Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1856-12-05
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

OF ftePre3snf0hvss:
The Constitution requires that the
President shall. from time TO time, not
only recommend to the consideration OF
Congress auch measures as he may Judge
necessary and exped,cnt, but also that
he shall give information TO them Of the
state of The Union. To do this fully in
wolves exposition Of all matters In the
actual condition OF the country, domes-
tic or foreign, which essentially con :.
cern tho general welfare. While per.
forming his constitutional duty In this
respect, the President does not speak
merely y express personal convictions,
but as Ne executive minister Of III gov
eminent, enabled by his position, and
called upon by his official obligations, to
scan with an impartial eye the interests
Of tho whole, and Of every part Of the
United States.
OF the condition of the domestic In
teresis Of the Union, its agriculture.
mines, manufactures. navigation. and
commerce. II IL necessary only to say
that the internal prosperity Of the coun-
try, It's continuous and steady advance
ment In wealth and population. and In
private as we'll as public well-being, at
test the wisdom Of our institutions, and
the predominant spirit Of int lligence
aud patriotism, which. notwithstanding
occasional irregularities Of opinion OF
action resulting from popular freedom,
has distinguished and characterised the
people OF America.
In the brief interval between the ter.
mination OF the last and the commence
ment Of the present session Of Con-
gress, the public mind has been occu-
pied with the care Of selecting, for an
other constitutional term, the President
and Vice President OF the United
States.
Tho determination of,h persons,whc
are Of right, or contingently, to preside
over the administration Of the govern.
ment, Is. under onr system. committed to
the States aud the people. We appeal
to them. by their voice pronounced In
the forms Of law, to call whomsoevei
they will to the high post OF Chief Mag.
istrate.
And thus It Is that as 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 repre-
sents the aggregate population OF the
United States. Their election OF hin
Is the explicit and solemn act OF the
sole sovereign authority OF the Union.
II Is impossible to misapprehend the
great principles. which. by their recen
political action, the people OF the United
States have sanctioned snd announced.
They have asserted the constitutions
equality of each and oil Of the States o
the Union as States. they have affirme,
the constitutional equality Of each an,
all Of the citizens of the United State
as citizens, whatever their religion. ant
wherever their birth, or residence; the,
have maintained the inviolability OF tn,
constitutional rights Of the different sec
tons Of the Unicn; and they have pro
claimed their devoted and unalteratl,
attachment to the Union and to th
constitution, as objects OF interest 81
perior to all subjects OF local or section
al controversy, US the safeguard OF tn
rights Of all, rs the spirit and essence 0
the liberty, peace. and greatness Of tn
Republic.
In doing this. they have, at the sam
dine, emphatically condemned the ide
Of organizing In these United State
mere geographical parties; Of marshall
ing In hostile array towards each othe
the different parts Of the country. Mort
or South. East or West.
Schemes Of this nature, fraueht wit
inculculable mischief. and which the cor
siderate sense ofthe people has rejecte
could have had countenance in no pal
OF the country. had they not been dis
guised by suggestions plausible In al
pearence, acting upon On excited state
the public mind. induced by causes ten
porary In their character, and Il Is to
; hoped transient In their influence.
Perfect liberty Of association for pt
litical objects, and the widest scope {
discussion, are the received and ordinar
conditions Of government Ia our cour
Try. Our institutions, framed In III
, spirit OF confidence In the intelllgene
and integrity Of the people, do not iorb
citizens either individually or associate
together, to attack by writing, speech, {
any other methods short Of physic
+. force, the Constitution and the very e,
. istence OF the Union. Under the she
ter OF this great liberty, and protected B
the laws and usages OF the governmeI
] they assail. associations have been forn
, cd, In some Of the States, OF individual
who, pretending to seek only to prevel
: the spread Of the institution OF slaveI
, into the present or future inchoate STATE
OF the Union, are really 'infamed vii
desire to change the domestic institatioI
Of existing states.
To accomplish their objects, the
= dedicate themselves 10 the odious TAI
Of dieprecting the government orgal
Q isation which stands In their way. ar
Of ILLUMINATING. with indiscrimina
invective, not only the citizens Of pa
ticular States, with whose laws lh,
find fault, but oil others Of their "a
low-citizens throughout the countr
who do not participate with them
their assaults upon the Constitution
J; framed and adopted by our father
: and claiming for tho privileges Il b
: secured. and the blessings II has CO.
! ferred. the steady support aud graf
: ful reverence Of their children. TIL,
: seek an object which they well kno
: to be q revolutionary one. They q
: perfectly aware that the change In h
. relative condition Of the white al
u black races In she slaveholding State
. which they would promote. Is beyol
3 their lawful authority; that to them
: Is q foreign object: that II cannot
' effected by any peaceful instrume
. tally Of theirs; that for thom. and d
. States Of which they are citizens. Il
y only path to It's accomplishment.
y through burning cities, and ravag
fields. and slaughtered population
q and all there Is most terrible In e
. eign. complicated with civil and 8.
10 vile war; and that the first step In d
- attempt Is the forcible disruption Of
!. country embracing Ia its broad bose
y q degree Of liberty. and an amount
u individual and public prosperity.
u which there Is no parallel in histoi
D. and substitutin0 In ia place host