Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1856-01-05
THE PRESIDENTS VIEWS IN RELATION
TO SLAVERY
CONSTITUTIONAL RELATIONS OF SLAVERY.


Placed in the Office of Chief Magistrate a.
the executive agent of the whole country
bound to take care that the laws be faithful,
executed, and specially enioined by the con
sttution to give information to Congress OF
the State of the Union. it would be palpabl,
neglect Of duty on my part to pass over {
subject like this, which. beyond all things al
the present time, vitully concerns indivdua
and public security.
1t has been matter Of painful regret to see
States, conspicuous for their services in found
ing this Republic, and equally sharing its
advantages. disregard their constitutions
obligations to it, Although conscious Of thei,
inability to heal admitted and papahle socia
evils Of their own. and which are completely
within their jurisdictions, they engage in the
offensive and hopeless undertaking OF reform
ing the domestic institutions Of other States
wholly beyond their control and authority
In the vain pursuit of ends. by them entirely y
unattanable, and which they may not legally
attempt to compass. they peril the very exis
tence Of the constitution, and all the countless
benefits which it has conferred. While the
people Of the Southern States contine theil
attention to their own affairs, not presuming
oficiously to intermcddle with the social in,
clllullOIIS VI lut NOIlUcTlI '.lultS, lOO IHuHN
Of the inhabitants Of the latter are perma
nently organized in associations to infiict in
jury on the former by wrongful acts, which
would be cause of war Gs between foreign
powers, ard only fail to be such in our system
because perpetrated under cover Of the
Union,
1t is impossible to present this subject as
truth and the occasion require, without no.
tiafn ha tod hut oil
ton, that the South has persstently asserted
claims and obtained advantages in the prac-
tcal administration Of the leueral govern.
ment, to the prejudice of the North, and in
which the latter has acquiesced. That it, the
States, which either promote or tolerate at
tacks on the rights of persons and Of property
in other States TO disguise their own justice
pretend or image, and constantly aver, that
they, whose constituul rights are thus syste-
matically assaled, are themselves the argres-
sors. At the present time. this imputed az
gression, resting us it does, only in the vague
declamalory charges of political agitators.
resolves itself into misapprehenSion, or mis-
Interpretation, Of the principles and facts OF
the political organization Of the new Terrific
ries of the United States.
What is the voice of history? When the
ordinance which provided for the government
Of the territory northwest of the river Ohio,
and for its eventual subdivision into rev
States, was adopted in the Congress Of The
confederation, il is not to be supposed that
the question Of future relative power, as be-
tween the States which retained ard those
which did not retain, a numerous colored
population escaped notice, or failed 10 be
considered. And yet the concession of that
vast territory to the interests and opinions oi
the northern States, territory now the seat
of five among the largest members of thJ
Union, was, in great measure, the act Of the
State of Virginia and of the South.
When Louisiana was acqsired by the Uni.
ted States, it was an acquisition not less to
the North than to the South for while il was
important TO the country at the mouth Of the
river Mississippi to become the emporium
of the country above il, so. also. it was even
more important to the whole Uuion to have
that emporium; and although the new pro-
vince, by reason Of its imperfect settlement
was mainly regarded as on the Gulf Of MeXi.
co. yet, in fact, it extended 10 the opposite
boundaries Of the United States, with fal
greater breadth above and below, and was in
territory, as in everything else. equally at
least an accession 10 The Northern States. II
is mere delusion and prejudice, therefore, tc
speak OF Louisiana hS acquisition III Inc Spe-
cial interest Of the South.
The patriotic and just men, who participa,
ted in that act, were Influenced by motives
far above all sectional jealouses. 1t was in
truth the great event, which, b. completing
for us the possession Of the valley Of the Mis-
sissippi, with commercial access to the Gull
of Mexico, impaired unity and strength tC
the whole confederation, and attached TO
gether by indissolube ties the East aud the
West, as well as the North and the Sonth.
AS to Florida, that was but the transfer
by Spain to the United States OF territor,
on the east side Of the river Mississippi, il
exchange for large territory, which the
United States transferred to Spain ON the
west side of that river, as the entire dipo
matte history Of that transaction serves tc
demonstrate. Moreover, it was an acquis
! tion demanded by the commercial interests
and the security Of the whole Union.
In the meantime. the people of the United
| States had grcwn up 10 proper conscious
ness Of their strength. and in brief contest
with France. ana in o second serious wal
with Great Britain. they had shaken of al
which remained undue reverence for Europe
and emerged from the atmosphere of those
transatlantic influences which surrounded
the infant Republic. and had begun TO turr
their attention to the full and systematic de