The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1863-12-12

constant attention TO their material we'll
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 tn en- an ele.
waited and sanctitying influence IF the
hopes and consultations of the Christian
faith. suggested in my last Annual Mes
sage the Propriety of remedying our In
dian system. Subsequent events haze
satisfied me of its necessity The details
set forth in the report of the Secretary
Will evince The urgent need for immediate
| legislative action.
commend the benevolence Of the in
stitutions established or patronized by tne
| Government IN this distric. to your gener-
Gus and fostering care.
THE NATIONAL SHIP CANAL PROJECT.
The attention Of Congress- during the
! last session was engaged to some extent
with a proposition for enlarging the wa
/ ter communications between the Missis-
| sippi river and the north Of the eastern
seaboard, which proposition, however,
failed for the time Since then, upon a
, call Of the greatest Responsibility, con-
vention has been held at Chicago upon
the same subject, a summary of whose
views Is contained in a memorial addressed
to the President and Congress, and which
| now have the honor to lay before you-
That the interest is one which ere long
will force its own way, do not entertain a
doubt; while it is submitted entirely to
your wisdom as to what can be done now.
Augmented interest is given to this sub.
Ject by the actual commencement of work
UPON the Pacific Railroad Under th.a
auspices so favorable TO its rapid progress
and completion, enlarged navigation be-
comes palpable need to the great road
| transmit the second annual report of
the Commissioner of the Department O.
Agriculture, asking your attention to the
developments in that vital interest of the
nation.
Tue EEBEILIoy
When Congress assembled a year az,
the war had already lasted nearly twenty
months, and there had been many conflicts
on oolh lana and sea, with various results
The rebellion had oeen pushed back into
reduced Limits Yet the tone O. public
feeling an! opinion, at home and abroad.
was not satisfactory With other Sims
the popular elections, then lust passed, in
cheated une-siness among ourselves while
amid much that va. cold and menacing.
Ire kindeot words coming from Euiope
were uttered in accents of pity that we
were too blind to surrender our commerce.
which was suffering greatly trcn a few
armed essels which were Iuilt uaon and
furnished from foreign shores, and we
were threatened with such additions from
t:.s Sam" quarter as would sweep our trade
from the sea and raise our blockade We
....l4 2. l,st
mems anything hopeful upon this subject
The Emancipation proclamation, which
Wa i-~ued IN September, was running It's
assigned period TO the beginning of a new
year. month later the final proclama>
ton came, including the announcement
that Co!Orei men of suitable condition
would be received into the war service
The policy of emancipation and employ
ing black soldiers gave to the future a new
aspect. about which hope end fear and
ioGht ccutended in uncertain conflict
according to our po!ltica! system, as a
matter Of civil! administration the general
goygIaa4cEt had 40 lawful power 10 effect
emancipation In any state. and for long
tine !. lad been hoped that the rebellion
cel.a De suppressed without rcsoTting oit
as = military m'asUle /; Was ~! the
= a.ie deemed possible that the necessity
a..
the clisIs Of the contest would then be
presented 1t came, and, as was exy ected.
it was followed 10y dark and doubtful DAYS
Eleven months have been passed We are /
permitted To take another review Tie
Ivur. borders are pushed still fart her back .
and ~ tic complete opening Of the Ms f.
S.s>ir!-i river, tho country dominated over I.
10y the rebellion i divided into distant .
parts. W.Ih no practical connection between /
them. tennessee ara: ..iis&sas have been T.
suhs a-tialiy cleared Of rebel control aud
Influence, and the citizens in each, and /
owners OF slaves ard advocates q! slavery F..
al the lightning Of the rebellion. now de .
clare openly for emancipation III their &c .
spectivc States. OF those States no, in .
Guided in the Emancipation Proclamation. .
Mary land and Missouri, neither Of winch. +
years ago. would tolerate any restraint up /
on the extension of slavery into ,he new .
Territories, only dispute now as 10 the best .
mode OF removing it Within their own
limits
otthGse vino were slaves al the begin.
Ming OF the rebellion, fully one hundred
Thousand are nov ii the United States
mii.tarV service. about one half Of which
nHlaJ Der actually bear arms in the ranks,
thus giving the double advantage oil taking.
so much labor from the InsurEcnt cause,
and supplying the places which otherwise
must be file; with 50 many white men -
50 far as testrd, it i difficult To say that
they are not as good soldiers as any. No
ScTVille Instruction, or tendency to yio-
!encr or cruelty, has marked the measure
OF emancipation and arming the blacks
These measure have been much discussed
in foreign countries, and contemporary with
such discussion. the tone of the public
sentiment there is much improved. At
home the same measures hai been fully
discussed, supported, criticised, and de-
nounced; and the annual elections follow.
ing are highly encouraging 10 those whose
special duty it Is to bear the country
through this great trial
Thus we have the reckoning The crisis
which threatened 70 divide the friends Of
the Union is past Looking now to the
present and future, aul with reference to
Il resumption Of the national authority
within the states wherein that authority
has been suspended, | have thought iii to
issue a proclamation, copy of which is
herewith transmitted Ga examination of
this proclamation, it will appear, as is bes
liaved, amply justified by the constitution
True. the form Of an oath is gwen, but no
man is cOerced to take it. A man is only
promised pardon Il case lac voluntarily
takes the oath. The constitution autno- /
rIzes the Executive to grant pardons as is
fully established by judicial and other
authorities 1t also provides that il, in
any OF the states named, a state govern. !
ment shal! be, in the mods prescribed. set
up, such government shall be recognized
and guaranteed by the United States, and
that, under il, the state shall be protected