The State guard., 1848-08-29
Presidents Messag c.
To the House of Representatives. of tht
 Unued States:

To the House of Representatives. of M
 Unled States:
 When the President has given his off cial sanction to bill which has passet Congress, usage requires that he shall no tiy the House in which it originated o that fact. The mode of giving this notif cation has been by an oral message deliv eredby his private secretary.
 Having this day approved and signed ar act entitled "An act to establish the territo rialigovernment of Oregon" deem it prop CT, under the existing circumstances, tc communicate the fact in more solemn form.
 The deeply-interesting' and protracted discussions which have taken place in both houses of Congress, and the absorbing in. terest which the subject has excited throughout tho country, justify, in my judgement, this departure from the form of notice observed in other cases.
 In this communication with a. co-ordi- nate branch of the government, made proper by the considerations referred to, shall frankly, and without reserve, express the reasons which have constrained me not to withhold my signature from the bill to establish government over Oregon, even though the two territories of New Mexico and California arc to be left, for the present, without governments. None doubt that it isproper to establish gov ernment in Oregon. Indeed, it has been too long delayed. I have made repeated recommendations to Congress to this ef- feet. The petitions of the people of that distant region nave been presented to the government, and ought not to be disregar ded To give to them regularly organ ized government and the protection of our laws, which as citizens ofthe United States they claim, is high duty on our part, and one which VIC are bound to perform, un- less there be controlling reasons to pres vent it.
 In the progress of all governments, questions of such transcendent importance occasionally arise, as to cast in the shade all those of mere party character. But one such question can now be agitated in this country and this may endanger our glorious Union, the source of our great. ness, and all our political blessings. This question is slavery. With the slave-hold- ing States this does not embrace merely the rights of property, however; but it as- cends far higher, and involves the domes- tic peace and security of every family. The fathers of the constitutional wise and patriotic men who laid the foun. dation of our institutions--foreseeing the danger from this quarter, acted in spirit of compromise and mutual concession on this dangerous and delicate subject; and their wisdom ought to be the guide of their successors. Whilst theyy left to the States exclusively the question of domestic slave. ", within their respective limits, they pro- vided that slaves who might escape into other States not recognizing the institution of slavery, shall "be delivered up on the claim of the party to whom such service or labor may be due." e Upon this foundation the matter rested until the Missouri question arose,
 In December, 1919, application was made to Congress by the people of the Missouri Territory for admission into the Union as State. The discussion upon the subject in Congress involved the qdes- ton of slavery, and was prosecuted with such violence as to produce excitements alarmingt. every patriot in the Union. But the good genius of concilIation which presided at the birth of our institu- tions finally prevailed, and the Missouri compromise was adopted. The eighth section of the act of Congress of the 9th If March, 1920, ''to authorize the people ot ,,., Missouri Territory to form consti- 1 tut;on and s,,,.te government" &c., provi- des "That, in all tna., territory cfded by France to the United States, unGef me name of Louisiana, which lies north Qf thirty.sx degrees and thirty minutes north latitude, not included within the limits of the State contemplated by this act, slavery and involuntarily servitude, otherwise than in the punishment of crimes, whereof the parties shall have been duly convicted, shall be, and is hereby. forever prohibited: Prosided alrays, That any person esca- ping into the same, from whom labor or service is lawfully claimed in any State or Territory of the United States, such fu- gitive may be lawfully reclaimed, and con veyed to the person claiming his or her la- Dor or services aforesaid"
 This compromise had the effect of calm i ing the troubled waves, and restoring peace and goodwill throughout the States of the Union. e
 The Missouri question had excited in tense agitation of the public mind, and threatened to divide the country into geo. graphical parties, alineating the feelings of attachment which each portion of our Union should bear to every other. The compromise allayed the excitement, tran. quilized the popular mind, and restored I confidence and fraternal feeling. Its au- thors were hailed as public benelactors.
 I do not doubt that a similar adjustment oI the questions which now agitate the public mind would produce the same hap py results. If the legislatio n of Congress on on the subject of the other Tcrrtorie shall not be adopted in a spirit of concili ation and compromise, is impossible tha inc country can be satisfied, or that tn