Nebraska advertiser., 1864-12-22
The Presidents Message.

ers feel the greatest interest:
The war continues. Since the last an
nual message, all the important lines and
positions then occupied by u armies
have steadily advanced. thus liberatlng
the regions left in the a so that Mis-
souri,, Kentucky, Tennessee, and parts
of other States, have sgsin produced
reasonably fair crops.
The most remarkable feature of
the military operations of the year
IS Gen. Shermar's attempted march
of 800 miles directly through The
insurgent region. 1t tends to show a
great increase of our relative strength
that our GeneraLin- Chief should feel
able to confront and hold in check every
active force of the enemy and yet to de-
tach a well appointed army to move on
such an expedition. The result not yeI
being known conjecture IN regard to 1t
is not here INDUCED. Important move
ments have also occurred during the
year to the effect of moulding society for
durability in The Union, although short
of complete success il is much IN the right
direction that II 600 citlzens In each OF
the States of Arkansas and Louisiana
have organized loyal STATE Governments
with free constitutions and are earnestly
struggling to maintain and administer
them. The movement in the same dl-
r%ection, more extensive, thoughless def
nite 10 Missouri, Kentucky and Tennes-
see should not be overlooked but Mary
land is c u to liberty Union for all the
future. The genius Of rebellion will nc
more claim Maryland-like another fou.
spirit being driven out, it will seek to
tear her, bat il viii woe her no more.
At the last session of Congress a pro
posed amendment of the Constitution
abolishing slavery throughout the United
STATES, passed the Senate, but failed for
a lack of a two-third vote in the House,
| venture to recommend the passage Of
the measure al the present Congress.
OF course the abstract question is no
changed. but an intervening election
shows almost certainly that the nexI Con
gress will pass the measure if this deeS
not. Hence there is only a question of
time as 10 when the proposed amend.
ment will go to the STATES for their &C
lion, and as it is to go at all events, may
We no agree that he sooner the better
Il is not claimed that the election ha:
imposed a duty on members to chang'
their views or their vol s aIy fu the
than as an additional element TO be con
sidered. Their Judgement may be af.
fected by it.
It's the voice Of the People now fol
the first time heard upon the question:
Ia a grsat National crisis like ours, una
nlmi,y Of action among those soaking q
common end is very desirable almost in.
dispensable, and yet no approach to sucl
unanimi,y is aIIainable unless some de-
%ference shall be paid TO the will of the
majority, simply because ii is tho will Of
the majority.
In this case the common end is the
maintenance of the Union, and among
the means TO .secure that end, such will
through the election, Is most clearly de-
clared IN favor of such constitutional
.~usendRact. The n4esFrelabie in3iea-
ton of public purpose in this country i;
derived through our popular elections
Judging by the recent canvass and II:
result, the purpose of he people within
the loyal States TO maintain the integrity
of the Union was never more Arm. nor
more nearly unanimous than now.
The extraordinary calnness aud good
order with which the millions of voters
met and mingled at the polls, gave
strong assurance of this. Not ONLY
those who support the Union ticket sc
called, but a great majority of the
opposing party also may be fairly
claimed to be actuated by the same pur.
pose. 1t is an unanswerahle argumen'
that no candidate for any Office whatev.
er-high or low, has veniured 10 seek
votes on the avowal that was for giving
up the Union.
The election has exhibite d another
fact not less valuable TO be known-ths
fact that we do not approach exhaustion
In the most important branch of the ma
tional resources, that of living men.
While 1t is melancholy to reflect that
the war has filled so many graves, and
caused mourning TO so many homes, it is
some relief to know that, compared
with the surviving, the fallen have been
SO few. While corps and divisions brig
AIDES and regiments have formed aud
taught and bled, and gone out of exis-
lence, a great majority of the men who
composed them are still living. The
same is true of the Naval service. The
election returns prove this. So many
States regularly holding elections, both
now aud four years ago, tO-wit: Cali
%fornia, Connecticut. Della ware, Illinois,
Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Mary
land, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mime
sofa, Missouri, New Hampshire,
New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Ore
gon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island. Yer
m~enty+Apcss Virginia and Wisconsin cast
1882, OIL votes now against 3,770,2 22
cast then, showing an aggregate now of
3,398,2ll, 10 which is to be added SO.
1872 cast now in the new states of Kan
sas and Nevada, which States did not
vote in 1860; thus swelling the aggregate
TO 4,075,773, and the net increase du-
ring the three years and a half of war to
l45,95l.
To this, again, should be added the
number of al soldiers in the field from
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jer-
sew. Delaware Indiana. Ulinois and CaL-