Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1863-12-16

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eminent demand our nNious aud constant
attention to their material we'll being, to
their progress iu the arts OF civilization
and above all, to that moral uauiupw which,
under the blessing ul Divine Pro, iionce.
will confer upon tnum lhe elevated and
sancllyiug influences, the hopes and CON
soations OF the Christian nith
/ suggested in my last annual message the
propriety oi rCmudelllug our Indian sys-
tenn. Subsequent events have satisfied
me Of its necessity The details set forth
in thetepoft OF the Secretary eyinco the
urgent need for immediate legislative ac-
ZION.
commend the benevolent Institutions,
established or paroniled 10y the govern
ment 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 ennrcng the wator com
munication between the Mississippi river
X the northeastern seaboard, which propO-
sition, however, failed for the time. Since
then, upon call Of great respectabilty, a
convention has been held at Chicago up
on the same subject, summary OF whose
views i, contained in memorial address
ed to the President and Congress, and
which now have the honor to 10y before
YOU That this interest is one which, ere
! long, will force its own way, do not en-
rertain n doubt while it is submitted en-
| rrely Ia your wisdom rs to what can be
done now Augmented interest is gwen
to this subject hv the actual commencement
of work upon the Pacific railroad, under
auspices so favorable to rapid progress
and completion. The enlarged navigation
becomes a pGlpable need to the great
road.
transmit the second annual report OF
tho Commissioner OF the Department Of
Agriculture, asking your attention 10 the
developments in that vital interest Of tue
nation
When Congress assembled a year ago
:he war had already lasted nearly twenty
months, and there had been many con
hlcts on both land and sea, with varying
sesuts. The rebellion had teen 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, thea Just
past, indicated uneasiness among our
selves, while amid much that was cold
and menacing the kindest words coming
from Europe were uttered in accents oi
pity, that we were too blind to surren-
der hopeless cause. Our commerce was
suffering greatly by a few armed vessels
built upou and furnished from foreign
shores, and we were threatened with such
additions from the same quarter as would
sweep our trade from the sea and raise
our blockade. We had failed TO elicit
from European governments anything
hopeful upon this subject. The prelimi-
nary emancipation proclamation, issued in
September, was running its assigned peri
cd to the beginning of the new year. A
month later the final proclamation came,
! Including the announcement that c0iOred
! men OF suitable condition would be re-
ceivel into the war service The policy ot
I emancipation, and OF employing black sol
( diers, gave 10 the future a new aspect, a
bout which hope, and fear and doubt con
---- = - g., ...,~ ~,-'"i~ o0"Hio'. hooorIi~ q
to our political system, as a mltter Of Ciyi
administration, the general government
had no lawful power to effect emaucipa
tion in any State, and for long time i
/ had been hoped that the rebellion coulC
/ be suppressed without resOrting to il a.
( a military measure. It was all the Will,
deemed possible that the necessity fore il
might come, and that if it should, the cri
sis Of the contest would then be present
+ II came, and, rs was anticipated, it wa
followed by dark and doubtful days. Eley
en- months having now passed, we arc per
muted to take another review. The reblt
borders are pressed still further back anr
by the complete opening Of the Mississip
pi the country dominated by the REBEL
ion is divided into distinct parts, with NJ
practical communication between them
Tennessee and Arkansas have been sub
stantiaully cleared of insurgent control
and influential citizens in each, owners o
slaves and advocates of slavery at the be
ginning Of the rebellion, row declar,
openly for emancipation in their respec
tive States. OF those States not included
in the emancipation proclamation, Mary
land and Missouri, neither of which
three years ago, would tolerate any re
straint upon the extension of slavery into
new territories, only dispute now as t.
the best mode of removing it within
their own limits.
vi NllbNt WIZ were Sl1NtN dl Nllt btElu
ming Of the rebellion, full one hundred
thousand are now in the United State
military service, about oue-half of wEicl
number actually bear arms in the ranks
thus giving the double advantage of tax
ing so much labor from the lnsurgon
cause, and supplying the places whicl
- otherwise must be filled with so man,
white men. So far as tested it is diifcul
to say they are not as good soldiers rs any
, No serTile insurrection, or tendency l.
b violence or cruelty, has marked the meas
ures OF emancipation and arming tn
blacks. These measures have been mucl
} discussed in foreign countries, and con
b temporary with such discussion the ton
Of public sentiment is much improved -
r. At home the same measures have beer
fully discussed, supported, criticised an,
denounced, and the annual elections fol
, lowing are highly encouraging to thos,
, whose official duty it is to bear the coun
try through this great trial. Thus W
= have the new reckoning. The crisi
b which threatened TO divide the friends o
tho ITn;npt ig