Year: 1862

you by indissollube ties. Do this, Mr.
President, and you touch the American
heart and invigorate il with new hone
fou will, as we solemnly believe, in duo
Tune restore peace to your couhtry, lift /,
IRON dependency to a future glory, and
prserve your countrymen, their posteri,y
and mankind. the inestimable treasure oi
constitutional government.


Mr.. President, VIC have stated with
frankness and candor the reasons on
which we forbare to vote for the resolu-
ton you have mentioned; but you have
again presented this proposition, and ap-
pealed to us, with an earnestness and ell
oquencc which have not failed to impress
us, TO "consider it, and at the least TO
commend it to the consideration Of our
States and people"


Thus appealed to by the Chief Magis.
trate Of our beloved country, in the hour
( OF its greatest peril, we cannot wholly
decline. We are willing to trust every
question relating to their interest and hap.
piness to the consideration and ultimate
judgement Of our own people. Willie
differing from you as to the necessity of
emancipating the slaves Of our States as
means Of putting down the rebellion,
and while protesting against the proprie-
ty of any extra territorial interference to
to induce the people Of our States to
adopt any particular line of policy on
a subject which peculiarly and exclusive.
belongs TO them, yet when you and our
brethren Of the loyal States sincerely be-
lieve that the retention Of slavery by Us
is an obstacle to peace and national har-
mony, and are willing to contribute pc
cuniary aid TO compensate our States and
people for the inconveniencies produced
by such change Of system, we are not
unwilling that our people shall consider
the propriety Of putting it aside.


But we have already said that we re-
garded this resolution as the utterance Of
sentiment, and we had no confidence
that it would assume the shape of tan
gible, practical proposition, which would
yield the fruits Of the sacrifice it required.
Our people are Influenced by the same
want Of confidence, and will not consid-
er the proposition in its present impal.
pable form. The interest they are asked
to give up is to them Of immense i'm
portance, and they ought not to be ex-
pected even to entertain the proposal un-
til they are assured that when they ac-
cept it their just expectations will not be
frustrated. We regard your plan as
proposition from the Nation to the States
to exercise an admitted constitutional
right in a particular manDer and yield MP
a valuable interest. Before they ought
to consider the proposition it should be
presented in such tangible, practical,
efficient shape as to command theil con-
fidence that its fruits are contingent only
upon their acceptance. We cannot trust
anything TO tlrr contingencies OF future,
legislation. If Congress, by proper and
necessary legislation, shall provide sufii-
cient funds, and place them at your dis
posal, to be applied by you to the pay
ment of any of our States. or the citi-
zens thereof, who shall adopt the abol-
ishment Of slavery, either gradual or i'm
mediate, as they may determine, and the
expense of deportation and colonization
Of the liberated slaves, then will our
States and people take the proposition
into careful consideration. for such desi-
sion as in their judgment is demanded
by their interest, their honor, and their
duty to their whole country.


We have the honor to be, with grea;
respect,


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