The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1856-01-05

10 whichthe Treasury is thus subjected l.
to be sscribed to the large quantity o. print
ed matter conveyed BY the mails. either
franked or liable to hoPostage by law. or to
very low rates Of postage compared with
that charged on letters; and to the great cost
Of mail service on railroads and BY ocean
steamers. The suggestions ofthe Postmas-
ter.General on the snbjeet deserve the con-
sidsratiOn Of Congress.
INTERIOR.
The Report OF the Secretary Of the Inter.
ior will engage your attention, "a well for
the useful suggestions II contains, as for the
interest and importance Of the subjects 10
which they refer.
The aggregate amount OF public land sold
during the last fiscal year, located with mill.
tary scrip or land warrants, taken up under
grants for roads, and selected as swamp lands
by States, is 23,557, 400 acres, of which the
portion sold was l5,T27 .624 acres, yielding
in receipts the sum OF 81 l ,485, $50. In the
same period Of time, 6,723,864 acres have
been surveyed but, in consideration of the
quantity already subject to entry, addi-
tional tracts have been brought into market.
The peculiar relation OF the General Gov
ernment to the District Of Columbia renders
il proper to commend to your care not only
its material, but also its moral interests, in
GLIDING education, more especially in those
parts of the District outside Of the Cities Of
Washington and Georgetown.
The commissioners appointed to revise and
codify the laws of the District have made
such progress in the performance Of their
| task as to insure its completion in the time
prescribed by the act Of Congress.
Information has recently been received
that the peace OF the settlements in the Ter
ritories Of Oregon and Washington is dis
turbed by hostilities on the part Of the In.
dlans, with indications Of extensive combi-
nations Of hostile character among the
tribes in that quarter, the more serious in
their possible effect by reason Of the undc-
termned foreign interests existing in those
Territories, to which your attention has al
ready been especially invited. Eficien,
measures have been taken which, it is be
lieved,will restore quiet and afford protection
to our citizens
/ In the Territoryof Kansas there have been
acts prejudicia to good order, but as ye'
none have occurred under circumstances Il
justify the interposition of the Federal Exc
cutive. That could only be in case Of OBJ
struction to Federal, law. or Of organized re-
sistance to Territorial law, assuming the
character Of insurrection, which, il it should
occur, il WI uld be my duty promptly to over
come and suppress. | cherish the hope
however, that the occurrence OF anv sucf
; untoward event will be prevented by tht
sound sense of the people of the Territory
who, by its organic law, possessing the righ
to determine their own domestic institutions
are entitled, while deporting themselve:
peacefully, to the fee exercise of that right
and must be protected in the enjoyment Of it
without interference on the part of the citi
, zens OF any Of the States.
The southern boundary line of this Terri
tory has never been surveyed and establish
ed The rapidly extending Settlements il
that region, and the fact that the main font,
between independence, in the State Of Mis-
souri,, and New. Mexico, is contiguous to thi
: line, suggest the probability that enibarrass
ing questions OF ofjurisdicton may consequent
ly arise. For these and other consideration
commend the subject to your early atten
, ton.
have thus passed in review the genera
state of the Union, including such par,isula
concerns Of the Federal Government, ,wheth
er Of domestic or foreign relation, as it up
peared to me desirable and useful to bring L
the special notice of Congress. Unlike tn
great States of Europe and ASIA and man
: Of those OF America, these United States ar
!, wasting their strength neither in foreign wa
y nor domestic strife. Whatever of discon
: tent or public dissatisfaction exists, is sttfl
: butable to the imperfections ofhuman natur
: or is incident to all governments, howeve
perfect, which human wisdom can devise.-
II Such subjects of political agitation as occup
J. the public mind, consist, to a great extent
n of exaggeraton of inevitable evils. or owe
g zeal in social imprcvement,o ,or mere imaginu
l. ton of grievance, having but remote connec
e ton with any of the constitutional function
:. or duties of the Federal Cover lment. T
e whatever extent these questions exhibit
: tendency menacing to the stability OF tn
l. Constitution, or the integrity Of the Unior
o and no further, they demand the considers
tion OF the Executive, and require to DO pre-
VI sented by him to Congress.
u Before the Thirteen Colonies became
l. confederation Of independent States the
e were associated only by community of trans
j. Atlantic origin, by geographical position
= and by the mutual tie of common dependenc
}; on Great Britain. When that lie was sur
y dered they severally assumed the powers an
u rights of absolute sef.government. Th
?. municipal and social institutions of each, il
u laws of property and of personal relation
u even it's political organization, were sue
r only as each one chose to establish who'll
r without interference from any other. Init
l. langunge of the Declaration Of independent
u each State had "full power to levy war, col
e clude peace, contract alliances, establis
l. commerce, and to do oil other acts ar
d. "things which independent States may
a fright dos The several colonies dfffert
Ee in climate, in soil, in natural productions,
he religion, in systems Of education, in legisl
fe ton, end in the forms OF political admin
le tration; and they continued to differ in the!
le respects when they voluntarily allied then
W selves as Suites to carry on the war OF u
~ Revolution.
" The object Of that war was to disenthra
tn the United Colonies from foreign rule,whi
e. had proved to be oppressive, and to separa
IT. them permanently from the mother countr
the political result was the foundation Of
federal republic Of the free white men of 4
~ colonies, constituted, as they were, in d
a. tinct and reciprocally independent Sta
m governments. As fof-the subject race
r whether Indian or African, the wise a
10 brave statesmen of that day, being engag
in no extravagant scheme of the soc
change, left them as they were, and III