Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1848-08-23
Presidents Message.

When the President has given his official
to bill which has passed Con-
gress, usage requires that he shall notify
the House in which it originated of that
fact The mede of giving this notification
has been by an oral message delivered by
his private secretary.
Having this day approved and signed an
act entitled San act to establish the terri
torial government of Oregon" I deem it
proper, under the existing circumstances, to
communicate the fact in a 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 through
out the country, justify, in my Judgment,
this departure from the form Of notice OBJ
served in other cases.
In this communication with coordinate
branch of the government, made proper by
the consideration referred to, l shall frank
lv, and without reserve, express the reasons
which have constrained me not to withhold
nv signature from the bill to establish a
government over Oregon, even though the
two territories of New Mexico and Califor-
MIA are to be left, for the present, without
governments. None doubt that it is proper
to establish government in Oregon. In
deed, it has been too long delayed. have
made repeated recommendations to Con-
gress to this effect. The petitions of the
people Of that distant region have been pre-
sented to the government, and ought not to
be disregarded. To give to them regular
ly organized government and the protection
OF our laws, which as citizens of the Uni
ted States, they claim, is high duty on
our part, and one which we are bound to
perform, unless there be controlling reasons
to prevent it. t
In the progress of all governments; ques-
tons of such transcendent importance occa-
slonally arise, as to cast in the shade all
those of mere party character. But one
snch question can now be agitated in this
country; and this may endanger our glori-
} Gus Union, the source of our greatness, and
all our political blessings. This question is
slavery. With the slaveholding States this
does not embrace merely the rights Of prop
: erty, however valuabl e; but it ascends far
} higher, and involves the domestic peace and
security of every family.
The fathers of the constitution-th wise
and patriotic men who laid the foundation
of our institutions -foreseeing the danger
from this quarter, acted in spirit of COM
promise and mutual concession on this da::-
gerous and delicate subject; and their wis
dom ought to be the guide of their success
ors. Whilst they left to the States exclu-
syely the question cf domestic slavery
; within their respective limits, they proved
that slaves who might escape into other
: States not recognising the institution of sla-
very, shall "be delivered on the claim of the
party to whom such service or labor NAV
: be DUE"
e Upon this foundation the matter rested
e until the Missouri question arose.
IS In December, 1919, application was
! made to Congress by the people of the Mis-
r souri, Territory for admission into the Union
o as State. The discussion upon the sub
G ject in Congress involved the question of
e slavery, and was prosecuted with such vic
y lence as to produce excitements alarming to
D every patriot in the Union. But the good
o genius of Cancellation, which presided at the
o birth ,f our institutions finally prevailed and
e the Missouri compromise was adopted. -
, The eighth section of the act of Congress
/ of the 9th tf March, 1920, "amhorize tho
, people of the Missouri Territory to form a
j constitution and State governments" &c.,
: provides: "That, in all that territory ceded
] by France to the United States, under the
: name of Louisiana, which lies north of thi.-
; ty six degrees and thirty ,ainutes north lat-
/ itude, not included within the limits of the
State contemplated by this act slavery ard
involuntary servi tude, otherwise than in the
} punishment of crimes, whereof the parties
shall have been duly convicted, shall be, and
5 is hereby, forever prohibited: Prorided
: alarays, That any person escaping into the
same, from whom labor or service is law
, fully claimed in any State or Territory of
the United States, such fugitive may be
, lawfully reclaimed, and conveyed to the
persons claiming his or her labor or seryi-
, ces aforesaid"
This compromise had the effect of calm
ing the troubled waves, and restoring peace
and goodwill throughout the States of the
Union.
The Missouri question had excited intense
agitation of the public mind, and threatened
. to divide the country into geographical par
, ties, alternating the feelings of attachment
, which each portion of our Union should
bear to every other. The compromise al
, layed the excitement, tranquilized the pop
i, ular mind, and restored confidence and fra,
i ternal feeling. Its authors were hailed as
! public benefactors.
do not doubt that similar adjustment
of the questions which now agitate the pub
lie mind would produce the happy results.
If the Legislation of Congress on the subject
of the other Territories shall not be adopted
, in a spirit of conciliation and compromise,
it is impossible that the country can be sat.
isfed, or that the most disastrous consc-
ouences shall fail to ensue.
When Texas was admitted into the
, Union, the same spirit of compromise which
guided our predecessors in the admission Of
Missouri, quarter Of century before,
prevailed without any serious opposition.
The "joint resolution for annexing Texas
to the United States" approved March the
first, one thousand eight hundred and
forty-6ve, provides that @such States may
be formed out of that portion of said terri
tory lying south of thirty-six degrees thirty
minutes north latitude, commonly known az