The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1856-12-09

TU8sDAY MokklA6, BEG. =, 1855.
ssassAise sSssk - Hmsaes.
The pseple have had time to read and d. |
ses, President Pierce's les, message. The
Ora, and last .pog,ions we're doubtless from
the President's own hand, but the interve-
niss peg1 are esideatly the work Of his
secresasles. ia their respective departments.
Their parts are well done. but we regret to
cay Mr.. Pierce's positions, and the psr,icu-
lar naaaersa which he has presented and
unclaimed aA@n, are unworthy Of the place
~kicA e sniortaaately Tor the internal
peace Of the couatry, he has been filling for
nearly four years. He appears determined
tina, in his lsst. message he will obliterste
aay lagsise regrets 81 his departure,
which my Ssd . home among his country.
men. He i almost Insulting, and certain.
ly vssy unjust, TO large portion of his fel-
low citizens, while he prostrates bis indie
pesdsncs in the duas before another portion.
He appears 6lled with vindictive spite
against those northern men whose course
knocksd in the head his aspirations fsr
second term, and who 80 nearly defeated
BseAaasa He is cross, and from his irritabil.
ity 10 neither logical nor conclusive in his
rsssoniags.
He akscss to consider the result Of the
late election. ~ an endorsement OF The lead
ing measure oil his Administration. A CO.
temporasy significantly ssks-esn Mr.. Pierce
be ;nsens,bls TO the fact that the most pop
alsr man in the Uniled States four years
ago, 10 now universal object OF pity. where
he 10 not an object Of contempt II the
people who elected him with 80 much en-
,luaiasm. and by such signal majority four
years ago. although his competitor was the
abiest general OF the age. whose great deeds
had cnAeared him 10 his country Iii the pso-
pie. - say, meant, at the election, TO en-
dorss the choice they made in 1854, how
did ii happen That The running OF third
candidate was the only circumstance that
prevented oil sAe Northern States uniting
in q body against the democratic party, and
saved it from utter defeat, Ifapprovsl Of
the policy Of Mr.. Pierce is what the people
meant TO express in the late election, how
did n happen that the Cincinnati Consen-
lion did not dare to 60 into the canvass with
the naked question OF the Kansas policy
presented in the person of the President
who he'd ssaked on il the success Of bis ad-
ministratioa, No man who considers the
estinatoa in which Mr.. Pierce was held
fsur ysars ago. and the want Of it in which
he 10 hsid now, viii be likely 10 think the
voters Of The country intended to pay him
compiimen, on the fourth of last month
He does not think 90 himself; fo- the la
rofed attemp, at exculpation which is the
principal feature Of the message, shows his
consciousness that the country has srraign-
ed him As culprit, and put him on his de-
fence. Who ever argued his case 10 a ju-
ry after they had decided il il his favor.
The principal part OF the message is Ia
ken up with q labored effort to defend the
action Of the Administration in reoPening
the slavery agitation, and bringing upon
the country dePlo.able war OF sections
Mr.. Pierce defends the repeal Of the Mis-
SOAR Compromise on the ground ofits be-
ing unconstitutional. This comes at
tate hour. The constitutional question was
not raised in the original discussion in Con-
eress. l, was then urged on the ground
that il was necessary to carry out the Com
promise Of 1850. The pretended principle
wss squss,er sovereignty. The professed OBJ
lsct ofthe bill was to confer on the people OF
the territories perfect control over their do
nestle institutions. But how could congress
confer ON The Legislature Of Territory that
which il does not possess itself The legisis-
turs Of &ss< derives eli its powers from the
State Constitution, an instrument formed by
the people sclina in their sovereign cspsci-
y. The Legislature ofa Territory derives
all its powers from an act Of Congress, and
Congress has no power TO act except what
is conferred on it BY the Constitution Of the
United States. II the Territorial Lesisls-
ture Of Kansas can pass IN act either pro-
hlbiting OF legalizing slavery, il 10 evident
that Congress possesses the same power
under the Constitution. That he, ifs terri
torial Legislature has no Constitutional
power over the subject Of slavery, then that
part Of the Kansa. Act which confers this
power IL unconstitutional. But if Con-
gress can consiitutionally confer such pow
er, il musf possess it itself.
There are other parts OF the Message TO
which re should like to make aliusion had
we space. But We cannot pass one remark
OF Nj. Piesce's, where he says al! the sgi-
,siion We have gone through was inesiia.
bis,whether the Missouri Compromise had
been repealed or not that the repeal was
not the cause, only the p.ete1t Of the aglta
tion. Mr.. Pierce is either demenied, or acts
upon the presumption that the people are
oil fools. He knows that this agitation was
al ewing to the uncslled for, undemanded
repeal of the Missouri Compromise; and
that the Democratic psrtyIunder the rule Of
unPriaripied party demsgogues grssping
Tor Southern votes, were and are RESPONSE
BILE for This agitation.
A. the Buffalo Advertiser remarks: "Mr.
Pierce has made his final defence, and biz
admin isfration is now committed TO the
Judgment OF history. There was never q
case in which il was easier for contempora.
ries 10 anticipate the decision Of that tribu-
nal. Its voice will be that this sdministrs
lion wantonly destroyed the tranquility Of
the country, for no better object than 10 Sc
cure the support Of the Southern States for
Nr. Pierce in the ensuing Presidential eiee.
tioa. He has received part of his merited
reward; history will Lestow the rest"
KILLED BY LsETsIkc.-WeI learn from
the Fort Dodge Ssntinel that gentleman
from the Cedar Valley was travelling on the
prairie aesr Buckeye Grove, in Hardin CO..
accom- panied by his two sons, during thun-
der storm about three weeks ago, when an
electric shock killed the father and the