Year: 1862

WAsuINoToN. March 6-Thc President
to-day transmitted to Congress the follow
ing message.


Feilow-eitizens Of Tie Senate and House of


Representatives..


recommend the adoption Of a joint
resolution by your honorable bodies which
shall be substantially as follows.
Resolped. That the United States ought
to cooperate with any State. which may
adopt gradual abolishment of slacery.
giving to such State pecuniary aid to be
used by such State in its discretion TO
compensate for the inconvenience. public
and private, produced by such change of
system.


II the proposition contained in the reso-
luton does not meet the approval of Con-
gress and the country, there is the end; bnt
if it does command such approval. deem
it oi importance that the States and people
Immediately interested should be at once
distinctly notified Of the fact. so that they
may begin to consider whether to accept
or reject it. The Federal Government
would find its highest interest in such a
measure as one of the most efficient meas
ures of self preservation The leaders of
the existing insurrection entertain the hope
that the Government will ultimately be
forced to acknowledge the independence
of some part of the disalfected region. and
that all the slave States north Of such
points will then say. the Union for which
we have struggled being already gone. we
now choose to go with them. To deprive
them of this hope substantially ends the
rebellion, end the initiation OF emancipa-
ton completely deprives them of it as to
all the States initiating. The point is not
that all the States toleratine slavery wonld
very soon. if at all, initiate emancipation.
! but that while the offer is equally made to
all. the more northern shall by such initia-
tion. make it certain to the more Southern
that in no event shall the former Join the
latter in their proposed Confederacy.


/ say "initiation," because in my judg-
J ment gradual. and not sudden. emancipa-
/ ton is better for all. In the mere fnan-
cial or pecuniary view. any member oi
Congress. with the census tables and the
Treasury reports before him. can readily see
! for himself how very soon the current ex-
penditures of the war would purchase, at q
fair valuation, all the slaves in any named
7 State.


! Such proposition on the part of the
General Government sets up no claim ol
right by Federal authorityto to interfere with
slavery within State limits. referring. as il
does. the absolute control Of the subject in
each case to the State and its people imme-
diately interested. 1t is proposed as q
matter Of perfectly free choice with them,
In the annual message last December.
thought fit to say the Union must be pre-.
serve.l. and hence as indispensable means
must be employed. Isaid this not hastily
but deliberately. War has been, and con
tinues to be. an indispensable means tc
this end. A practical acknowledgment
of the national authority would render the
war unnecessary. and it would at once
cease. II. however. resistance continues
the war must also continue; and it is i'm
possible to foresee all the incidents which
may attend. and all the ruin which may
follow. Such as may seem indispensable
or NAV obviously premise greater efficiency
towards ending the struggle, must and VII
come


The proposition now made is an offel
only, l hope it may be esteemed no offense
to ask whether the pecuniary consideration
tenlered would not be of more value to tn,
States and private persons concerned than
are the institution and property in it. il
:be present aspect Of affairs? While it il
true that the adoption of the proposed res
olution would be merely initiatory, ant
not within itself practical measure. it j,
recommended in the hope that it would
sooner lead to important results.
In full view of my great responsibility
to my God and to my country earnestly
beg the attention Of Congress and the peo.
pie to the subject.


1 lSigned ABRAHAM LINCOLN.