The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1856-12-11
Presidents Message.

" a~Sf'SSc"tNttJcSs
The Constitution requires that the Presi-
, dent shall, from time to time, not only re.
commend to the consideration Of Congress
such measures as he mny judge necessary
and expedient, but also that he shall give in
formation to them of the srute of the Union.
To do this fully, involves exposition of all
matters in the actual condition of the coun.
try, domestic or foreign, which essentially
concern the general welfare. While per.
forming his constitutional duty in this re-
spect, the President does not sneak merely
TO express personal convictions, but as the
executive minister Of the government, emo.
bled by his position, and called upon BY his
official obligations, to scan with gn impartial
eye the interests of the whole, and Of every
part of the United St tes.
OF the condition OF the domestic interests
Of the Union, its agriculture, mines, manu-.
facturts, navigation, and commerce, it is
Necessary o. y to say that the internal pros
perlty OF the Country, its continuous and
steady advancement in wealth and popua-
ton, and in private rs wei Gs public we'll
being, attest the wisdom Of oar Institutions,
and the predominant spirit of int" ligence
and patriotism, which, Notwithstanding oc-
casional irregularities of opinion or action
resulting from popular freedom, has distin-
guished and characterized 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 Sc
fec1ing, for another constitutional term, the
President and Vice President of the United
States.
The determination of the persons, who
are OF right, or contingentIy, to preside over
the administration OF the government, is, un
der our system, committed to the States ard
the people. We appeal to them. by their
voice pronounced in the forms Oi law, to call
whomsoever they will to the high post OF
Chief Magistrate.
And thus it is that as the Senators repre-
sent the respective States Of the Union, and
the members Of the House Of Representa-.
aiVes the several constituencies of each
State, so the Pre- ident represents the ag-
eregate population of the United Stnies.-
Their election OF him is the explicit and sol
emn act of the sole sovereign authority OF
the Union.
II is impossible to misapprehcnd the great
principles, which by their recent political &c
ton, the people of the United States have
sanctioned and announced.
They have asserted the constitutional
equality Of each and all Of the States Of the
Union as States; they have hfIi! med the
constitutional equality Of each and all Of The
citizens Of the Uaited States as citizens,
whatever their religion, wherever their birth
or residence; they have maintained the in
violabillty of the constitutional rig hts Of the
different sections of the Union; and they
have proclaimed their devoted and unatcra.
bic attachment TO the Union and to the Con
stitution, as objects of interest superior to
all subjects Of local or sectional controversy,
as the safeguard Of the rights Of all, as the
spirit and the essence of the liberty, peace,
ard greatness Of the Republic.
In doing this, they huvc, at the some time,
emphatcaly condemned the idea OF organ'z
ing in these United States mere geographi
cal parties; of mnrshnlug in hostile arrGy
towards each other the different parts OF The
country, North or South, East or West.
Schemes OF this nature, traught with in
CaIculatle mischief, and which The consider
ate sense of the people has rejected, could
have had countenance in no part of the
country, he'd thev not been disguised by sug
gestions plausible in appearance, acting up
on an excited state of the public mind indu-
ccd by causes temporary in their character,
ard it is to be hoped transient in their ntlu
ence.
Perfect liberty Of association for political
objects, and the widest scope of discussion,
ure the received and ordinary conditions OF
government in our country. Our institu
tions, framed in the spirit of confidence in
the intelligence and integrity of the people,
do not forbid citizens either Individually or
associated together, to attack by writing,
speech, or any other methods short OF physi
Cal force, the Constitution and the very ex
istence of the Union. Under the shelter OF
this great liberty, and protected by the laws
and usnges of the government they assuil, 4
associations have been formed, in some o!
the States, of individuals, who, pretending |
to seek only to prevent the spread OF the in.
stitution OF slavery into the present or future
inchuate States OF the Union, are really in.
famed with desire TO change the domestic
institutions OF existing States To accom-.
plish their objects. they dedicate themselves
10 the odious task of deprecating the gov.
eminent organization which stands in their
way, and of calumnating, with indiscrimin
Cte lIHeCtlNt, uoI Why CHiEeES " pditICuihf |
States, with whose laws they find fault, but
all others of their fellow citizens throughout
the country, who do not participate with
them in their assaults upon the Constitution,
framed and adopted by our fathers, and claim
ing for the privileges it has secured, and the
bl, ssings it has conferred, the steady sup.
port and grateful reverence Of their children
They seek an object which they well know
10 be revolutionary oCe, They are per-
fcttIy aware that the change in the relative
condition OF the white and black races IN tn
savehodng States, which they>wuuld pro
mote, is beyond their law iul authority; that
to them it is a foreign object; that it cannot
be effected by any peaceful insrumentaity I
of theirs; that tor them, and the States OF
which they are citizens, the onl; path to its
accomplishment is through burning cities,
and ravaged fields, and slaughtered populn
tiois, and all there is most terrible in for
eign, complicated with civil and scrvie war;
and that the first step in the attempt is the
forcible disruption OF country embracing
iii it's broad bosom degree ot liberty, and
an amount of individual and public prosper-
!, ty, to ich there is no parallel in history,
and substituting in its place hostile govern.
ments, driven at once and inevitably into
mutual devastation and fratricdal carnage,
Transforming the now peaceful end felicltOus
brotherhood into vast permanent camp oI
armed men like the rival monarchies Of