American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1856-12-20
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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 90, 1856.
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and is so truthful and appropriate as to
claim our space. Our readers, who
have read the document, will be pre-
pared to appreciate the fairness of the
structures which follow; and which do
rot essentially differ from our own on
its first appearance.
As public document it is Of small
Importance. That portion of it which
relates particularly to affairs of State
d merely rciteration Of what has al
ready long since been made known to
the people through the newspapers
1t contains u passing notice Of our re-
lations with Great Britain, Denmark,
and other European powers, and q ref
crence to the reports of the heads Of
tho several departments for informa-
ton as to our fiscal, military, naval and
internal affairs, but proposes no new or
definite action in any respect different
from what was under consideration at
the last session Of Congress. The
President appears to have enough to do
Ia defending the acts of his administra-
ton without vcnturing to submit for
tho consideration of Congress any new
propositions.
The whole message is written in an
apologize and deprecatory strain, as if
to excuse the conduct of crushed and
broken down, helpless and hopeless
administration, expiring amidst univer-
sal public exccration, and pitcously
crying for mercy from an outraged
people by whom it has been signally
condemned.
The President commences on the
Same key that has been played upon by
the Democratic organs everywhere,
announcing, for the information Of the
people, what they never would have
discovered unless it were told to them,
that the election of Buchanan had set
tied sundry questions, which a few
weeks more will in all probability de-
monstrate are still as unsettled as ever.
The principal part of the message is
taken up with a labored effort to defend
the action Of the administration in re-
opening slavery agitation and bringing
upon the sountry a deplorable war of
sections. Mr.. Gushing has evidently
ransacked the whole of the legal store
house Of his memory for arguments to
show the constitutionality of the repeal
Of the Missouri Compromise, which has
not been seriously questioned except
by few ultra freedom -shriekers Of the
North, but he has failed to present any
sufficient defence Of the bad policy and
wanton recklessness Of that repeal, or
for the inauguration Of that worse than
Wilmot provisoism, the squatter sove-
reignty doctrine.
The document also contains consid-
cradle seif.glorification for the sup
preston Of the war in Kansas, but fails
to state that the Kansas difficulties
we're bcgotton and fostered by the ad.
ministration itself and were permitted
to continue, if not actually encouraged
by the President and his advisers as
long rs it was supposed that any CAPT
,Ssl could be made out of them for the
immo culate Democracy.
In imitation of Mr.. Fillmore's great
Albany speech, the ultraism of the
Northern sectionalists is justly and
sternly rebuked, but, as if in fear of
the terrible vengeance of tho Wise and
Rhett and Clingman clique, not one
word is uttered in reprobation Of the
Disunonism Of the South
AS State paper, the message is
weak and unimportant. 1t is devoted
mainly to defence Of the conduct Of
the administration and the acts Of the
Democratic party without claiming
any great principles or measures of
public policy by which the nation is to
be benefited. As defence of the
official conduct Of the President and
his cabinet it ID unsatisfactory and in
sufficient and leaves untouched all the
greatest and most glariug charges that