without essential
| ly changing the general features of the
system, secure, to the greatest practical
bic extent, its benefits to those who have
left their homes IN defense of their coun-
try in this arduous crisis.
! Invite your attention to the views of
the Secretary of War as to the propriety
of raising by appropriation of the Leg
islature areyenue fromthe minerallands
i of the United States
i The measures provided at your last
session for the removal of certain Indian
!, tribes have been carried into effect
Sundry treaties have been negotiated
which will in due time be submitted for
] the constitutional action of the Senate.
They contain stipulations for extin-
gushing the possessionary rights of the
Indians to large and valuable tracts Of
1 land.
4 1t is probable that the effects of these
!. treaties will result in the establishments
of permanent friendly relations with such
of those tribes as have been brought in
4 to frequent and bloody collision with
4 our outlying settlements and emigrants.
The sound policy and our imperative duty
to those wards Of the government demand
our anxious and constant attention to
their material well being, to their pro-
gress in the arts of civilization and
above all to that moral training, which,
j under the blessings of Divine Providence,
viii confer upon them the eleyating and
sanctifying influence of the hopes and
consultations of the Christian faith
suggested in my last annual message the
sIpropriety Of remodeling this Indian sys-
. tenn. Subsequent events have satisfied
me of its necessity. The details set
= forth In the report of the Secretary will
J, levince' the urgent need Of immediate
i Legislative action.
p l commend the benevolent Institutions
established or patronized by the Govern
y ment i'm this District to your generous
and1ostering care.
r The attention of Congress during the
: last session was engaged to some extent
! with proposition for charging the water
commnnications> between the Mississippi
and the Northern Atlantic seaboard
,, which proposition failed for the time
Since which time, on call of the great
; est respeetability, a Convention has been
4 called at Chicago, upon the same subject
7 the summary of whose views is contained
b / In a memorial addressed TO the President
anu congress, anu which i now nave Tny
e honor to lay before you. That this inter
i est is one which will ere long force it,
! own way, do not entertain doubt
o While it is submitted entirely to your
n wisdom as to what can be done, now
n augmented interest is given to this sub
= ject by the actual commencement @!
: work on the Pacific Railroad, under aus
b pices favorable to its rapid progress and
s completion Enlarged navigation be
comes palpable need to this great road
: Transmit the Second Annual Report O.
2 the Commissioner of the Department Of
/ Agriculture, asking your attention to the
, developments in that vital interest of the
+ / nation.
: When Congress assembled year ago,
5 the war had already lasted nearly
e twenty months, and there had been many
= conflicts on both land and sea, with va
rying results. 3 NtfAA A
e The rebellion had been pressed back
, into reduced limits, yet the tone of pub
/ lie feeling at home and abroad was not
e satisfactory. With other signs, the pop
: ular elections just past, indicated uneasi
7 ness among ourselves, while amid much
e that was cold and menacing, the kindest
: words coming from England were utter
II ed in accents of pity that we were toe
I blind to surrender. Our commerce was
S suffering greatly by a few armed
: vessels built pom and furnished from
: foreign shores, and we were threatened
3 with such additions from the same omar
ter as would sweep our trade from the
i sea and raise our blockade. We had
t failed to elicit from European govern
t. ments anything hopeful upon this sub.
f ject. The Emancipation proclamation,
which was issued in September, was
: running its assigned period to the be-
t ginning of the new year. RromIa
l. A month later the final proclamation
2 came, including the announcement that
= colored men of suitable condition would
T be received into the war service.
Ell The pollcy OF emancipation and the
( employment of black soldiers, gave to
e the future a new aspect, about which
: hopes, fears and doubts, contended in
: uncertain conflict. According to our
r political system, as a matter of civil ad.
{ ministration, the General Government
has no lawful power to effect emancipa.
5 ton in any State, and for long time it
i had been hoped the rebellion could
J, have been suppressed without resorting
$ to it as military measure.
e 1t was all the while deemed possible
g that the necessity for it might come and
q that if it should the crisis of the contest
would then be presented. 1t came, and
al as intended. 1t was followed by dark
S and doubtful days.
d Eleven months have been passed. We
r are permitted to take an other review
# The rebel borders are pressed still farther
5 back, and by the complete opening of the