American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1856-12-13

| not only 10 suppress insureciionary move
| menis in Kansas. but also 10 see 30 the req D
| larity OF local elections. Ii needs little ar
ynment TO show that the President has n,
such power. All government in the Unite,
states rests substantially upon popular eIec
| ton. Tho freedom of elections is liable ,C
be imraned 10y the intrusion of uulawfu
! votes, or the exclusion Of lowful ones. by
| improper influences by violence or by fra nd
| But The people of the United States are
| themselves the a'l-sufFcent guardians OF
their own rights, and TO suppose that they
wlll not remedy, In due season, any such IN.
cIdenis OF civil freedom, is 10 suppose them
TO have ceased TO be capable of self govern
ment The President of the United States
has not power 10 interpose in elections to
see TO their freedom, to canvass their votes,
or TO pass upon their legality i'm the Terrific.
r!es any more than in the States. If he had
such power the government might be repub.
!ican IN form, but it would be monarchy in
tact and ii he had nndr rtaken to exercise il,
IN the case of Kansas, he would have been
justly subject to the charge of usurpation, Il
oi violation ot the dearest rights Of the peo-
PIE Of the United States.
Unwise laws, equally with Irregularities at
elections are, IN periods OF great excitement,
and best political institutions. But all ey-
rerience demonstrates that in a country like
ours, where the right OF self constitution
exists IN the complelest form. the attempt
to remedy unwise legislation by resort 10
revolution, is totally out Of place inasrfuch
as existing legal institutions afford more
prompt and eflicacious means for the redress
OF wrong.
confidently trust that now, when The
peaceful condition of Kansas affords oppor
!unily Tor calm reflection and wise lenisla.
ton, either the legislative assembly of the
Territory. or Congress, will see that no act
remains on rs statute beck yioatiye of the
provisions OF the Constitution, or subversiye
OF the great objects for which that was or.
dained aud established, and will take all o.
lher necessary st2ps 10 assure to its inhabit4
ants the enjoyment, wihou, obstruction or
abridseneni, of all the constitutional rights,
privileges, and immnnities Of citizens Of the
United States. as contsmp ed by the or.
ganiC law Of tho Territory.
Full information in relation 10 recen, O.
vents IN ihls Territory will be found in the
documents communicated herewith from
the Departments Of s ate and War.
Ieier You 10 The reporls Of the Secretary
oil The Treasury for pIrticular information
concerning the financial condition Of the 90
vernment. and the various branches of the
public service connected with the Treasury
Department
The receipts from customs, during
the fiscal yoar were, for the first time,
more than ga million dollars. and from
all sources $I3,918, 141; which with
the balance on hand up to the 1st July
1855, made the total resources of the
year to amount to 992, ,8j0,11T. The
expenditures, including three million
dollars III execution of the treaty with
Mexico, and excluding sums paid on
account Of the public debt amounted to
$50, l72, ,401; and including the latter
to $72, 948, 1872, the payment on this
account having amounted to $12,7
800.
On the 4th Of March, 1853, the a.
mount Of the public debt was sixty-nino
million one hundred and twenty nine
thousand nine hundred and thirty sew
dollars. There was u subsequent in
crease Of two million scycnhundrcd and
fifty thousand dollars for the debt of
Tcxas--making total of seventy one
million eight hundred and seventy-nine
thousand nine hundred and thirty-scv-
en- dollars. Of this the sum Of forty
five million five hundred and twenty
live thousand three hundred and nine
teen dollars, including premium, has
been discharged, reducing tho debt to
thirty million seven hundred and thirty
seven thousand one hundred and twen-
ty-ninc dollars; all which might be paid
within year without embarrassing the
public service, but being not yet due,
and only rodcemable at tho option of
the holder, cannot be pressed to pay
ment by the government.
On examining tho expenditures oftho
last five years, it will be seen that the
average, dcducting payments on ac-
count of tho public debt and ten mil
lions paid by treaty to Mexico, has
been but about forty.eight million dol
lars. 1t is believed that, under an O.
economical administration Of the gov
crnmcnt, the average expenditure for
the ensuing five years will not exceed
that sum, unless extraordinary occasion
Tor its increase should occur. The acts
granting bounty lands will soon have
been executed, while the extension of
our frontier settlements will cause
continued demand for lands and aug
mented receipts probably from that
source. These considerations will Jus.
THY a reduction Of the revenue from
customs, so as not TO exceed forty-cight
or fifty million dollars. I think the
cxigency for such reduction is impcra-
tive, and again urge it upon the con-
sideration Of Congress.
The amount of reduction, as we'll as
tho manner of clfccting it, are questions
OF great and general interest; it being
essential to industrial enterprise and