VOL. 49.
AMERICAN'VQhUNTEEII.
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY JIORNIN<* BY
JOHN B. BRATTON.
T E II M S
Sunscnn'TtON. —One Dollar and Fifty Cents; paid
fn advance; Two Dollars if paid within the your;
sod Two Dollars and-Fifty Cents, if npt paid'within
the year. These terms will bo rigidly adhered to in
every instance. No subscription discontinued until.
jJI arrearages are paid unless at the option of the
Editor, • ’ '
./\i)VßimPK>rßSTS—Accompanied by theoAsn, and
not exceeding, ono square,, will bo inserted three
tiilics for One Dollar, and twenty-five cents for each’
additional insertion. ' Those of a greater length in
proportion.
Joii-Phintixg- —Such ns Hand-bills, Postijig-bills,
Pamphlets, Blanks, Labels, Ac. Ao., executed with
Accuracy apd at tlio ahortes -notice.
.PRESIDENT'S-.MESSAGE.
J'ellow- Citizens of. the Senate and House of
Rcnresentatives f
•Since your lastannual assembling another
year of health and . bountiful harvests has
passed ; and While it has not pleased the Al
mighty to bless us with-a return of peace,"we
can but press on guided by the- best light He
pics us, trusting that inllisbwn good time
wise way all will .yet he well. .■ ..
The correspondence touching foreign affairs,
which has taken place during the.last year,
is herewith submitted, in virtual compliance
vviili a request to ■ that effect'made by the
Ihaise : of Representatives near the close of.
the last session of Congress. .
Foreign Relations,
If the condition of our relations with other
nations is less gratifying than it has usually
licen at former periods, it is certainly more
<iitisfiicto.ry than a nation so unhappily dis-.
triicted as ■. e are, might reasonably have ap
prehended. ... ,
In the,month of June last, there were some
grounds to expect that the maritime'powers,
which at the beginning of our.domestic dim
cullies, so unwisely and .unnecessarily, as we
think, recognized the. insurgents ajliolligor
citl, would soon recede from that position,,
which has proved only leas injurious to them
selves.'than to our own. country. But the
.temporary reverses, which afterwards bofel
the hatiunal arms and which were exaggera
ted by our,owudisloyal-citizens abroad, have,
hitherto delayed'that act of simple justice,—
flic civil war, which lias so radically changed
fur the moment the occupations and habits'
(ifihc.American'peoplo,. hast-' necessarily dis
turbed the social'Condition, and’affected very
deeply the, prosperity of the -nations with
■which -.we have carried on h commerce that j
lies bi'on steadily increasing throughout a i
periou of half a centuryi
It. lias,, at the same time,-excited political
viuhit p;i and apprehensions,"which-have-pro
,. i.ee.l a profound agitation throughout the
. /yktt.-«.,,l wiii'tii:- •In. this nnusaal-'.agitatioif
»e liii e fin-Uorno from ■ taking part in. any
■ ioittrov i-rny he.twoeh. lorcign state’s atid he
ti.-eoR parties or Iberians’in such Stat.es,
Wit have attempted no ’propngd,miisin anti
m-kmnvloilg.i.Hl no'revolution. But .we have, I
left to every natioti the exclusive conduct and
iminagumcnt of itsuw.ii affairs. .
. Onr struggle has been’of-course cdntem
p I kited by Im-eign nations withreli'i-onco-less
I" its own merits thnn to its supposed and.
often . exaggerated effects and consequences
resulting to those nations, themselves. Ke\-
iirtlioless, com pi itin t on the part of this gov
ernment, oven if it wore j ust, would certainly
ho unwise.-.
. The treaty with Great Britain for the sup
pression of the slave trade,has been put into
operation with a good prospect of complete
success. It is an occasion of special pleasure
to acknowledge that, the execution of it on
the part of Her Majesty’s Government has
been marked with a jealous respect for the
.authority'df the United States, and the rights
of their,loyal’and moral citizens. ...
The convention wi^h.Hanover for the abo
lition of the Siadt Dues, has been carried into
full client under the act of Congress for that
purpose.
A blockade of throe thousand miles of sen
const con hi not lie established and a igofmisly
enforce 1 in a season of great oompieroial ac
tivity I.ko the p-esont,' without c.anmitliug
occasional mistakes and inflicting uninten
tional injuries upon foreign.nations.anil their
subjects.' A oiv.il' war, occurring in a eonri-
I' y- where foreigners reside and carrying on
t adc under, treaty ,stipulations, is noucssari-'
ly fruittul of complaints of tiio violation of
■ Ucatral rights.- All such enllissinns tend to
excite misapprehensions, and possibly to pro
duce mutual reclamations betwesn nations
which lime a common interest in preserving
peace and friendship. In eleai-eases, ofthesc
kinds, I have, as-far as possible, heard aiid
redressed complaints which have boon'pre
sented by friendly powers.
•Ihero is still, however,, a large and aug
moutiug number of doubtful cases upon which
ic ,uovermnont..is - unable to agree with the
governments whose protection is'demanded
iv tin? claimants. There arc,, moreover many
cases in winch the United States or their cit
izens suffer wrongs from the naval or military
authorities of foreign nations, which the gov
ernments of these States are not atoneo pre
inn! f". 'i 01 ' 1 ' 0 * 3 ', 1 I ‘ av «. proposed to some
10 . lol £ n States, time interested, mutual
cunyeiitions to examine and adjust such oom
, This proposition has been made os
‘ y Gl '. oatßl 'itain, to Franco, to Spain,
i hall 1 U - SB,I V . In , cnob ■ n«wo it has been
Kimllj received, but has notyetbeon formal
in!m’ 1 ’ 1 ®' 1, 1 de . e ‘" U n, y dut y to'rooom'-
7'," appropriation in behalf of the own
i,wl!t ii’ 0 < .T,' VO S !an IjarkAdmiral P. Tord
vontkii i, W [| IC 1 veBsel was - in M, *y 18G1 - P>’«-
for™ <f y r, llo com mander of the blockading
wlf, Glllu ' les| on from leaving that port
tu ' '! C ? r '7 l ’’ notwithstanding a similar priv-
!° l l beGjro boon granted to an
cnnJ 11 !! ° d ' lo etcd the Secretary of State to
riin.i t l, °,P ft r ei 'B in the case to bo commit ni
en t<> tiio proper Committees,
nn l ,. ICi P* onR have been made to me by
,'ee Americana of African descent to
cul "'! 1C ' 1 em 'grntion, with a view to snob
i, , ullll, ' lltIl)n ns was contemplated in recent
mid i Goll Kress. Other parties, at homo
otii , I(lad —smno from interested motives,
c-. 8 ! 3 P atl '‘«tio considerations, and still oth
li'uvo" 1 v enco(l G y pliilanthropic sentiments,
(|,,, n similhr measures; while,-an
ioim li ' lul ! d > Be voral of tlie Spanish Atiior
fieodh r f' d '° have protested against I lie
te rrito'n e s SUob oobjn * os to their respective
Is mm.° r tlleso c 'rcnmstanco3l liayo declined
cut « “""y colony to any State with--
'iiinu ' alu '"S:.tho consent of its govorri
reivu’ai I ' R " n S r «finient on its p-u-t to re
ridn» J’roteet sudi emigrants in all tiio
Pnio , IC i° mon - And I have at the same
"''thin il! , to . tbo kov ‘‘ral States situated
to nomit! 'i ■ ro P u;s or liaving colonies tlierd,
JiUiJ ,i 11 ” "■ Jth them, subject to the advice
“ Mwdul ol the Seuiitf, to favor the vol
untary emigration of persona of that class to
their respective territories, upon conditions,
which shall be equal, just and humane.
Liberia and llriyti are as yet the only
countries to which colonists of African de
scent from hero could go with certainty of
being received and adopted as citizens, and I
regret to say that such persons ns contemplate
> colonization donotseeni so willing to migrate
to those countries as to some others, nor so
. willing as I-think their interest demands. I
believe, however, the opinion among them in
'this respect is improving, and that ore long
there will .be an augmented.and considerable
might'ion to both these countries from the
United States.
The now commercial treaty between the
. United States and the Sultan,of Turkey has*
been carried into execution. A commercial
‘and consular treaty has been negotiated sub-,
jeot to the Senate’s consent with Liberia, iind
a similar negotiation is now pending with
the RepubUo'rif Ilayti. A-considerable im
provement of the national 'commerce is ex
pected to result from these measures.
Our relations with Great Britain, Franco,
Spain, Portugal, Russia, Prussia, Denmark,
Sweden,- Austria, the Netherlands, Italy,
Roino. and the other European States, remain
undisturbed;. A T ory favorable, relations also
continue to be maintained vyith Turkey, Mo
rocco, China and Japan.
• During the last year there has not only,
been ho change of our previous relations with
| the independent States ot oiir.own continent,
but-more'friendly sentiments than have here
tofore existed arc believed to bo entertained
by those neighbors, whose safety arid progress
arc so. intimately connected with our own.
This statement especially applies to Mexico,
Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Honduras, Peru and
Chili. , ■
The Commissioh-iinderthe Convention with
the Republic hf Now Grenada closed its sess
ion without having .audited and passed upon*
all the claims which were submitted to it.-..A
proposition is pending to revive the. Conven-,
turn, that itmay. beablo to'do more complete
justice..
. The joint 'commission between the United
States and the Republic of Costa Rica, has
completed ■ its ,labors. arid submitted its re
port.;
I Itttve favitred the ; project for connecting
.(ho United States with Europe by uu. Atlan
tic telegraph,- and a similar project to, extend
the telegraph from San Francisco to Connect
by. a I’ic'fic telegraph with the lino .'which is
being extended across the Russian Empire,
The Territories of the U. S. '
The territories of the United States, with
unimportant, exceptions, 'have remained.un
d slat-bed by the-oivij war, and they are ex
ihiting such evidence of. prosperity as justi
fies an expectation that-smiie of them..will
soon be in, a condition, to be.organized, as
Stales,'and be .Constitutionally admitted -into
the Federal Union. The immense mineral
resources of some of these tori-iturlds uuglit to
Ini developed as rapidly as possible.- -Every
s ep in djiat divee.i-m '-,v..uhl havq a tendency.
ih unpriiva Ilia r.cvomte.s of I ho-Government
■a .d 4'tothi-di the burdens of the people.’ ft
(sovonlty ul your serious 'consideration wheth
er some cviiaordit-.ai-y measures' to' promote
ilttif cud e..und; be adopted. , ’.-
. ’ldle m"ans which suggests itself as. most
.likely to ho etieeiive i.s a scientific exploration
of the mitioral-regions in .those territories,
with a v'ew to tlm publication of itsTostlt at
•home and in foreign tint if os—a result which
cannot lai.t to he auspicious.
The C.vrye/wy Question.
The condition of (ho finances’will , claim
your -most diligent consideration. " Tho vast
expenditures incident to) the military and
naval operations'required fur the suppression
of tho rebellion, have hitherto boon met with
'a promptitude and certainty unusual in sim
ilar. circumstances,-.and the public credit has
been fully maintained. ' .-
Tiio oniftinuaiiflo of the war,'however, and
the increased disbursements made.necessary
by the augmented forces.now in the field, do :
iiiand your best "redactions ns'to. the' best
nniiles of providing the necessary revenue,
.without injury,to busincst,and with the least
possible bunion upon labor. ■
T ie suspension of specie p'aymont .by the
banks, soon after the commencement of your
lust session made large issues of . United
Suites note ■ unavoidable. In no other way
.could the. | ayai.cnt of the troops,, and’the sat
isfaction of other j ust demands be so econom
ically, or so well provided for.
Tlie. judicious legislation .of. Congress se
curing the rceeivability nf those notes for
hums and'internal duties, and making them
a legal tender for other debts, has made them
a universal eurrenhy, and has satisfied, par
tially, at least, and for the time,'tiio long felt
want of a uniform circulating medium, say
ing thereby to the people, immense sums, in
discounts and exchanges. 1
A return to specie payments, howoyer, at
the earliest period compatible with duo re
gard to all the interests concerned, should
ever b 6 kept in view-. Fluctuations in tho
value of ourronoy are always injurious, and
to reduce these fluctuations to tho lowest
possible point will always bo a leading pur
pose in wiso legislation. Convertibility—
prompt and certain convertibility into obin is
generally acknowledged to bo the best and
surest-safeguard against them, and it is ex
tremely doubtful whether , a circulation of
United States notes, payable in coin, and suf
ficiently largo for tho wants of tho people,
can bo permanently, usefully, and safely
maintained. Is there then any other mode
in which tho necessary provision for the pub
lic wants can bo made, rnd tho great ad van-,
tage.s of a safe and uniform ourronoy se
cured ?
I know of none which promises .snob cer
tain results, and is, at the same time, so un
objectional, as tho organization of banking
associations, under a general act of Congress,
well guarded in its provisions. To snob as-
sociations tho Government might furnish cir
culating notes on the security .of United
States bonds, those notes prepared under the
supervision of proper officers, being uniform
in appearance and security, and convertible
always into coin, would at once protect labor
against tho evils of a vicious currency, and
facilitate commerce by cheap and safe ex
changes. A moderate reservation from tlie
interest on tlie bonds would compensate the
United States for tho preparation and distri
bution df tho notes and a general supervision
of the system, and would lighten tho burden
of that' part of tho public debt employed as
securities. Tho public credit, moreover,
would bo greatly improved, and the negooi
ation of now loans greatly facilitated by° tho
steady market demand forGovormnont bonds,
which the adaption of ■ tho proposed system
would create.
It is an additional recommendation of tho
measure, of comidorablo weight in my judg
ment, that it would reconcile, ns far as possi
ble, all existing interests, by the opportunity
offered to existing institutions, to reorganize
under tiio net, substituting only the secured
uniform nation circulation.' for the local and
various circulation 'secured and unsecured,
now issued by them. >
The Finance.!.
The receipts into the Treasury, from till
sources, including loans and the balance from
the preceding year, for the fiscal year ending
on the,3oth of Juno, 18112, were $583,885,-
247 00—of which sum 830,050.370 02 wore
derived from customs, 81,705,331 73 from tho
direct tax. From public lauds, §152,203 77;
from miscellaneous .sources, §031.787 0-b;
from loans in all forma, §529,002,405 50.
§2,287,005 HO, was the bal-
The remainder,
nnco from bust year
The .disbursements during the same period
wore—•
For Congressional, Executive
and Judicial purposes,
For foreign intercourse,
For miscellaneous expenses,
. including the mints, loans,
post-office deficiencies, eol
. lection of revenue end oth
er like charges,
For ospen.es under the Into-,
’ rior'Departmonf, 3.-102.085 53
Under the War'Department, 301,305,-107 3,0
Under the Navy Department, ■ 42,074,509 09
For int’gt on the public deh'f,P 13,199,32-1 45
For payment of- the'public. , «,
■ debt,'including-the .roim- ;
. hursemont of thc.tninpura--'-
ry loan and redemption, •; 90.09,0,902 01)
Making an aggregate of • §571),8-l 1,703.20
And leaving a balance .in the Treasury on
the Ist day of July 1802,.0f’&[3,04i!,541>.51.
, It should ho observed that the suin'of SOu,-
096,922 Oil expended fur.the'reimbursements
and rodeniptiiin of the' public debt being in
cluded ajsii in the loans made,-may ho-prop
erly deducted both from the receipts atid ex
penditures, leaving -the actual receipts fur
the year, fr-1.H7.788 324 Sl7, anil the expendi
tures f-174,7-14,788.10.
O.lior information on the subject of lli-a
finances tylll.be (oniul-in I lie report, of tiro
Secretary of the Treasury, to whose -state-,
incuts and views 1 invite year' most candid
and ctiasidciate attention.
■ The reports of. the Secretary of War ami of
the Navy ate herewith.transmitted. These
reports, though lengthy, rive-scarcely m/.-tro
Than brief abstracts of (lie very niuiieruiis
and extensive transactions, and operations,
conducted through, these; Departments. Nor
could I give a summary of them here upon
nny.priheiplo which would admit i.fit being
much shorter than the reports themselves, .1
therefore content myself with lay lug the re
ports before you-and asking youi- attention to
them.
It gives me, pleasure to, report a"decided
improvement in the liniuic'n! eoiidit.oVi of the-
Post-office Depart merit. As compared with
several preceding years, the receipts'for the
fiscal year'lB(sl, amounted to §8,349;2%,41),
which omlirwced-revenue troiu all the-Stales
of Lite Union for Ihreo-qnufters of l-mit years.
Notwithstanding the cessation-of revenue
from the so culler! sece l ing Etatos during the.
lust fiscal year, the in.ire use of tho oorres
r-miletiee of tho loyal States hits'been -sufii
linit to produ'em tv revchiu! during same ymr,
ol §8,33'.).820,90, being nttiy Soil,ooo less titan.,
was duri’ved fr'ml all tho Btifc«of the Union
during the'previous year. The expenditures'
.show a tlil.l.m-rc favorable result.. The
amount expended in 1811, was §13,606,705,-
41. For the, last year the amount has been'
reduced tc si I. !25,3!)4 13, shuwinga decrease
of- about §3.481 SOU in the expenditures as
..bomptVod' with tho preceding year, and
.about.§3.7so,ooo'as compared with lito fiscal
year 4861). ...,'.
The. deficiency in tho Department for the
previous year ' was , §4.777,966,98. For the
last fiscal year it was reduced to §2,112,814,
57. 'These (avm-ahb results tire in part ow
ing to tho cessation of nm'il service in the in
snrj-octiomiry Slates, and in'part-to a care
ful review of. at I tfie expenditures in that De
partment on the interist of economy, -Tho effi
ciency of tho postal service, it is believed, has
also been much improved.
This P. M. General lias also opened a cor
respondence-. through the Department ■o!
State-with foreign governments proposing a
convention of postal representatives, for-the
purpose of simplif, ing the rates of foreign
postage, and to expedite, the foreign mails.
This proposition, equally important’to our
adopted citizens and to the commercialinter
ests. of this Country,-has been lavorabltry en
tertained - and'agreed to by all, tho govern
ments from whom replies have been received.
I ask tho attention of Congressmen to tho
suggestion of the Postmaster General, in .his
report, rosneoting (lie further legislation-,re
quired, inUtis 1 opinion, for tho benefit of the
postal service. ,
The Public hands.
Tlie-Secretary of the Interior fepni-ls as
follows in regard to tlie public lands;
The public .lands have, -ceased to lie n
'source, .of. revenue. From the Ist of -inly.
180-1; to tho 30th of Sop'emhoi-, 1802, the en
tire casli receipts from the sale of lands were
& 137,-170,26 —a sum much less than the ex
penses of our land system during tho same
period.
The Homestead law, which will take effect
on tho first of January next, offers such in-'
duuements In settlers-that sales for cash can
not ha oxf-euted to an extent to
meet tlje expenses of the General Band Office,
and tho cost of surveying and bringing (he
land into market. Th.o discrepancy between
tho sum hero stated as arising from the sales
of tho public lands- and- tiio sunn derived
from tiio, same source as reported (rom the
Treasury Department, arises, as. I under
stand, from the fact that Hie periods of time,'
though apparently wore not really coincident
at the beginning point—the Treasury report
including a considerable sum now wliioli had
provimisly boon reported from tlie Interior,
Biifiioioiitly large to greatly overreach the sum
derived from tho throe months now reported
upon by tho Secretary of tiio Interior, and
not by the Secretary of the Treasury.
The Indian Tribes.
The Indian tribes upon onr frontiers have,-
during the past year, manifested a spirit of
insubordination, and at several points have
engaged in open hostilities against the white
settlements in their vicinity. Tiio tribes oc
cupying tho Indian country smith of Kansas
renounced their allegiance to tho United
States, and entered into treaties with the in
surgents. Those who remained loyal to the
United States wore driven from the Coun
try. , , „
Tho Chief of the Cliorokees has visited
this city for tho purpose of restoring tho for
mer relations of the tribo with tho United
States. He alleges that they wore constrain
ed by a superior force to enter into treaties
with the insurgents, and that the United
States neglected to furnish tlie protection
which their treaty stipulations required.
In tlie month of August Inst, tho Sioux In
dians in Minnesota attacked tho settlements
in their vicinty with extreme ferocity, killing
“OUR COUNTRY—MAY IT ALWAYS BE RIGHT—BUT RIGHT OR WRONG OUR COUNTRY.'
*■ CARLISLE, Pxi,, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11,1861
$5,939^009.29
1.339.710,35
11,'129,771 50
anil improving tlie'lllinois fiver, is‘preso:rf.ed
in lire report of. Col. W.ebstor to tho Soor.otary
of.W.tiri lind now. trnnsmitted'to Congress. I
rcsijoctfnlly.ftiiknttoritiorito.it..':
Ayncnlluraf,
To carry orifc-the provision of. tho act. of
.Congress-of the 15th of May last, I Have
caused the Department of..A"rioultur<r of the
Dili led' Staten to bo organised. Tire Commis
sioner'infirmis lire that, witlrnr a- period of a
few months,'that department! has established
i\h ■ extensive 'system.of correspondence and
exchanges, both afhome and, abroad, which
promises to cfTerti hig-hly-boneliuiul results in
•the dovdlopmortl of correct .knWledgo of re
cent improvements in agricultural, in tiro in
troduction of-, new prodnutsvuiid in tire col
lection ; cf- the ligricultiuo ctadslics of the
dilTeverit Stales. , !
Also, that it. wilV-qo'.'.u to dui
tribftte largely, sjod.i, : cereal’s, plants and cut
tings, and Iras already published aitd.liberal
ly. dill'll sod:' nr itch .valuable, information,. in, nn
'tiuipatiori of a more elaborate report, which
will .in dire time bo furnished, embracing
sonic valuable tests.in chemical science now
in .progress in tiro laboratory.'
■ Tiro creation of this Department was for the
.more imiheiliuto hobcUfc ui'a largo class of our
m.) h st. valuable citizens, iiml I.trust that (he
liberal basis upon which ic h.as boen'organiz
c.t will not only, meet your approbation, but
that it will realize, at no distant <lay all the
fondest anticipations -.(# its in oat sanguine
friends and become Uio soaro’o of advantage
16 all our people.
Slavery and Emancipation,
On Hie £23'day .of September last, a pro
clamation-was isHuod by the Executive, a co
py ol which is herewith submitted, lii ae
u.irdarico with tfio purpose, expressed in the
second paragraph of that paper, "I now, res
pect l.u))y 'recall your attention to what may
he called .“ o.mvp jnsatiem' emancipation."
A nation may he said to consist .of its ter
ritory, its! people,and its laws,. The territory
is the only part which is of certain durabili
ty. “ Ono ’ generation passoth and another
emnelli, ijut tlio. partli-auidclh forever.” It
is of tlie first importance to duly consider
and estimate this.cvcr enduring fact. That
portion of-tho,oaf.th’s-surfaeo, which is owned
and inhabited by the'.people, of the United
States, isnvcll adapted to ho the hpino of one
national famUy-and it is'not-well adapted for
two or more. Its vast extent and. its variety
of-climate and productions are' of advantage
in lliis ago for one people. Whatever they
might have been in'former ages; steam, tele
graphs and inventions have brought those to
ho an 'advantageous' combination for One
united people. '.ln the, inaugural' address, I
briefly pointed out the total inadequacy of
disunion as a remedy for the differences be-
tween the people of the two sections., " I- did
so in language-which.l.cannot improve, and
which, therefore, X hog leave to repeat: ;
“ One. section pfbur country bclioros slaw
cry is fight and ought to ho extended, while
tli’o other belieye's,it is wrong niid'ought hot
bo extended.''-'This is the only, substantial
dispute. The fugitive slave clause of the
Constitution and the law for the suppression
of the foreign slave trade, are each as well
enforced perhaps, as any laws,can over, bo in
a community where the'.moral sense of the
people imperfectly supports tlio law itself.
The great body of the people,.abide by tlio
dry legal obligation in both oases, and a few
break over in each. This. I think, cannot
bo perfectly cured, and it would'bo worse in
both cases after the separation'of the sections
limn before, The lor.eign.-slavo trade, now
ini perfectly su ppressod,would ho ultimately re
vived without resttiotion in ono.soction, while
fugitive slaves, now only partially surrender
ed'!’would not ho surrendered at all by the
other.
Physically speaking, wo cannot separate.
Wo cannot remove our respective , sections
from each other, nor build impassable walls
between them. A husband and wife may bo
divorced and got out of the presence and be
yond the reach of each other, but the differ
ent parts of our country cannot do this.
They cannot but remain face to face, and in
tercourse, either amicable or hostile, must
continue between them. It is possible, then,
to make that intercourse move advantageous
or more satisfactory after separation than be
fore ? Oan aliens hiako treaties easier, than
friends can make laws ? Can treaties be
more faithfully enforced between aliens than
laws can among friends? Suppose you go to
war-you cannot tight always, andl whom
after much loss on both sides, and. no gain
on cither, you cease fighting, the identical
old question nnjta terms of intercom so aio
aS aM.ori ) is n no o “iue, straight or crooked, suita
ble for a national boundary upon which to
dhido Trace through from east to west,
upon the lino between the free and the slave
country, and wo shall find a little more than
a third of its length are rivers, easy to bo
crossed and populated or soon to bo populat-
indiscriminately men, women and children.
/I'liia attack was wholly unexpected, and
therefore no moans of defence had boon pro
vidod. It is estimated that nirt less than
eight hundred persons were hilled hy the In
dians, and a largo amount of property wain
destroyed. How this outbreak was induced
is not definitely .known, and suspiui' ms which
.'may'bo u'njuafncod not be stated.’■
Information was received by -the Indian
Borean, • from ,different source's, about the,
, timohostilit.ioswerocommenocd, that-ii sinuil
.tanepus’ attack 'was. to ho, male upon' the
white settlements, by nit the Indian tribes bps
tween the Mississippi river and the, .Hooky
MounUtins. The State of; .Minnesota has.
suffered great injury from.'ihi-; Indian war..
A largo pni tion. of her territory has been da--
populated and a severe loss- has been sustain
ed by the deetruotioirof property. Tho petit
pie of that. Slate manifest, much .anxiety for
the removal of the tribes beyond theTunits-of
the State as a guarantee against future hostile
ties. The' Commissioner of Indian Affairs
•will furnish full details. ■
I submit fur your . ospfeiul-consideration
whether our Indian system -blu II not be i;c- .
mudollr-d. .Many wise and. good, men have,
impressed me with the belief th.it-this dan be
■profitably done. ■ ■■
‘ l’ac I fie 'Railroads', vtv
I submit a.statement .of the proceedings of
the Commissioners, which shows the.pi-ogress
that has been jnado 'in .(lie enterprise' of. Cun-'
slriieting the I’acifia railroad ; and ..this sug
gests the, earliest .completion of tins road band
also the favorable act,inn of Congress-upon
l tie projects now pending before them "for 'en
larging the capacities of" tho groat canals in
New York.and, Illinois, aa being of vital arid
rapidly .increasing,'importance to the whole
nation, and especially,to the vast interior'
region hereafter- to hd-notiodd at some great
er. length. .1 purpose -bavin.)!; prepared and
lin’d before yjm', : ai an , early day, -some inter
esting -and valuable statistical .information
upon tins subject. ,-.
The military and commercial importance
of enlarging the Illinoisjand Michigan Canal,
ed, thickly upon both sides, while nearly all
its .remainin'); length are merely surveyor’s
Hues, over which people, may walk back and
forth, ■ without any .consciousness of their
presence.' .No part of this line can bo made
any-more difficult to pass hy writing it down
on paper or parchment as a national bound a-
■Xhe fact of separation, if it combe, .gives up
on the part of tlio seceding section, the fugi
| tivo slave clause, along .vitli all other consti
tutional obligations upon the sections socod
.ed .from, • "while I should expect no treaty
stipulation would ever bo made to take its
place."", But'there is another difficulty. The
great interior, region bounded cast by the Al
leghenies, north by, the British, dominions,
■west,-by the Bosky Mountains, and south bv
the lino along .which.the culture of corn and
cottdn nioets, and which includes part of Vir
gimaf.part of Tennessee, ■' all. of ’Kentucky,
Oiiib, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois,
Missouri, KantSas, lowa, Minnesota, and the
Territories ofDacotah, Nebraska and pav't-of
■Colorado, already .. has about ten millions of
people,..and will have iifty millions .within
fifty, years, if not- prevented, by any political
fotly .or mistake 1 . It contains more than, oiiov
third of the country owned by the United
StatM, ccrtaiiily more t-liaii one million of
square .miles. One '•half as; populous "as
Mussilu'huSetts already ' is, it : would -have
.more than seventy-live million's of people! A
glume at the .may shuivs. that, territorially
speaking, it is the great body of the republic'.
Tho'otlicr.parts are but marginal.b irders to 1
this maginiioicut region' sloping west from
■the - Kooky. Mountains to the .-Pacific, being
the deepest’and also the ricbeat.in undevel
oped resources, ' .
In flip- productions of provisions, grain,
grasses, and all which .proceed front them,
this great interior region is naturally one of
the most impmtant in.llia world.- Ascertain
from the statistics the small- proportion, of
this region which has just been brought into
cultivation, and also tlio largo' and rapidly
increasing amount of its products, and wo
shall be overwhelmed -withtlie-magnitude of
the prospect presented. Aijd.this.region lias
m seat coast—touches, no ocean anywhere.-
As part of one .'nation its people, now finil,
and may forever find, their way to Europe
by iS T ow York, to South America and Afi;iea
by New 'York, to South America and Africa
by'New Orleans, and to -Asia by S.in Ui-an
.cisoo ; hut separate oiir common country
-i-ito two nations, as designed by. the.present
rebellion,‘and-very many of tills'groat inte
rior region is thereby out off from some. One'
or mure of the outlets, net-only by a physical'
harrier but by -embarrassing mid onerous
trade regulations.-' And this is tnio whenev
er advantage or boundary, lino.may be fixed.
I‘iac'o it between .the 1 now .free and slave
country', or .'place it silutli -of Kentucky or
north of Ohio, and’ still.the truth remains,
that none south'of it Caii trade to any port or
place' north of it, expect upon .terms'dictated - ,
by a Government foreign to. Thom. These
outlets; Hast'; ,IVfiat,■ and South, aye-indispen
sable to the well being of'the people inhabit
ing aiid to inhabit this vast interior region.
, Which of tho-.thi-ec may be;the best is no
proper question ; all-are better than, oituoiv
and all of right'belong to that people and; to
their,successors forever., Ti;uo'to'themselves,
they will not ask'whore a lino of separation
shall bo, but will vie, rather that there shall
ho no such line. Nor are the, marginal rc
rogions loss'interested; in tlio cdmmunieation
fo mid through ''thorn to the groat outside
world. They, too, and-each of them mus
have access to this Egypt of the West, with
out paying foil for. the crossing of any nation
al boundary..
■Amendments to the Constitution Projiaset
and Considered at Lcnr/th
Our national strife springs not -from our
permanent past, not from the land wo inhab
it. not from,our national homestead. There
is no possible severing of this, hut would
multiply-. mid not mitigate evils among us.
luall its adaptation and aptitudes, it demands
union aiid .abhors fact, it
would ore long foroo reunion, however much
of blood and treasure the s'eparalio i might
have oust. Our strife per ains to ourselves,
to the passing generation of mon f and it can.
■without convulsion ho crushed forever with
the passing of one generation. In this view
1 recommend the adoption of the following
resolution’ and. articles, amendatory .to the
Constitution of the United States :
.-. Resolved, By the Senate and house of Rep-'
rosoiitatives of the -United States of America
in Congress assembled,' two-thirds, of both
Ileuses concurring, that the following articles.
ho proposed to the legislatures dr conventions
of several States as amendments to the con
stitution of the United States, all or .any of
widen articles when ratified by three-fourths
of the said legislatures or eon volitions, to bo
valid as part of. or parts of said. Constitution,
viz.
Article.—Every State, wherein slavery now
exists, which shall abolish Hie.same.therein,
at any time or times before the first day of
January, in tlio year of onr Cord duo thou
sand nine hundred, shall receivecom.penso.trun
li'om. the United States as follows to wit.
The President of tho United Ejlatcs .shall
deliver to every each State, bouda of tlio Uni
ted Slates, hearing interest at the rate of—
for each slave shown to have been therein, by
the eighth' census of this United States, said
bonds to be delivered to such States by in-
stalmonts, or in one parcel at the completion
of the abolishment, accordingly as ,tli.o same
shall have boon gradual, or at onetime with
in such.. Stata, and interest shall, begin to
run upon any such bonds only from the prop
er time of its delivery as aforesaid; Any
State having received bonds as aforesaid, and
aftorvyards re-introducing or tolerating sla
very. therein, shall refund to the United
States the. bonds so received, or the value
thereof, and all interest paid thereon. .
' Article—All slaves win shall have enjoyed
actual freedom by the chances of the war at
any time before the end of the rebellion, shall
bo forever free, but all owners of such who
shall not have boon disloyal shall bo compoij:
eatod for them at the ralno rates as is provi
ded for States adopting tho abolishment o
slavery, hut in such a way that no slave shall
ho twice accounted for. .
Article—Congress may appropriate money
and otherwise provide for Colonizing free col
ored persons, with their own eminent, at any
place or places,^'without tho United States. .
I bo"- indulgence to discuss those proposed,
articles at some length. Without shivery,
rebellion would never have existed; without
slavery it could not continue
Among tho friends of tho Union there is
great diversity of sentiment and of policy in
regard to, slavery and tho African race
amongst uSi Some would perpetrate slavery ;
some would abolish it suddenly, and without
compensation ; soino would remove the freed
people from us, and some would retain them
with us ; and there are yet other minor
diversities. -Because of these diversities, wo
waste much strength in struggles among our-
selves.
, By mutuul concession, we should harmon
ize and not together. This would ho compro
mise, but it would bo ooiuprotniso among the
friends, not with the enemies of the Union.—
Those articles arc intcndol to embody apian
of such mutual concessions. - If the plan
shall be adopted, it 5,3 assumed that .emanci
pation would follow, at least in several of the
.States. ■■ ■ ; .
As to the first article the main points are :
first, —thooniauoipation ; secondly, the length
of lime for .consummating it,, thirty-seven,
years ; and thirdly, the Compensation., ,
The emancipation will lib unsatisfactory to
the advocates of'perpetual .slavery, but the
length of time should greatoiy mitigate their
dissatisfaction.. The time'spares both races
from tji'o evils of sudden derangement, in
faeffrom the necessity of any derangement,
■while most of those whose liberal course of
thought will 'bo disturbed by the measure
will have passed away before its consumma
tion! •' .They will-novcr see it.
■ Another, class will bail the prospect of
emancipation, but will deprecate the length
pf time. They will feel- that it gives' too lit
tle t-.i the now living slaves. Bat it really
gives them, much. It saves them from the
vagrant destitution ,• which must largely at
tend immediate, emancipation iirioealitfcs
vi'licro tlieir .numbers are very great, and it
gives inspiring- assurance that their posterity
.'shall, be free, forever, .The plan leaves it to 1
pitch;State; choosing to-act'under it, tu-abol-
ish slaverynow, or at tboebd of the century
-or at any -intpvouiiliato time, or by.degfclis,
.extending over the whole or any part of (he
period,‘and i t obliges no. two -Slates, to.pro
ceed alike. ‘
It aJsij provides f.ir compensation .arid gen
erally, the mode of malting it. This,' it weald
seem-, mast further mitigate the dissatisfac
tion of' those who favor perpetual slavery,
ami especially of these who are to receive the
■compensation. Doubt loss some of those who
are to pay, and not to • receive, will ■ object:
yet the pleasure is both just-and economical.
In-a certain sense,; the liberation"of sieves, is
.the destruction of property. Property ac
quired by dcscentor by purchase.is flic same
infany other property. ,It is on loss true'for
I'm ving been often said, that the popple of the
youth are nut move responsible for the origi
nal introduction of this property than are the
people of the North, aiul when it is remem
bered how unhesitatingly wo all use cotton
nnd.sugar, and ahare the profit in dealing in
:thom it ,may not be’quito' safe to say,-that the
South has been, more responsible than the
North lor its continuance. If then, for ,a
common object this property is to bo sacrific
ed, it is not just that it he done at a common
charge? And if with less money, or money
more, easily paid, wp .can preserve tjie bene
fits of the Uuio.iv by this means belter than
we can by the .war alone, j is. it,not.also . eco-
nomical to do it ? Dot-us consider it then
Lot us ascertain the sum wo have, expend
ed' in the wav siuco 1 tlmcompeusated omauoi
patloriwas proposed last March, and consider
whether, 1 if that measure had been promptly,
accoptedby eyon.some oftheshive States the
same sum would not have; doneUnora to close
the war' than,lias been otherwise done.
/■ If so, tlio moss tiro:-would save money and
in tij.-it view, would bo a prudent and econom
ical measure. Certainly it is not so easy to
pay something as.it is to pay .nothing, but.it
is easier to pay a large sum tlian.it is. to pay
a larger one, acid'-it is easier to'pay any smir j
when- wo are able', than it is to pay it before,
we are able. The "war, requires -largo sums,
and requires them at once. -,
. The aggregate sum necessary.for compen
sation of course wouhl.be large, but.it-would
require no ready-cash, her the bonds even
any faster than the cmancipatioiupfogrosses.
This might not and probably would nut close 1
before the end of the thirty-seven years. At
.that time we shall probably have a hundred
millions of, people to share the burden in
stead of thirty-one millions as-now. And'
not only so, but the increase of our popula
tion may bo expected, to continue for. a long
time alter that period as .rapidly as before,
because our territory will not have become
full. ,1 do. not state this .inconsiderately.—
At-tbo same ratio of increase which we have
maintained 6a an average from onr first na
tional census in 1790 until that,of 1860, we,
Should in 1090 have a population.of 103,201,■
415, and why may wo not continue that ra
tio far beyond Unit period-? Our! abundant
room, pur broad national homestead)' is oiir
'-ample resource., Wore our territory as lim
ited as are the British Isles, very certainly
our population oonldnot expand as stated.—
.Instead ot receiving, the foreigu born as-now,
■wo should bo compelled to send part of the
native born away. But saeli is not our con
dition. We’bava'2,9(s3,ooo square miles.—
Europe lias 3,800,00.0, with a population av-
eraging.-73J persons to .'.the square mile.—
Why may not our country at. sumo:time av
erage as’-many.? . Is it less fertile? HaVil
mure waste surface, by mountains,-rivers,
ikoa, -deserts or other causes ? Is it inferior
i Europe in any natural advantage ? If then
wo are at some time to bo as populous as
Europe—bow soon ? As to when this may
be, we mayjudgo by. the past and present.
As to when it will bo, if ever, depends much
on whether we maintain the Union. Several
of our States ■ are above- the • average of Eu
rope—73J to the square mile.. Massaohn-
aits has 157, UUude island 133, Connection
99, Now York and New Jersey eaeb SO.—
Also, the two other groat States of Ponnsyl-
viinin ami Ohio nve nut far below, tlio former
having 63, and the latter 59. The States
already above tlio European average, except
Now York, liavu increased in as rapid n ratio
binco 'passing that paint ais oyer before, while
no one of them is equal to some other parts
ol our country in natural capacity for sus
taining n dense population., .Taking the ia<
tin in tlio aggregate and wo find the popula
tion and ratio of increase (or the several
deconial periods to be as (oilews;.
1700— 072,50!).
1800 5,305,937 ; 35.02 par vent or increase.
1810 7,23i151-l; 30.15 per cent, ratio of increase,
WSO-rMWO.fSI } 33.31
1830 —12,300,020 ; 33.30 “ “ “
IS-J 0—17,000,15.1; 32.07 “ *■ “
1850 —23,131,070 ; 35,87 “ “ “ ■
1800—31,133,700 ; 35.58 “ “ “
This shows an average doeenial increase of
34.00 .per cent, in population through the
seventy years, Irom our first to our last cen
sus yet taken.
It is seen that the ratio of increase at no
one of tlio seven periods is either 2 per cent,
below or 2 per cent, above the average, thus
shewing how indexible, and consequently
bow reliable the law of increase in our case
Assuming that it will continue it gives the
following results:
1870, 42,393,341; 1880, 50.987,210;'1800,
76,077,892 ; 1900, 103,208,415 1910, 138,-
918,520; 1920, 170,924,435 ; 1930, 251,030,-
914.
These figures show that our country may
bo ns populous as Europe now is. At some
point between 1920 and 193,0, say about 1925,
our territory at 73J persous to the square
mile being pf the capacity to contain 217,-
180,000, we will reach this if wo do not, our
selves relinquish the chances by the folly
and evils of, disunion, or by long and ex
hausting wars springing from the only.great
olomout of national discord among us. ..
While it cannot bo foreseen exactly how
much one huge example of secession, breed
ing lesser ones, indefinitely would retard pop
ulation, civilization and prosperity, no 6110
can doubt that the extent of it would bo very
great and injurious. . .
Tlie proposed emancipation would shorten
the. war, perpetuate peace, insure this in
crease of population, and proportionately tho
wealth of the country. With these we should
pay all the-emancipation would cost, togeth-,
tir with our other debt, easier than we should
pay our other debt without it. ■ If we had al
lowed - our old national'debt to run at six per
cent, per annum simple interest from tho cud .
of the 'revolutionary strfiggle until to-day,
without paying anything on principal or in
terest, each.’man Of ,us would owe less upon’
that del,it now than-.each man owed upon it
. then.’ , ~ ‘
■This is because our incfe-iseof. inch through
the whole period,has been greater than six,
.percent., and has'run faster than the inter- 1
, cst upon the debt. Thus time alone relieves 1
, the debfor natio.iv so long as its population in-,-
creases faster, than unpaid interests, accumu
late upon its debts.
. This fact-would bo.no excuse for delaying
the payment of what is justly due, bb't it
shows tlie great,importance'of time in this
great advantage of the poli
cy by which we shall .not'’have to pay until
wo number one hunlretf millions, by what, a '
•dflfereut policy we would .have--to .pay now,
wlieii we number but tliirty-onc millions. - .
Tu a-word, it shows that a dollar will bo
much harder to-pay for the'war than will be
a dollar for. emancipation -.on - the ’ proposed
plan. , Aud {Boh the latter will oosfnO blond; ’
no precious, lives. It will be a saving of
both. . ; : '
1 As to the second I think it would (
,be impracticable to .return to bondage tho’
class of persons therein contemplated. Sumo
of them, doubtless, in the proper sense, be-,
•long to loyal owners, and hence provision l is
made in this.article for compensating such.
The third article, relates, to the.luturo of,,
the freed. people. It, does hot oblige but
. ■ merely authorizes 1 Congress to aid in coloni
zing such as may consent..
. This-ouglit not to be regarJed as objection
able oil the one hand or on tho other, in. as
much-as it conies to nothing unless by the
mutual consent of, the;people to he. deported,
and the American, voters through their rep
resentatives in Cungros.
I capnot make it bettor kno.wn than it al
ready is'that I strongly favor colonization, .
and yet I wish to say there is an objection
■ urged against free colored persoris remaining ,
in tho Country which is largely imaginary, it
not sometimes malicious. .
’ j It is insisted that their .presence would in
jure arid, displace white labor and white la
, borers. If there ever could be a proper tiirio
for .more catch arguments, that time is surp
ly not now.
In times like the present .men should utter •
notidiig for which they' I .would not willingly
I he responsible through time lin'd eternity.
j I sit true thnt.thp colored people can displace
any more white labor by lioiug free'than by •
remaining slaves ?. If they stay in their, old-'
places,' they jostle no white-laborers. If they
leave their old places, they leave them open
to white laborers. Logically there is noifli- .
or more nor loss of it. Emancipation even
Without deportation would, probably enhance
tho wages of white. 1 labor, and very surely .
would not reduce it. Thus the customary .
amount of ■ labor would sti.l,l have to bo per- ,
'formed, ‘ ' ",
The freed.people would surely not do.morp
than their old proportion of it, and veryprob
aidy for a, timp would do less, leaving an in
creased part to white laborers; bringing their
labor into greater demand, and consequently
enhancing the wages nf.it; With deportation
avon'to a-limiled extent; enhanced wages to,
white labor is mathematically certain. 'La
bor is like any other commodity in the mar
ket; increase the demand for it, and you in
crease the. price of it. lledaco.the supply of
black, labor, by colonizing the black laborer
cut of the country,and by precisely sumach
you increase the-defraud fur aha-wages of
white labor.
But it is dreaded that the freed-people wilt
is warm forth and cover the whole land. Arc
not they .already,in- the laud? Will libera
tion make them any more numerous?—
Equally distributed among the whites of the
whole country, and chore would bo but onp.
colored iuan to seven whites. ■ Could the one
in any way greatly disturb the seven ? . !
■ Tbpro are many communities how having
more than one free colored person-to seven
whites, and this without any apparent con
sciousness of evil from it. The District of
Columbia and the States of Maryland ami
Delaware are all in this condition. The Dis
trict baa mure than- one free colored to six
whites, and yet in its frequent petitions to
Congress; I believe it has never presented the
presence of free e.hired people as o.oe-of its
grievances. . >■ ■' , ; - ;
’But why should cranncipahJtion south send
freed people north ? .People of any color sel
dom run' unless there be something to ruii.
from. Heretofore, ehsiavod pcdplp, to some
extent, have fled north from bondage, and
now, perliaps, from both bondage and desti
tution: but if gradual emancipation, and de
portation be adopted, they will have neither
to flee frem. , ,
.Their,in stars will giyothora wages at least,
until new laborers can be procured, and the
freed men Iptum will gladly give their labor
fortho wages until now. homes can be pro
cured fer them in congenial climates, and
with .people of their own blood and race..
The proposition can ho trusted on the mu
:ual interests involved, and in any evoot.enn
wt the North decide for itself whether to re-
ceive them?
•Again,.as praotioeproves more tl.faa theory,
in any ease has there been any irruption of
colored people northward because of theahnl
isbmontof slavery in this District last spring!
What I have said of the proportion of free
colored persona to the whites, in the District,
is from the census of <lB6O, having no i oCov
once to the persons called contrabands, or
those made free by the act of Congress abol
ishing slavery here.
The plan consisting of these articles is re
commended, not. but that a restoration of the
N atiunul authority would be accepted without
its adoption, nor will the wav nor proceedings
under the proclamation of September 22d,
1802, he stayed because of the recommenda-
tion of this plan. Its timely adoption, I,
doubt not, would bring restoration, and there
by stay both. And, notwithstanding this
plan, the recommendation that Congress pro
vide by law for compensating any State
which may adopt emancipation before this,
plan shall have been acted upon, is hereby
(CuiieluJed un Pjurth Page.)
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