, 1864-12-23


Walla Walla, W. T., Friday, Dec %, 1864
PRESIDENTS MEssAeE.-We give up
a large portion of our space in this weeks
issue to President Lincoln's annual mes
sage. The message is rather brief, and will
therefore be more generally perused on that
account. We presume the document is
open to criticism; at least it is the prevailing
custom among newspaper men to comment
upon documents of this kind. However,
we do not propose to enter into an extended
criticism of its merits and dement's at this
time. One thing is pretty certain, the mes
sage will be found loyal enough to answer
the expectations of the radicals generally.
The President announces his determina-
ton to stand by his emancipation proclama-
tion. For long time none but the con-
frmed radicals have doubted that he would
stand by the proclamation to the bitter end,
and his reiterating what was so apparent to
nearly every one was unnecessary. He ad-
vises the present Congress to pass an amend
ment to the Constitution, abolishing slavery
throughout the United States. He argues
that if the present Congress does not pass
theamendment the next Congress will; and
as it simply amounts to question of time
he thinks the sooner it passes the better.
The proposed amendment may pass this ses-
sion OR the next, but it will have no force
whatever until the rebellion is conquered.
The President says "the war goes on"
but he INDUCES in no conjectures as to the
period of time it will take to make it quit
going on. But be says the war will cease
on the part Of the Federal government when
ever it ceases on the part of those who com
menced it. That's the old story Of the "frst
gun" and is as much as to say, you let me
alone and I'll let you alone JEFF Davis
when alluding to the same tender point, in
variably says all he wants is to be let alone,
and manifests strong desire to quit fight
ing whenever Uncle Sam will quit pound
ing him. Lincoln says the single condi-
ton of peace is for the Confederates to cease
fighting, and Davis says the single condi-
ton of peace is for the Federals to stop
prosecuting the war Now if these are the
only conditions of peace, why cant they
stop fighting? We prefer the charge of
disloyalty against Lincoln for saying That
the one condition of peace is for the Con-
federates to cease fighting Only exacting
that one condition would be to virtually re-
cognize the independence of the Southern
Confederacy. Perhaps Mr.. Lincoln meant
to include in the one condition many other
conditions, such as submission to the federal
laws, submission to abolition, etc., but as he
holds others to a strict accountability for
what they say, we arraign him before the
bar of popular opinion for disloyaity to the
government, in using the language stating
bis one condition of peace.
Mr. Aincoln shows us that there were
more votes polled at the recent Presiden-
tial election in number of the Northern
States than were cast at the election four
years ago, and he argues from this that the
war can be continued indefinitely so far as
men are concerned. He says it is not ma
terial to inquire how the increase has been
produced, but that the election has demon
strated that we have more men now than
whea the war began" 1t may not be i'm
portant to Mr.. Lincoln to inquire how this
extraordinary increase in the popular vote
has been produced, but others will no doubt
take interest enough in it to throw some
light upon the subject. Over half mil
lion of men from the Northern States have
lost their lives in the war during the past
four years; add to this the increased vote
of all the Northern States over the vote of
four years ago, and the number would make
up total Of nearly or quite one million.
1t will hardly be believed that the voting
population of the country has increased du
ring the war, when it is considered that
50 many of the voting population have fallen
in battle during the same period. The ques-
ton is, where does the increased vote come
from and how was it obtained
The message discusses our relations with
foreign nations, and alludes to some of the
Insignificant powers, but says nothing about
our standing with France, England, Rus
sia, and powers that more nearl y concern
us But for particulars we refer our read
ers to the message, it will pay perusal
HOLIDAY AMUsEMENTs.- holiday
entertainments will be inaugurated tonight
by the Christmas Tree party of the Sunday