by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States
of America, in Congress assembled, (two thirds of both Houses concurring),
That the following articles be proposed to the Legislatures (or
conventions) of the several States as amendments to the Constitution of
the United States, all or any of which articles, when ratified by three
fourths of the said Legislatures (or conventions), to be valid as part or
parts of the said Constitution, viz.

ART.--Every State wherein slavery now exists which shall abolish the same
therein at any time or times before the 1st day of January, A.D. 1900,
shall receive compensation from the United States as follows, to wit:

The President of the United States shall deliver to every such State bonds
of the United States bearing interest at the rate of -- per cent. per
annum to an amount equal to the aggregate sum of ------ for each slave
shown to have been therein by the Eighth Census of the United States, said
bonds to be delivered to such State by instalments or in one parcel at
the completion of the abolishment, accordingly as the same shall have been
gradual or at one time within such State; and interest shall begin to run
upon any such bond only from the proper time of its delivery as aforesaid.
Any State having received bonds as aforesaid and afterwards reintroducing
or tolerating slavery therein shall refund to the United States the bonds
so received, or the value thereof, and all interest paid thereon.

ART.--All slaves who shall have enjoyed actual freedom by the chances of
the war at any time before the end of the rebellion shall be forever
free; but all owners of such who shall not have been disloyal shall be
compensated for them at the same rates as is provided for States adopting
abolishment of slavery, but in such way that no slave shall be twice
accounted for.

ART.--Congress may appropriate money and otherwise provide for colonizing
free colored persons with their own consent at any place or places without
the United States.

I beg indulgence to discuss these proposed articles at some length.
Without slavery the rebellion could never have existed; without slavery it
could not continue.

Among the friends of the Union there is great diversity of sentiment and
of policy in regard to slavery and the African race amongst us. Some
would perpetuate slavery; some would abolish it suddenly and without
compensation; some would abolish it gradually and with compensatio