Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1856-12-04
3aresIUent's message.
Fello1c Citizens Of the Senate

measures as he may judge necessary and ex-
pedient, but also that he shall give lnforma-
ton TO them of the state of the Union. 10
do this fully involves exposition OF all matters
in the actual condition Of the country, comes
tic or foreign. which essentially concern the
general welfare. While performing his con-
stitu.iona duty in this respect, the President
does not speak merely to express personal
convictions, but as the executive minister OF
the government, enabled by his position, and
called upon by his official obligations, to scan
with an impartial eye, 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-
facturcs navigation and commerce, 1t is ne
cessary only to say that the internal prosper
ity Of the country, its continuous and steady
Advancement in wealth and population, and
in private as well as public wellbeing, attest
the wisdom Of our institutions, and the pre-
dominant spirit of intelligence and patriotism
which, Notwithstanding occasional irregulari-
ties of opinion or action resulting from pop
ular freedom, has distinguished and charac-
terized the people Of America.
In the brief interval between the termina-
ton 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 fthe persons who are Of
right, or eontingently, to preside over the ad-
ninistratiOn Of the government is, under our
system. committed TO the States and the peo-
pie. We appeal to them by their voice pro-
nounced in the forms of law, to call whomso-
ever they will to the high post of Chief Mag
istrate. And thus it is that as the Senators
represent the respective States of the Union
and the members of the House of Represen-
tatives the several constituencies Of each State,
SO the President represents the aggregate pop
ulation Of the United States. Their election
of him 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 recent political ac-
ton, the people Of the United States have
sanctioned and announced.
They have asserted the constitutional equal
itv Of each and all Of the States Of the Uni
on as States: they have affirmed the constitu-
tisnal equality Of each and all of the citizens
Of the United States as citizens, whatever
their religion, wherever their birth, or their
residence: they have maintained the inviola-
bility of the constitutional rights of the diff
farent sections Of the Union and they have
tachment 20 the Union and TO the constitution,
as objects IF interest superior TO all sub
jacts of local or sectional controversy, as the
safeguard of the rights Of all, as the spirit
aud the essence OF the liberty peace and
greatness Of the Republic.
In doing this, they have, at the same time.
emphatically condemned the idea Of organiz-
ing in these United States mere geographical
parties; Of marshalling in hostile array to-
wards each other the different parts Of the
country, North or South, East or West.
Schemes Of this nature, fraught with meal
culable mischief and which the considerate
sense Of the people has rejected, could have
had countenance in no part Of the country,
had they not been disguised by suggestions
plausible in appearance. acting upon an excl
ted state OF the public mind, induced by eau
ses temporary IN their character, and il is to
be hoped transient in their influence
Perfect liberty Of association for political
objects, and the widest scope Of discussion.
are the received and ordinary conditions Of
government in our country. Our institutions.
framed in the spirit of confidence in the in
teiHgence and integrity of the people, do not
forbid citizens either individually or associa.
ted together, t. attack by writing speech or
any other methods short Of physical force.
the Constitution and the verv existence of the
Union. Under the shelter Of this great Ibcr-
ty, and protected bv e laws and usares Of
the government they assan. associations have
been formed, in some Of the States. Of indi-
Ylduals, VINO, pretending to seek onlv 10 pre-
vent tie spread Of the institution Of slavery
into the present or future incboate States of
the Union, are really infamed with the desire
TO change the domestic institutions Of exist
ing States. 70 cc3mp!ish their objects. thev
dedicate themselves 10 the Odious tasl: Of de.
pFeclaung the government organization which
stands IN their way, and OF caiumniating
with IndlscrlmIuate Invcctiyc not only the
citizens OF particular States, with whose laws
they lind fault, but all others Of their fellow.
citizens throughout the countrr who do not
participate with them in their assaults upon
tne Constitution, framed and adopted bv our
fathers, ana claiming tyr the privileges it has
secured, and the blessings it has conferred
the steady support and grateful reverence of
their children. They seek an object which
they we'll know TO be q revolutionary one.
They are perfectly aware that the change
in the relative condition of the white and
black races in the slayeholding States. which
they would promote, is beyond their lawful
authority. that to them ii is a foreign oh
Ject; thatit cannot be effected bv any peace
tuI instrumentality Of theirs: that for tbom
and the States Of which they are citizens. the
only path TO its accomplishment is through
burning cities, and ravaged fields, and slaueh-
tered populations, and all there is most terri
bic III foreign, complicated with civil and SER
vile war; and thai the first step in the at
tempt is the forcible disruption of a country
embracing in its broad bosom a degree Of
liberty, and an amount of individual and
public prosperity, to which there is no paral-
lei IA history, and substituting in its place
hostile governments, driven at once and inev-
ltaoly into mutual devastation and fratricidal
carnage, Transforming the now peaceful and
tellcitous brotherhood into a vast permanent
camp OF armed men Ike the rival monarchies
Of Europe and Asia. Well knowing that
such, and such only, are the means and the
consequences Of their plans and rurposas