The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1856-12-16
WESTERN DE EMOCRAT.
4QQCHARLOTTE,O5o>
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
Of the Senate and

he CONSTITUTION ICIuiitS Illttl TIE l resi-
| dent shall from time to time not only re-
commend to the consideration of Congress
such measures as he may Judge necessary
ana expedient, but also that he shall give
information to them of the state Of the u
Mon. To do this fully involves exposition
of all matters in the actual condition of the
country. domestic OF foreign, which essen
TALLY concern the general welfare. While
performing his constitutional duty in this
respect, the President does not speak mere
lv to express personal convictions, but as
the executive minister of the government
enabled by his position, and called upon by
his official obligations. to sean with an i'm
partial eve the interests of the whole and of
every part of the United States.
OF the condition of the domestic interests
of the Union, its agriculture, mines, manu-
factures, navigation, and commerce, it is
necessary only to say that the internal pros
perity of the country. its continuous and
steady advancement in wealth and popula-
ton, and in private as well as public we'll
being, attest the wisdom of our institutions,
and the predominant spirit of intelligence
and patriotism, which notwithstanding occa-
sional irregularities of opinion OF action re-
sulting from popular freedom, has distin-
guishcd and characterized the people of
America.
In the brief interval between the termin~
alton of the last and the commencement of
the present session of Congress, the public
mind has been occupied with the care of,
selecting, for another constitutional term,
the President and Vice President of the
United States.
The determination of the persons, who
are of right, or contlngently, to preside over
the administration of the government, is
under our system, committed to the States
and people. We appeal to them, by their
voice pronounced in the forms of law, to
call whomsoever they will to the high post
of Chief Magistrate.
And thus it is that as the senators repre-
sent the respective States of the Union, and
the members of the House of Representa-
tives the several constituencies of each State,
so the President represents the aggregate
population Of the United State. Their cleo
ton of him is the explicit and solemn act of
the sole sovereign authority of the Union.
1t is impossible to misapprehend the great
principles. which, by their recent political
action, the people of the United States have
sanctioned and announced.
They have asserted the constitutional
equality of each and all of the States of the
Union as States; they have affirmed the
constitutional equality of each and all of the
citizens of the United States as citzins,
whatever their religion, wherever their birth,
or their residence they have maintained the
inviolability of the constitutional rights of
the different sections of the Union: and
they have proclaimed their devoted and un-
alterable attachment to the Union and to
the constitution, as objects Of interest supe-
rior to all subjects of local or sectional con-
troyersy,. .as the safegard ofthe rights Of all,
as the spirit and the essence of the liberty,
peace, and greatness of the republic.
In doing this, they have, at the same time,
cmphatically condemned the idea Of organ
izing in these United States mere gcograph-
ical parties; of marShalling III hostile array
towards each other the different parts of the
country, North or South, East or West.
Schemes of tlss nature, fraught with in
calculable mischief, and which the consid-
crate sense of the people has rejected, could
have had countenance N no part of country
had they not been disguised by suggestions |
plausible i'll appearance. acting upon an cX-
cited state of the public mind, induced by |
causes temporary i'll their character, and it |
is to he hoped transient in their influence. |
Perfect liberty of association for political |
objects and the widest scope of discussion |
in our country. Our institu- |
tons, framed in the spirit of confidence in |
the intelligence and integrity Of the people, |
do not forbid citizens, either individually or
associated together, to attack by writing, |
speech. or any other methods short of phys
ical force, the constitution and the very cx-
istcnce Of the Union. Under the shelter Of |
this great liberty, and protected by the laws
and usagcs of the government they assail,
associations have been formed in some of !
the States Of individuals who, pretendingto
ask only to prevent the spread of the insti
tuition Of slavery into the present or future
nchoate States of the Union, are really in
famed with desire to change the domestic
nstit Itions of existing States. To accom-
plish their objects, they dedicate themselves
70 the odious task Of deprcciating the gov
ernmcnt organization which stands in their
way and Of calumniaing, with indiScrimIn-
ate invectiyc, not only the citizens Of par
.icular States, with whose laws they find
fault. but all others Of their fellow citizens
throughout the country, who do not partici-
pate with them in their assaults upon the
Constitution, framed and adopted by our
fathers, and claiming for the privileges it
mas secured, and the blessings it has con-
'errcd, the steady support and grateful rev
arCnCc OF their cNllurtI b"N seek an Oh |
ect which they well know to lie q rcvolu-
ionaIy one. They are perfectly aware
hat the change in the relative condition Of
he white and black races in the slavehold-
ng States, which they would promote, is
ycyond their lawful authority; that to them
t is a foreign object; that it cannot he cf-
'cctcd by any peaceful instrumcntality of
heirs; that for them, and the States of
which they are citizens. the only path to its
is through burning cities,
and ravagcd fields, and slaughtered popp-
ations, and all that is most terrible in for
ign. complicated with civi; and servile var
and that the first step in the attempt is the
;orcible disruption Of 4 country On bracing
n its broad bosom degree Of liberty, and
IN amount of il -diyidual and public pros
3eritv. to whic athere is no parallel in his
.ory, and subj 1ftnting in its place hostile
nto mutual detRstation ard fratricidal car
7err. Transforming the now peaceful and |
;elicitous brotherhood into vast perna