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

] tied itself by acts of insurrectionar
y character or of the obseruction to pro
e cess of law, has been repelled or SUP
r pressed by all the means which the Cor
: stitution and the laws place in the hand
Q of the Executive.
r In these parts of the United States
f where, by reason of the inhamed stat
of the public mind, false rumors ant
Misrepresentation have the creates
currency, it has been assumed that
; was the duty of the Executive, not onl,
to suppress insurrectionary movement:
in Kansas, but also to see to the irregu
larity of local elections; it needs littl,
argument to show, that the Presden
bas no such power. All government
in tine United States, rests substantially
upon popular election. The freedom
of elections is liable to be impaired BY
the intrusion of unlawful votes, or the
exclusion of lawful ones, by improp-
er influences, by violence or by fraud.
But the people of the United States
are themselves the all sufficient guar
dians of their own rights, and to sup
pose that they will not remedy in due
season any such incident of civil free
dom is to suppose them to have ceased
to be capable of self government. The
President of the United States has not
the power to interpose in elections to
see to their freedom, to canvass their
votes or to pass upon their legality in
the Territories, any more than in the
States. If be had such power the gov
ernment might be Republican in form,
but it would be monarchy in fact, and
if he had undertaken to exercise it in
the case of Kansas he would have been
justly subject to the charge of usurpa-
ton, and of violating the dearest rights
of the people of the United States
Unwise laws, equally with irregular
ities at elections, are, in periods of
great excitement, the occasional acci-
dents of even the freest and best politi-
cal institutions. But all experience
demonstrates that in country like ours
Were the right ef self constitution ex-
lists in the completest form, the attempt
to remedy unwise legislation by resort
to revolution, is totally out of place,
-inasmuch as existing legal institutions
afford more prompt and efficacious means
for the redress of wrongs. confident
ly trust that now when the peaceful con
dition of Kansas affords opportunity for
calm reflection and wise legislation, Ell
ther the legislative assembly of the Ter
ritory, or Congress, will see that no act
shall remain on its statute book viola
tive of the provisions of the Constitution,
or subversive of the great objects for
which that was ordained and established
and will take all other necessary steps
to assure to its inhabitants the enjoy
ment, without obstruction or abriidge-
ment, of all the constitutional rights,
privileges and immunities of citizens of
the United States, as contemplated by
the organic law of the territory.
Full information in relation to recent
events n that territory will be found in
the documents herenit communicated
from the Departments of State and War.
l refer you to the report of the Secretary
of the Treasury for particular informa-
tion concerning the financial condition
of the government and the various
branches of the public service connected
with the Treasury Depai tment
During the last fiscal year the receipts
from customs were for the first time
more than sixty four millions dollars,
and from all sources seventy three mil
lion nine hundred and eighteen thous-
aud one hundred and fifty one dollars;
which, with the balance on hand up to
July last, 1855, made the total resource
of the year to amount to ninety-two
million eight hundred and fifty thousand
one hundred and seventeen dollars
The expenditures, including the million
dollars in execution of the treaty with
Mexico, and excluding sums paid in ac
count of the public debt, amounts to
sixty million one hundred and seventy
two thousand four hundred and one dol
lars; and including the latter, to seven
ty-two million nine hundred and forty
eight thousand seven hundred and nine
ty two dollars. The payment on this
account having amounted to twelve mil
lion seven hundred and seventy six thou
sand three hundred and ninety dollars.
On the 4th of March, 1856, the amount
of the public debt was sixty nine mill
lou one hundred and twenty nine thou
sand nine hundred and thirty seven dol
lars
On examining the expenditures of
the last five years, it will been seen that
the average, deducting payments on ac-
count of the Public Debt and ten mill
ions paid by treaty to Mexico, has been
but about forty eight million dollars.
1t is believed that under an economical
Administration of the Government. the
average expenditures for the ensuing
five years, will not exceed that sum un-
less an extraordinary occasion for its in
caease should occur.
There was subsequent increase of
two million seven hundred and fifty
thousand dollars for debt of Texas, max
ing total of seventy one million eight
hundred and seventy-niue thousand thir-
ty-seven dollars. OF this, the sum of
forty five million five hundred and twen-
ty FIVE thousand three hundred aud nine
teen dollars, including premium, has been
discharged, reducing the debt to thirty
million seven hundred and thirty seven
thousand one hundred and twenty nine
dollars, all of which might be paid with
in year without embarrassing the pub
lie service, but being not yet due, and
only redeemable, at the option of the
holders cannot be pressed to payment
by the Government.
These considerations will justify re-
duction of the revenue customs so as not
to exceed 4S or so million dollars l
think the exigency for such reduction is
imperative and again urge it upon the
consideration of Congress. The amount
of reduction as we'll as the manner of