The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1856-12-10
THE MESSAGE.

To the exclusion of our usual variety,
We present our readers this week with
the annual Message of President PIERCE,
which, in all human probability, will be
his last. We hope every reader of the
Union will give it a careful and thor
ough persual. The universal opinion of
the Democratic press throughout the
Country is, that it is one of the ablest
documents ever communicated to Con-
gress. The Presidents able review of
the recent slavery agitation, and his
manly defence of the leading act of his
Administration, the Kansas Nebraska
bill, has, as a matter of course, brought
the entire Black Republican press of the
country, together with the whole brood
of sectional agitators in Congress, down
upon him. Finding the positions of the
President incontrovertible, and fearing
the effect of this last appeal to his
countrymen, they seek by yindictive de-
nunciations to destroy the effect of that
which they cannot meet by argument.
The only effect of these vehement de-
nunciations will be to cause the Message
to be carefully read by thousands who
would otherwise have given it but a has
ty glance, and We may confidently ex-
pect that this examination will do much
to allay the sectional feeling which now
exists, andsilence the passionate rawlings
we are SO much accustomed to hear.
Other matters discussed in the Message
are scarcely less Interesting. The graft
flying condition of the public treasury is
a topic to which every American can re-
fer with just pride. The public debt
has been reduced to $3O,737,129, which,
with the receipts of the coming year and
the balance of s2O,OOO,OOo now in the
treasury, can all be liquidated without
any inconvenience 20 the public interests.
The expenditures of the last five years,
exclusive of payments on the public debt,
&c., have been but S4s, coo, 600, while
the receipts of last year alone amount
to over S73, 600, coo. This state of
things will render a further reduction of
the tariff necessary. The army has
been busily engaged On our frontiers and
the navy is represented as being in a
highly satisfactory condition. The large
amount of public lands sold and located,
shows the gratifying fact that the agri.
cultural sourc of the country are
being developed with remarkable rapid
ity. That the Post Office Department
cannot be made to sustain itself, seems
to have been reduced to a fixed fact.
We are further informed, in a lengthy re-
view of our Foreign Relations, that we
are " at peace with all the world" and
we can rest assured that the President
will seek to maintain our cherished
Says the PennsylUanian--" The Mes
sage concludes with a beautiful and i'm
pressive picture of the position of the
country. It has never fallen to the lot
of the Chief Magistrate of any nation to
be enabled to present SO gratifying a
statement. The n single dangerous
cloud which has hung over US, ofthe tri-
umph of sec~tionalism, having been, we
trust, forever dispelled, we CAP contem-
plate with unalloyed satisfaction the
rich need of prosperity bestowed upon
us. We can point to an army and navy
with all the prestige, courage and abil-
ity necessary to form an amply sufficient
nucleous to defend us in case of war
against any and every attack, yet, at the
same time SO small a burden upon the
treasury, that their expenditures are
scarcely felt. We can point to a treas
ury full to overlooking. The vast do
main of public land belonging to the ma
ton, is being opened up to settlement
and cultivation at the rate of 39,000,-
600 acres per year. Our Post office
system difuses intelligence through ev-
cry part of the nation, and extends its
operations to mary foreign countries.
With the great powers of the world our
relations are of the most peaceful charac-
ter, and our suggestions are treated with
that respect which acknowledged pore
alone could command. And in the
meantime, the rapidity of our onward
march and national and individual pro-
erosion, the dissemination of intelli-
gence among US, and the enjoyment of
all Mat makes life desirable, challenges
the admiration aud excites the wonder of
the world"
CLEVELAND PLAIN