Bedford inquirer and chronicle. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1854-1857, 1856-12-12
The Presidents Message,

To the exclusion of almost everything
else, we this week lay the President Mes
sage before our readers. It is a common
place document, and unworthy to emanate
from the Chief Executive officer of this
| nation. 1t is defence of his weak and
/, imbeeile administration, which has been con
demned before the people. He calls all
who voted against the Locofoco party, and
who condemned the repeal of the time hon.
orcd Missouri Compromise, fanatics, trail
tors, &c. The Message, like its author.
will be condemned BY every right thinking
man in the country.
The old, respectable, and conservative
National lnteiiigencer, holds this longlaec
| in reference to it:
"N hatever repugnance may be felt in
the Free States, north and west. to slavery
in the abstract, or to Its practical extension
north of the line prescribed to it BY the le-
gislatiye act of 1921, VIC have too high an
opinion of the general respect felt in those
States for the Constitution and its Compro-
misses, and fer the indefeasible rights of the
Southern States, TO give credence to the
sweeping charge of the President. 1t is
as unjust, We think, to attribute to them
any such sentiment or purpose as it would
be TO impute to the patriotic people of the
South desire to overthrow the Govern
ment because one or two newspapers and a
few monomanlacs in particular locality
rall against the union OF the States and ad-
yocate its dissolution. There are doubtless
causes OF complaint. not all of them ilnagi-
nary, both North and South, but we have
too much faith in the general loyalty Of
both sections to admit the Justice of the
Presidents allegation. In the most violent
debates of the last session we heard Ncrth-
ern Senators, distinguished fois their ex-
treme opinions on the Kansas question, not
only publicly repudiate the remotest wish
or intention to interfere with slavery in the
States, but avow their readiness to shoul.
der their maskets to defend the people of
the South, if need be, in maintaining their
authority at home.
We are not extenuating the extravagan-
cies of fanatics in the North or in the
West: but, with all defereuce to the Presi-
dent, we must say that he has gone too far
in imputing revolutionary sentiments or de-
signs to so large portion of the people of
the Free States. II is not to be wondered
at, perhaps that the President should feel
warmly and speak strongly on subject in
which his own official course has been so
severely condemned; but when the angry
contentious of the day shall have subsided
the uncharitableness of many present views
| will be recti6ed, aud among them the ono
advanced in the message from which we
now feel constrained in justice to dissent,
and on which We will say no more We
will only add that We should be happy to
see the day when neither the word slavery
nor any ailasien to the institution will find
I place in the Presidents Message to Con-
gress."
| The Philadelphia San disposes of 1t in
this wise:
"PREslDENr's MEssAGE.-As We ex-
pected little from the last dying speech and
confession of President Pierce, we have mol
been disappointed. L: is full of weak So
phistries, unmeaning generalties and ridicu-
lous arguments, unworthy a stump speech
before an election, to say nothing Of pub
lie document emanating from Presiden,
under the requirements of the Constitution
Ii any one has the courage to read it, lei
him do 50, but not BY our advice. 1t viii
be time sadly misspent. There was not ;
stump speaker of the smallest calibre ON,
month since, who could not have given ;
more comprehensive argument than tbi,
message contains. The fact is, Mr.. Pierc,
finds he has made great mistake IN trying
to ortdemagogae Judge Douglas in subser
viency to the South, aud being ashamed t.
acknowledge that be was duped, tries /,
brazcn it out. The country understand.
the whole matter aud viii laugh at the un
! toward efforts of the President to disem
barass himself. lie concludes By sayin,
that he shall "prepare to surrender the ex
ecutive trust to his successor. and retire /,
private life, with sentiments of profoun,
gratitude to tue good Providence land /,
this all the people will respond .Amen..'
PHILADELPHIA MARKETS.