Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1848-12-15
The PresIdenl,s Message.

mNGEdAEs
We are indebted to the Pittsburgh Gazette for
copy OF the Presidents Message, which we lay
before our readers to the exclusion Of much other
important matter.
The Message is remarkable chiefly for the space
il occupies. It's extreme length should deter no per-
sOn from reading it. Doubtful, indeed, must be
that course Of policy, which requires so labored
defence Of it. Hopeless must be that cause which
requires such fulsome speeial-pleadings.
Aftera proper acknowledgment to the Supreme
Being for his manifold blessings the President sets
out in svain-goriOus strain of grsndiIoqusnee. He
goes into labOred defence Of the late war with
Mexico, and auds the dismemberment of that Re-
public; discourses very freely upon the extent and
value of his spoliations, and volunteers an extray-
sgant eulogy upon the citizen soldiers of the Uni
ted States, for their timely assistance, in rescuing
tie country from the strait into which his mad and
reckless domineelng had brought it; closing with
soft-soddering endorsement Of the virtue patriot
itm, and sterling principles of the people of the
west. All this is done, too, with eigned love for
the principles of peace, and an adherence of the
caamities Of war. If the policy of his Admins
tration at all comported with his present text we
should readily have accorded to him the need of
sincerity; but, seeing what we have seen, we must
regard his present professions as placing very low
estimate uron the intelligence and discernment Of
the American people.
The establishment of a system of government
for the regulation of the territories recently acqu
red by the United States next engages the atten-
ton of the President. Though several platforms
ere spoken of, and discussed at some length it is
very evident that the line designated by the Missouri
compromise, is the bantling of the President. His
remarks upon this subject, however, contain moth
ing worthy of note except the motive which indu-
Ced him to place his signature to the bill establish
ing a territorial government in Oregon, and the
covert insnuation that if bill, containing similar
principle, should pass Congress, providing govern
ments for the territories of New Mexico and Cali
fOrnia, it will be arrested by the Presidential Veto
We now come to an exhibit of the finances of
the country. The imports for the fiscal year u
mounted to l54,977,s76; the exports to $l54O32,-
1871 The receipts into the Treasury for the same
period, were S35 ,436 75O; the expenditures of the
government, S42,s1l,o7O.
The receipts of the Post Office Department, for
the fiscal year, amounted to S4,37l OFT; the expen
6itures to g. ,s45; being an.excess of receipts
over expenditures to the amount of S272 ,232.-
This exhibit demonstrates the important fact that
the Post Offices Department not only maintains
ITSELF by the tax levied under the law reducing
re rates of postage, but that its receipts exceed
the average receipts during the last nine years of
the existence Of the old law, in the sum of $780,
74s. Arguing upon these hypothesis, the President
recommends further reduction of the rates of pos
tage. This recommendation but expresses the sem
timent of the whole American people. The ex-
poded system of taxing intelligence finds but few
advocates where enlightened policy prevails
Here reasonable man would have concluded his
message Not so with the President. lie deVotes
the several remaining columns to a labored TRADE
against the SO called "Amercan System" The
equanimity of his dreams seem to have been dis
turbed by the disentombed spectres of United
States Bank, a Protective Tariff, the Distribution
OF the proceeds of the sales of the Public Lands,
and River and Harbor improvements. These mea-
sures assume, 20 his bewildered Imagination, the as
pect of incarnate demons; aud that democratic"
institution-the Presidential vcto--is hailed with
an exsacy of delight as the only sOlcyyalvc of the
body polite. We will not follow the President in
this worse than useless homy. 1t is a vain-glo-
rous attempt, by the President, to justify the nu-
merous excesses and interchangeable wanton
disregard for Constitutional obligation and moral
right-or his Administration, in the eyes of the A.
merican people A philosopher would not have at
tempted this. The people have already made up
their verdict. Their "sober second thought" has
placed the seal of condemnation upon the present
Administration. correct estimate of American
character would have taught the President that the
decision of the peOple was rreVocabe.