Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1856-02-15
Special Message of the
President.

SPNN'N' Da3J
N''
Tbs document VIII be found on tue hrst
page OF this paper. we Commend It 10 tue
attentive pcrustl ct all men az the North
who are yet tenacious oi the 0eliei ihht the
Pre-ldenl has not altogether committed him
sell To the interests ana purposes slavery
propagation. The miserable, peuliogging
splrh OF the Message would disgrace any
secoud-rate lawyer ln the country. Its in-
herent bitterness The recklessness wilh
which u.s. charges are made, aud the deter
mnauon 1t eyluces to crowd upon the coun
try 400 issue foreign 20 the real facts, will
bear with u iis own condetnnutlun--thus IN
duc'ug the hope that The paper Will fail
short of achieving the real mischief intend
ed by rs author.
Bot the fact that the document may fell
pu8crless upon the country, Is no excuse
for MS c0ncoctlun or premature delivery. u
Is thrus, upon the public at peuor slnguI
arly Inappropriate at time when, the late
border onslaught having passed harmlessly
by, the public mind bad began to settle INTO
state IT pnrth rest, or, at most, was cou-
coctng schemes for the theOretic prevention
of such scenes IN future. The Kansas
question was melsurabiy dormant, when ut
sudden We have the Presidents painfully
aggressive Message thrust forward as a re-
new'l Of the contest with all MS bitterness
Of ieeln and unsatisfactory results. But
It IS suggested by an able city journal that
we cannot get nd OF the Kansas question
II Is alluded 10 as riding upon our shoulder,
Ike the Old Man Of HE sea, whether we
will or not The President, 10 his annual
Message, appeared 10 be glad to get rad of
the subject. lie dismissed Il with the brief
est possible mention but change has come
over has thoughts. lie now returns TO the
question with strange relish, ana desperate
iy oilers new proposals to the South. IN the
shape of PROMISE TO stand by TIE Missuu-
rams 10 their usurpaiion OF the government
T OF cont nous state and ~ recommending
to Congress the enforcement OF the detesta-
Die ordinances enacted oy the Shawnee Niis-
sion Legislature, some Of which have here
toiore had place IN our columns TO the
exclusion Of better and more sensible mat
ter
Mr' Fierce has doubtless many bad adyls-
ers. Ills individual affairs are IN such
slate, tlh' he probably turns willing ear to
every ne" plan That may be suggested for
Their niproVementBul bus tine has gone by.
convention may be iofmed wiling TO
thrust h's name upon the country as q can.
alHhle Tor reelection, bul ms supporters VIII
nave tue inorlhcauon Of witnessing his biz
Ter defeat ms very Kansas Message wall
ne USED as lndnOIh0'e evidence 10 convince
,he Worm That he Is not lt man To become
oniel magistrate Atkinson himself hus
"H'leh no more lncendiafy document lie
MS never presented tne Kansas question IN
more perverted hight than does the Presi-
dent and he "ill be ranked as second
AIRY instrument III TIE propagation and future
upholdng OF that insane spirit OF aggression
which mas set the desperate anu unprnc-
pied OF one section upon the peaceful, the
ia"-abihIng, and me actual residents of an
other section. Atchison can, however, lay
claim To originality the President,
as IN too many other Instances, Is content 10
adopt and perh'ps enlarge upon the ideas Of
others.
But the Message falls measurably power-
less upon the States. There is litte fear