American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1856-12-13
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Eslln,o.citisens of tile Senate

4
The Constitution requircs that the
President shall from timeHto time, no,
only recommend TO the consideration
og Congress such measures as he may
nudge necessary aud sxpedient. but al
:, that he shall give information to them
ofthe state o.. the Union. To do this
fully involves exposition of all matters
!, the actual condition of the country
d,mestic or foreign. which essentially y
concern the general welfare. While
psrforming his constitutional duty in
this respect, the President does not
speak merely TO express personal con-
,icIions, but as the executive minister
of the government, enabled by his po.
sition, aud called upon by his official
obligations, to scan with an impartial
eve, the interests vi the whole. and of
every par, of the United States.
3Ofthe condition of the domestic iD-
,erests Of the Union, its agriculture.
mines. manufacturers, navigation and
commerce, is necessary only to say
that ,hs internal prosperity of Tho coun-
rs, its continuous and steady advance
n,.nt in wealth and population, aud in
ptiyste as well AZ public well heing at
test the Wisdom OF our institutions, and
the .predominant spirit Of intelligence
and patriotsm. which notwithstanding
occasional irregularities of opinion or
action resulting from popular freedom,
has distinguished and characterized the
2oople Of America.
In the brief interval between the ter
lnination ofthe last and the commence
ment of the present session of Con
gress, the pubic mind has been occupi-
cd with the care of selecting, for anoth-
er constitutional tcrtn, the President and
Vice President of the United Statee.
The determination of the persons,
who are of tight, or, contingently, to
preside over the administration of the
government, is under our system, com.
mitted To the States aud tho people,
We appeal TO them by their voice pro-
nounced in the forms of law, to call
whomsoever they will to the high post
Of Chief Magistrate,
And thus il is as the Senators repre-
sent the respective states of the Union,
and the members of the HOUSE OF Rep
resentatives the several constituencies
of each State, so the President repro.
fents the aggregate population Of the
United States. The election of him is
,he, explicit and solemn act of the sov-
ereign authority of the Union.
1t is impossible TO !nisapprehend the
great principles, which by their recent
political action, the people of the Uni.
ted States have sanctioned and announ-
ced. a'Hs i9 ,aaar
The hnve asserted the constitutional
equality Of each and all of The States of
tho Union as States they have affirmed
tho constitutional equality of each and
all ofthe citizens ofthe United States
as scitizens,Whatever their religion, what
ever their birth or residence; they have
maintained thu inviolability of the con.
stitutionaa rights of the different sec.
lions Of the Union; and they have pro.
claimed their devoted and unalterable
attachment TO the Union and the Con.
stitu,ioD. as objects of interest superior
10 all subjects of local or sectional con-
troversy, as the safeguard of the rights
Of all, as the spirit and the essence OF
the liberty, peace ard greatness Of tho
Republic. 81. d. .EF. '.' ..t
II doing this, they have, at the same
time, empba,ically Condemned the idea
Of organizing in these United States
mere geographical parties; of marshal
ling in hostile array towards each other
the different parts of the country, North
or South, East or West.
Schemes of this nature. franght with
incalcnlable mischief, and which the
consdcrate sense OF the people has re-
jec,ed, could have had cUnrtenance in
no pat Of the country, had they no,
been disguised by suggestions plausible
IN appearance, acting upon all excited
state of tho public mind, induced by
causes temporary in their character and
it is to be hoped transient in their in
fuence. ..i
Perfect liberty Of association for po.
li,cal objects. and the widest scope OF
discussion. are the received aud ordina.
sy conditions of government in our
country. Our institutions, framed in
the spirit Of confidence in tho n,elli.
genco aud integrity Of the people, do
not forbid citizens either Individually
or associated together. TO attack by wri-
ting, speech or any other methods, shor,
Of physical force, the Constitution aud
tho very existence of the Union Un.
der the shelter of this great liberty, and
protected by the laws aud usages of the
government they assail, associations
have been formed, in some Of the States
Of individuals, who, pretending to seek
only to prevent the spread of the insi.
tuition of slavery into the present or fu.
ture inchoale States Of the Uniop. are
really inAamed with desire TO change
The domestic institutions of existing
States. To accomplish their objects,
they dedicate themselves TO tho odious
task ofdepreciating tho government or.
ganization which stands in their way,
and ofcalumnia,ing, with indisc,imioule
a,