Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1848-08-24
a5oIitlcal a1gu pnaMrotlc.
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
10 lie House 9f Representatives
nt The Cai!ed .S!Hes

mat he shall notify the ii which II urlL naled OF
that fact. The mode of giving this modicali,n has
been by oral message delivered by his private
tarv.
Having this dav approved and signed an act emit
ted An act to establish the territorial government
Of Oregon.' | deem proper. under the existing
cnnslances, to communicate the fact a solemn
fIm.
'.he deeply interesting and prctrac'ed disc,ssi ons
which have taken place in both houses OF Congress aud
the absorbing interest which the subject haS excited
Throughout the country, Justify. il my Judgment this
departure tfon the form Of notice observed IN other
! ses.
In this communication with 4 ~ ordinate branch IL
the government made proper by The considerations re-
TERED IN, siail frankly, and it'll reserve express
NE reasons uhlch have cns;rained to withhold
my Signature Tun tile bill to establish government
over Oregon. though the TWO territories Of New
Mexico and CaIfrna to be left fir the present,
without governments. None doubt thai it is proper to
tsab l~h a government in Oregon. uder il hrs zen
TOO long delayed have made repeated reCommenda
tons 10 Congress 10 this ell CT. he petitions of the
people OF That distant rpg have been presented 10 the
government and ought mol to be diSrgarled. To give
to them regularly organized government, and the pro
lection OF our laws, witch. cZ MS If the United
STATES. they claim, is high duty on part, and
which we are bound 10 Perform unless there be cJnru
Ing reasons 10 prevent it, In the progress of all govern
mens, questions Of such trau,cendent nportauce
SI"nay arise as TO cast IN the shade all those Of
idliS tiIGi' l)u ult SllVu question can !" DP a
gltated IN This conatry and this endanEer 10
nous Unn. the OF cream So auI all our po
lItca hiessinT>.-ihe 'eson Is slavery. " it'll the
SlaVeholing htatas !h!S does not embrace merely the
rights u properly however valuable; but il asrtnis fr
higher ami involves tie domestic peace and security Of
evrrytamily
The fathers ollie cnsri'uton--tie wso ond patriotic
men who laid thr foundation III uur Institutions lores-e-
ing ne DANCE from l. quarter, aced III siri u
promise and n'tual cuncesun.on TINS dangerous and De
caIe subject, ard 'hCir wisdom ought tie guide d
their successors. Nhis 'hey rt States exclusive
y the question Of domestic slavery within their rcspec
tive limits they puvd HAT slaves Whu night escap
into o.her Sta not recognizing re institution oi slave
ry shall ''he delivered up The cia' u the party
whom such sery'e OF labor may be dur."
! Upon this foundation the mailer ed untll the Mis-
sour question ansa.
In December 1919, application was made to Congress
by the people Of the Missouri Territory for admission
into The Union Stale The discussion upon the sub
ect In Congress involved the question Of slavery ail
was Prosecuted with snch violence produce excite
nentS alarming patriot in the Union But the
good genius Of Cancellation which presided at the birth If
our institutions finally prevailed, and hp Missouri Com
promise ainped. Inc eighth section Of the act Of
Congress Of the 9TH Of March, 1870 Ito anthor e the
people Of the Missouri lerrtury 10 fur a Constitution
and State go~enu emf, sc provides .'inat al that
territory ced-d ~ France II TIE Uued States under
the name Of Louisiana which lbs north Of thirty six
degrees and thirty mihues north latitude, included
Nltuin the lius ufIn4 State contemplated 1y Till act
slavery and involuntary stryuude otherwise than il lie
punishment Of crimes whereof The pare, Shall have been
duly convicted. shall b. and IS hereby forever prohD-
ited Proriaed ai,cIYs, That person escaping in
to the from wtonI~a labor service is Ia fully
claimed in any State territory Of the United States,
such fugitive nay be lawfully reclaimed aud conveyed
10 The person claiming his labor services aore
said"
This compromise had the effect Of calming the tron
bed waves, and restoring peace and good VIII through
out the Stale of the Uniou~.
Fhe Missouri Question had excited intense agitation
of the public mind and Threatened 10 divide the country
into geographical parties. alternating the teerns Of
tachnen which each portion Of Union should bear to
every other The compromise allayed the excitement
ranquiiZed the popular mind. aud restored confidence
and fraiena feeling It's authors hailed as public
) neactor-.
DO not doubt that similar adinetment of the ques
tons which now aglia- tie Puolc mind wund pro-
duce the happy results. Ii the legislation o. Con
gress the subject a the other Territories Shall 10,
adopted in spirit If concilIa Dn 'ni cumrrunse
It i impossible that the country be satisfied. u
that the most disastrous consequences shall tail
| sue.
When Texas admitted into the Union, The same
spirit Of compromise which guided our predecessors il
the admission Of Miss url quarter Of century before
prevailed without any serious opposition. The 'jn
resolution for annexation Of Texas to the CnitedStaes >
approved March the first, thousand eight hundred and
,rtyfive, provides thai " such Safes may he formed
out Of that p1rono sad territory lying south T thirty
degrees thirty minutes north latitude, commony know
as the Nj >sour compromise linz, shall be admitted Into
the L i9n with without slavery as the people Of
each STATE asking ission may desire. And in
such State shall be formed out of said terri
tory north of the Missouri compromise line, slavery OF
involuntary servtude Except for crme) shall be prohb-
tied"
No If liacf e
grees thirty minutes the Missouri and Texas compromise
line. Its southern boundary the parallel Of A. lravlnr
the Intermediate distance TO be Three hundred and thirty
geographical miles.
And j: Is because the prlvisi Of this bill are not
iacunssen with tile erms If The Missouri COMPROMISE
if extended from the Rio Grande th- Pacific ucpan
that have not felt at liberty withhold any sanc,lun-
Had i embraced territories South " that compromise
the question presented FIR my consideration would have
been ola far ere character and ny action upon mus
have corresponded with my convictions.
Ought to dis urb the Missouri and Texas
compromise ? Ought this late day. in attempting
to aonul what has been long established acqul
esced IN. to excite sectional divisions and jealuleies 10
ALLEVIATE the people of different portions OF the Union
from each other and TO endanger the existence of the
Union Itself?
From the adoption of the federal constitution. dnrno
period OF sixty years. our progress nation has been
without example the annals Of history. Under the pro-
lection If mnful Providence we have advanced with
giant strides IN the career IF wealth and prosperity
We have enjoyed the blessings Of freedom to greater
extent than any her people, aucn 0, modern under
government which has preserved ORDER and secured TO
every citizen life. o4rty. and property. We have now
becore an example FOL imitation to the whole world
II Inc fTends Of freedom in every cline point with admi-
ration 10 our Institutions Shall we nen at the mo-
ment when the people Of Europe are devonr all their
. energies II the attempt 70 assImaie their nS ntirs 4,
our own prr all blessings BY despsng The lessons
Of experience and refusing read in The f,otseps
whcn our fathers have trodden And for what cause
would we endanger goTiuus Union The NIissou-
RI compromise contains prohibition of slavery through