The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1863-12-19
=. EAfPORIA, KANsAs sATURDAY. DECEMBER Isl 1853

of this, the liberal measures adopted in ref
erence to actual settlers, and the grant tG
the States of the overiowsd lands within
their limits in order to their being reelaim-
ed and rendered fit for cultivation, Tha
grant to railroad companies OF alternate
sections of lands upon the contemplated lines
Of their roads, hen completed will largely
multiply the facilities for reaching our dis
( tant possessions. This policy has received
/ its most signal and beneficial illustration 10
recent enactnents granting homesteads to
actual settlers since the 1st day of January
/ last, the before mentioned quantity of one
million four hundred and ffty-six thousand
five hundred and fourteen acre .aSsSand has
/ been taken up nndeF It's provisions. This
fact, and the amount Of sales, furnish g52t-
living evidence of the increasing settlemeu al
upon the public lands, notwithstanding The
! great struggle in which the energies of the
nation have been engaged, and which has
required so large a withdrawal Of our citi-
gems from their accustomed pun suits
cordially concur IN the recommendation o.
the Secretary of the Interior, suggesting a
modification of the act in favor of those
engaged in the military and naval service
of the United States. l doubt not that
Congress VIII cheerfullY adopt such meas
ures as will, without essentially changing
the general features Of The system, secure
to the greatest practicable extent is benefits
to those who have left their homes in de-
tense Of the country in this arduous crisis,
invite your attention to theyieWs Of the
Secretary of War as to the propriety Of
raising, by appropriate legislation, Teye.
nue. from the mineral lands Of the United
States. The measures provided at your
last session for the renewal of certain Iu-
dian tribes have been carried into effect
Sundry treaties have been negotiated whitl7
will induce them to be submitted for the
constitutional action Of the Senate. They
contain stipulations for extinguishing the
possessions and rights of the Indians to
large and valuable tracts Of land.
1t is probable that the effect Of these
treaties will result ia the establishment Of
permanent friendly relations with such Of
those tribes as have been brought into fre-
quent and bloody collision with our oudy-
ing settlements and emigrants. The sound
policy of, and imperitiye duty TO these
wards Of the Government, demand our aDx-
ious and constant attention t. their natural
we'll being, to their progress In the arts Of
civilization, and. above all, to that moral
training which, under the blessing of Oi-
vine Providence, will confer upon them the
elevated and sanctifying Influences of the
hopes and consultations Of the Christian.
faith. l suggested in my last annual mes
sage the propriety Of remedying our indian
system. Subsequent events have satisfied
me-of its necessity.
The deeails set forth in the report Of The
Secretary will eyince the urgent need for
immediate legislative action. I commend
the benevolence of The institutions estab-
lished or patronized by the Government, ia
tkis District to your generous and fostering
care. ---e.jI
The attention of Congress, during tue
session, was engaged, to some extent, With
proposition for charging the water com
munication between the Mississippi river
and the northeast seaboard, which PROPOSE
ton, however, failed for the time. Since
then, upon q call Of the greatest respecta
bility, a convention has been called at Chi
cago upon the same subject, a summary Of.
whose views is contained in a memorial ad.
dressed to the President and Congress, and
which I now have the honor to ley before
you. That this interest is one which ere
long will force its own way I DO not enter
tain 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 Oh
the Pacific Railroad, under auspices favor
able TO its rapid progress and completion.
Enlarged navigation becomes a palpable
need to this great road.
l transmit the second annual report Of
the Commissioners of the Department of
Agriculture, asking your attention to the
development in that vital interest oftbe ma
ton.
When Congress assembled a year ago the
war had lasted nearly twenty months, and
there had been many conflicts on both land
and sea, with varying results. The rebel
lion had been pressed back into reduced
limits, yet the tone OF public feeling aad
opinion at home and abroad was not salts
factory. With other signs, The popular
elections, just then passed, indicated uuea-
siness among ourselves. While amid much
that was cold and menacing. the kiadest
words coming from England were uttered
in accents of pity that re were loo blind
to surrender. Our commerce was suffering
greatly from a 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 com
merce from the sea and raise our blockade.
We had failed to elicit from European Gov
ernments anything hopeful upon this sub
ject.
The Emancipation Proclamation which
was issued in September, was running its
assigned period to the beginning of the new
year.
A month and the finsl proclamation came,
including the announcement that colorsd
man nf cnifa he condition rrnrld he raceit-sd