The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-08-16
MESSAGE OF THE PRESlDENT
ON THE
Or = q o N . 7 i L.

municating to Con ress his views upon the bill to
organize the govern ment of the territory of Oregon
in connection with the anti. slavery provision at.
tached -
When the President has given his official ga action
to bill which has passed Congress, usage req
of that fact of giving this notification has
been BY oral delivered by his private secre
tary
An act to establish the territorial Cover nment OF
Oregon" deem II proper under the existing circum
stances, to 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 interest which the subject has
cited thu oughout the country justify, in my Judgment
this departure from the form of notice observed in other
cases,
In this communication with a coordinate branch
of the government made proper by the considerations
referred to- shall frankly and without reserve
the which have constrained me not to withhold
my signature from the bill to establish government
Oregon, though the two territories VI New
Mexico and California to be left for the present
without governments. None doubt that it is proper
to establish government in Oregon. Indeed it has
be. too long delayed have made repeated COM
pu nications Congress this effect The petitions
of the people of that distant region have been pre-
sented to the government and ought not to be dsre
garded. To give to them regularly organized gov
eminent and the protection of our laws, which as
citizens Of the United States they claim is high duty
part, and one which we are bound to perform
unless there be controlling reasons to prevent 1T.
In the progress of all governments questions of such
transcendent Importance occasionally arise, cast
in the shade all those OF mere party character. But
such question new be agtaed in this country;
and this may endapger our glorious Union, the
of our greatness. and all political blessings This
question is slavery. With the saveholding States,
this does not embrace merely the rights of property
however valuable but it ascends far higher and in
wolves the domestic peace and security of family
he fathers OF the constituton-thew wise and pa
tTiotc who laid the foundation of our nstitutons
-foreseeing the danger frem this quarter acted in
spirit of compromise and mutual con cessjon on this
dangerous and delicate subject and their wisdom
ought to be the guide Of their Whilst thew
left to the States exclusively the question of domestic
slavery within their respective limits they provided
that slaves who might escape into other States
cognzipg the institution of slavery, shall be deli
vtred up the claim of he party to whom such ser
vice or labor may be due.n
Upon this foundation the matter rested until the
Missouri question
In December, 1919. application made to Congress
by the people the Missouri Territory for
into the Union State The discussion upon the
subject in Congress involved the question of slavery
and was prosecuted with such violence as to produce
But the good genius Of Cancellation which presided at
the birth of our institutions finally prevailed and the
Missouri compromise adopted. The Sth section of
the act of Congress of the 9th March, 1920 au
thorize the etpe of the Missouri Territory to form
constitution and State government" &C., provides,
That In all that territory coded by France to the Uni
ted States under the name Of louisiana which lies
north of SO degrees and SO minutes north latitude
not included within the limits the State
ted by this act, slavery and involuntary servtu de-
otherwise than in the punishment Of crimes whereof
the parties shall have been duly convicted shall be-
=
That any person escaping into the same, from whom
labor or service is lawfully claimed in any State Ter
rtory of the United States, such fugitive may be law
fully reclaimed and convey cd to the person claiming
his or her labor or services aforesaid"
This compromise had the effect of calming the
troubled waves, and restoring peace and good will
throughout the States CO The Inicg
The Missouri question had excited intense agitation
Of the public mind, and threatened to divide the
country into geographical parties alternating the feel
ings Of attachment which each portion of our MON
should bear to every other The compromise alayed
he eYc truO tzQdf ba mia
restored confidence and fraterna feeling Its authors
we're hailed public benefactors.
do not doubt that a similar adjustment of the
questions which now agitate the public mind would
produce the same happy results In the legislation of
Congress the subject of the other Territories shall
not be adopted in spirit Of Cancellation and compro
mise it is impossible that the country be satisfied
that the most disastrous consequences shall fail to
ensue.
spirit Of compromise which guided in
the admission Of Missouri u quarter Of century be.
"oint resolution for annexing Texas to the United
States approved March tn first thousa nd eight
hundred and rty-fve, provides that g such States
as may be formed out OF that portion Of said territory
lying south Of thrtysx degrees thirty minutes north
latitude, commonly known the Missouri compro-
mise line, shall be admitted into the Union with or
without slavery, as the people of each State asking
admission may desire And in such State or States
be formed ost OF said territory north of the
Missouri compromise line, slavery Ser
vtude (exceyt for crimc) shall be prohibited ;,
The territory Of Oregon lies far north thirty six
81
promise ue Its southern boundary is the parallel of
forty-two, leaving the intermediate distance to be
three hundred and thirty geographical miles.
And it is because the provisions of this hill are not
inconsistent with the terms of the Missouri compro
mise If extended from the Rio Grande to the Pacific
ocean that have not felt at liberty to withhold my
sanction Had 1t embraced territories south of that
compre mse, be question prese for nv
ton would have been of far different and
convictions. "a
Ought we now to disturb the Missouri and Texas
compromised Ought We at this late day in attempt
ing to annul what has been so long established and
acquieeced in TO excite sectional divisions and lea
ousies to ALLEVIATE the people of different portions of
the Union from each other; and to pper the ex-
istence Of the I Mon itself?
From the adoption of the federal constitution dur
ing period OF sixty years our progress nation,
has been without example in the annals of history.
Under the protection of bot tiful Providence we
have advanced with giant strides n the career of
wealth and prosperity. We have enjoyed the bless
ings OF freedom to greater extent than any other
people, ancient or modern, under a government
which has preserved order, and secured to every
citizen life, liberty, and PROPERTY. We have now
world The friends of freedom in every elm
point with admiration to our Institutions Shall
we, snen, AZ tne moment when the people Of Europe
are devotng all their energies in the attempt assiu
late their institutions to own peril all our
by despting the lessons Of experience and refusing
tread in the footsteps which athers We
And fer what cause would we endaneer our glorious
Union The Missouri compromise contains n prohi-
Diton o. slavery throughout all that vast region
ending Twelve and hall degrees along the from
the parallel OF thirty six degrees thirty minutes to that
Of forty nine degrees and east that ocean and
bepond the summit OF the Rocky mountains. Why,
then should institutions be X
is proposed to submit to the people OF the remainder of
our newly acquired territory lying south of thirty six
degrees thirty minutes embracing less than four de-
grecs OF latitude, the question whether in the Ian
guage OF the Texas compromise they "shall be
ADMITTED tas S'ate( into the Union with with
out slavery :" Is this question to be pushed to such
exuenitet by excited partizans on the one side or
the other in regard to newly distant pos
md tI.a sfs.tn pf
thirty glorious States which constitute our confede-
racy have an abiding confidence that the sober
reecton ana sound patriotism Of the people of all the
States will bring them the conclusion that the die
tate Of wisdom Is to fellow the example Of those who
have gone before US and settle this ueston
on the Missouri compromise, some other eQ uitable
compromse, which would respect the rights of ALL and
prove satisfactory TO the different portions Of the
Union
IIoldinn a sacrnd trust iha Lxaau4I4.a ax4ho.4.