Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1856-01-10

itary scrip, or land warrants, taken up under
grants for roads, and selected as swamp LANDS
BY States, is 24,557 400 acres, of which the
portions sold was Is, ,729 ,574 acres, yielding in
receipts the sum of $ll ,485,3S0.
In the same period of time, S,723,S54 acres
have been surveyed but in consideration of the
quantity already subject to entry, no additional
tracts have been brought into market.
The peculiar relation of the general govern
ment to the District of Columbia renders it
proper to commend to your care not only Its
material, but also its moral interests, including
more especially in those parts OF the
District outside of the cities of Washington and
Georgetown.
The commissioners appointed to revise and
modify the laws of the District have made such
progress in the performance of their task as to
insure its completion in the time prescribed by
the act of Congress.
Information has recently been received that
the peace of the settlements in the territories of
Oregon and Washington is disturbed by hostil-
tiles on the part of the Indians, with indications
of extensive combinations of hostile character
among the tribes in that quarter, the more seri-
Gus in their possible effects, by reason of the
undetermined foreign interests existing in these
territories, to which your attention has already
been especially invited. Efficient measures have
been taken, which, it is believed, will restore
quiet and afford protection to our citizens.
KANSAS.
In the territory of Kansas there have been
some acts prejudcial to good order, but as yet
none have occurred under circumstances to JUS
tify the interposition of the Federal Executive.
That could only be in case of obstruction to
Federal law, or of organized resistance to ter
ritorial, law assuming the character of insurrcc-
ton, whiehif it should occur, it would be my
duty to overcome and suppress.
| cherish the hope, however, that the OCCUR
renee of any such untoward event will be pre-
vented by the sound sense Of the people, who,
by its organic law possessing the right to deter
mine their own domestic institutions, ARE enti-
tied, while deporting themselves peacefully, to
the free exercise of it without interference on
the part of the citizens of any of the States.
The southern boundary line of this territory
has never been surveyed and established The
rapidly extending settlements in that region,
and the fact that the main route between Inde-
pendence, in the State Of Missouri, and New
Mexico, is contiguous to this line, suggest the
probability that embarrassing questions of juris-
diction may consequently arise. For these and
other considerations, commend the subject to
your early attention
CONSTITUTIONAL THEORY OR GOVERNMENT.
have thus passed in review the general state
of the Union, including such particular con-
Germs of the Federal Government, whether of
domestic or foreign relations, as it appeared to
me desirable and useful to bring to the special
notice of Congress.
Unlike the great States of Europe and Asia,
and many Of those of America, these United
States are wasting their strength neither in for
elgn war nor domestic strife. Whatever of dis
content or public dissatisfaction exists, is attrib-
uted to the imperfections Of human nature, OF
is incident to oil Governments however perfect
which human wisdom can devise.
Such subjects of political agitation as occn-
Ply the public mind consist, to great extent, oI
exaggeration Of inevitable evils, or over zeal in
the social improvement, or mere Imagination OF
,, grievance, having but remote connection with
any of the constitutional functions or duties OF
the Federal Government. To whatever extent
these questions exhibit tendency menacing to
the stability Of the Constitution, or the integ.
rity Of the Union, and no farther, they demaad
he consideration of the Executive and require
: to be presented by him to Congress
Before the thirteen colonies become confed
GRAFTON of Independent States, they were asso
ciated only by community of trans Atlantic ori
: gin, by geographical position, and by the nutu
al tie of common dependence on Great Britain
When that tie was sundered, they severally
assumed the powers and rights of absolute sci
!. government, The municipal and social institu
tions cf each, its laws of proprety, and of per
,ol, 10 y,nl;tio,l :
was such only as each one chose to establish
wholly without interference from ary other
In the language of the Declaration Of Indepen
dence, " each State had full power to levy war
conclude peace, contract alliances, establish
S commerce. and to do all other acts and thing
/, which independependcnt States may of righ
/ do"
The several Colonies differed in climate. il
soil, in natural productions, in religion in sys
tens of education, in legislation, and in tht
: forms Of political administration, and they con
tinued to differ in these respects. When the,
voluntarily allied themselves rs States to carr
U on the war of the Revolution, the object of tina
:, war was to discnthral the United Colonies from
foreign rule, which had proved to be oppressive
: and to separate them permanently from tn
mother country. The political result was th
: foundation of a Federal Republic of the fre
white men of the Colonies, constituted as the
were in distinct and reciprocally Independent
State governments.
= As for the subject races, whether Indian 0
: African, the wise and brave statesmen of tina
i day begging engaged in no extravagant schem
: of social change, left them as they were, an
r thus preserved themselves and their poster
C ity from the anarchy and the ever recuI
% ring evil wars which have prevailed in other res
e olutioned European Colonies Of America.
j When the confederated States found it conye
i nient to modify the conditions of their assoc
:. alton by giving to the general government d
70 rect access in some respects, to the people {
1t the States, instead Of confning it to action {
"a the States, as such, they proceeded to frame til
l. existing Constitution, adhering steadily to or
e guiding thought, which was to delegate onl
al such power as was necessary and proper to til
D. execution ofspeciGc purposes, Or in other word
Of to retain as much as possible, consistently wit
those purposes Of the independent powers
If the individual powers of the individual State
or| For objects of common defence and securit,
re they entrusted to the general government ce
=. tain carefully defined functions leaving all otl
O. ers as the undelegated rights of the separate il
dependent sovereignty.
Such is the constitutional theory of our 60
Z. ernment, the practical observance of which hf
10 carried us, and us alone, among modern repul
lies, through nearly three generations Of tim,
10 10 without the cost Of one drop of blood shed
civil war.
,n The freedom and concert of action it has CIV
he en- us has enabled US to contend successfully o
the battlefield, against foreign foes; has eleva
he ted the feeble colonies into powerful States an
to has raised our Industrial productions, and ou
ed commerce, which transports them to the level {
no the richest and the greatest nations of Europe
20 and the admirable adaptation of our politics
to institutions to their objects, combining local Sc
I'd government with aggregate strength, has estat
It. lished the probability OF government like oul
n. to cover a Continent with confederate States.
The Congress of the United States is, in effec'
that Congress- of soyeregnties which good me