Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1856-12-11

harmonious cooperation between the authO-
rites of the United States and of the several
States for the maintenance of their common
institutions, which existed in the early years
of the republic, was destroyed; conflicts of
jurisdiction came to be frequent; and Con-
gress found itself compelled, for the support
of the constitution and the vindication of it's
power, to authorize the appointment of new
officers charged with the execution of it's
acts, as if they and the officers of the States
were the ministers, respectively, of foreign
governments in state of mutual hostility,
rather than fellow magistrates of common
country. peacefully subsisting under the pro-
lection of one well-constituted Union. Thus
here, also, aggression was followed by re-
action; and the attacks upon the constitu-
ton at this point did but serve to raise up
new barriers for it's defence and security
The third stage of this unhappy sectional
controversy was in connexion with the Or
ganization of territorial governments, and
the admission of new States into the Union
When it was proposed to admit the State of
Maine, by separation of territory from that
of Massachusetts,, and the State of Missouri,
formed of a portion of the territory ceded by
France to the United States, representatives
in Congress objected to the admission of the
latter, unless with conditions suited to par
ticular views of public policy. The impo-
sition Of such condition was successfully
resisted. But, at the same period, the
question was presented of imposing restric-
tions upon the residue of the territory ceded
by France. That question was, for the time.
disposed of by the adoption of geographi-
cal line of limitation.
In this connexion it should not be forgot
ten that when France, of her own accord,
resolved, for considerations of the most far
sighted sagacity, to cede Louisiana to the
United States, and that accession was accep-
ted by the United States, the latter express
ly engaged that 1.-The inhabitants of the &C.
ded territory shall be Incorporated in the
Union of the United States, and admitted as
soon as possible, according to the principles
Of the federal constitution, to the enjoyment
Of all the rights, advantages, and immuni-
| ties Of citizens of the United States; and in
the mean time they shall be maintained and
protected in the free enjoyment Of their HJ-
crty, property, and the religion which they
profess s''-that is to say, while it remains in
territorial condition, its inhabitants ar~1
maintain ned and protected in the free -. ~ !.
mcnt of their liberty and propertyse ty",.n ctatoa
right then to pass into the condit::,t .. : H''.cs
on footing of perfect equaro Will 'ie of'-
einal States. -
The enactment WIN established the re-
strictive geograpl.sal line, was acqulosced
in rather thar1'proved by the States Of the
Tn;on rtstood on the statute-book, how
orar ia number Of years: and the peo-
,io- the respective States acquiesced III the
rr<enactmcnt Of the principle as applied to
the State of Texas and it was proposed to
acquicse in its further application TO the ter
ritory acquired by the United States from
Mexico. But this proposition was success
fully resisted hy the representatives from the
northern States, who, regardless of the sta
tute line, insisted upon applying restrictions
to the new territory generally, whether ly
ing north or south of, thereby repeating it
as legislative compromise, and, on the
part Of the North, persistently violating the
compact, if compact there was.
Thcreupon this enactment ceased to have
binding virtue in any sense. whether as re-
spects the North or the South and so in
effect it was treated on the occasion of the
State of California and the organization of
the Territories of New Mexico, Utah, and
Washington.
THE Message after narrating the success
sive acts of indirect aggression that have
established and maintained the sectional diff
ferences of the country, comes down to the
repeal of the Missouri Compromise and the
troubles in Kansas. This portion of the
Message contains nothing in the way of fact
or argument that is new, but the President
states his views moderately and courteously,
and thereby entities them to fair conside-
ration even from those who may not assent
to his conclusions.
For the balance we adopt the excellent
synopsis of the Message furnished by the
Baltimore american.
The President justifes the course Of the
Administration with regard to the Kansas
difficulties on the ground that the imputed
irregularities in the elections there were be-
yond the sphere of the action of the Execu
tive, the people of the United States being
themselves the guardians of their own rights
in such respects. The present peaceful con-
dition of Kansas affords the President ground
for congratulating the country, especially as
it has been secured 'twithout one drop of
blood having been shed in its accomplish
ment by the forces of the United States. :"
He adds, in this connection, the confident
trust that this peaceful condition will afford
opportunity for calm reflection and wise le-
gislation; that no act will be suffered to re-
main in the statute book of Kansas violative
of the provisions of the Constitution, and
Congress will take all necessary steps to as