Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1854-12-05
The Presidents Message.

The Presidents Message.
We were not among the favored few" who
were permitted to enjoy the privilege Of having
the Message IN type, in anticipation Of its being
communicated to the two houses of Congress
nor were we Of that class who were allowed t.
issue "ertras" from the Us.ion Office, (chang
ing only the caption thereto,) simultaneously
with the delivery of the message at the CAPT
tol, but we are outside barbarians, strangers
in "our own native land" with no means o
compelling recognition Of our rights as Ameri
can citizens, by this present foreign admins
tration
five remember rightly, we have heard sung
in our earlier days hymn, which contained
the following words Of encouragement, "Thcre''
a better day coming"
For one privilege, however, we are duly
tankful-we were permitted to purchase .
copy Of the message from the Unions news,
boy last evening, too late however for our pa.
per Of yesterday; and we may add, that we
are now permitted, through the grace of his
Excellency the President, to present this won.
derful document to our readers
We have one consolation to offer our readers
on the occasion Of presenting the message "a
day after the fair" which is, that we believe
they are just as wise before reading it, as they
will be afterwards and hence they have sus
tanned no loss in not receiving it sooner, and
would sustain none were they never to read it
A.. nr
credit to the President as a very pleasing wri
ter. 1t is as smooth and placid as a gentle
stream meandering through meadow. There
is a tone Of melancholy, too, running through
it, which cnlists our sympathies, resulting
doubtless from philosophic consideration Of
the elections Of 1854, and gloomy foreboding
of those which will occur in 1856. We see
none of those elastic, spirit stirring sentences
and sentiments, which characterized the inau
gural, when the President poured forth his
eloquence in torrents in the presence Of the
people, whose almost unanimous suffrages made
him at once the head of an overwhelming party
and the head Of a powerful nationi
The fire, the ardor, the eloquence, the pathos
of 1853 are gone! The Presidents friends will
answer, |" 7emEpora nutantur ct nos n,utamur
cum ills" Times hare changed, and Wt
hare changed Nth the timesi No truer words
were ever spoken. But we will not dwell upon
this theme. Change is stamped upon every
thing earthly, and the President and his former
powerful party have only realized the solemn
reality Of this universal truth.
As to the suggestions of the message, we find
much that we approve, and but little that VIC
dissent from.
We concur in the views which he presents
on the subject Of renoupcing the right of arm.
ing private vessels for offence and defence in
time Of war.
Great naval powers only can safely abandon
this right We would as soon think Of aban.
doning the right Of calling our militia into the
field Of warlike preparations. With a mer.
chant marine like ours, we could, in two
months, prepare to cope with England OF
France, whereas, in case Of sudden war,
without the right 10 arm pirate pcssels, we
should be at the mercy Of our enemy for q
twelvcmonth
Touching our affairs with Spain, we are in
the dark The message gives us no light, and
perhaps none could be properly given
The Greytown affair is more deliberately dis.
cussed than any othcr in the message, or than
IL deserved to bc
Without discussing the question Of the con.
stitutional power Of the President to demand
and take satisfaction by force Of arms, under
the circumstances which existed, we under.
stand the upshot Of the whole matter to be
that nest Of plundcrers and pirates have beer
punished, where there was no recognised gov.
eminent to answer for the transressions
The recommendation Of a change in our tn.
riff Of duties, is probably the most important
matter adverted to- by the President That
matter should not be touched lightly, nor with.
out most thorough examination into the pro.
bable effects Of all proposed changes. Certain
It is, that some plan should be adopted, il
practicable, to prevent oper importstions from
abroad
Under wise system we doubt not all the
commercial nations Of the world could be
brought in debt TO US, instead Of draining US Of
our speciel II this can be done, let II be done,
and that speedily
The Presidents brief recommendation Of
Congressional attention to matters in which our
District is interested, win, we trust be listened
to, and our wants properly supplied.
We highly approve the last paragraph but
one In the message, including the recommen-