The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1856-12-03
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
FslloHcseRs Of the Senate and Of The House Of Represent
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The constitution requires that the President SHALL from
time TO time not only recommend TO the consideration OF
Congress such he may Judge necessary and
expedien but also that lie shall give information to them
Of the state Of the Union To do this fully involves expo
ston OF all matters in the actual condition OF the country
domestic foreign which essentially the general
welfare. While performing his constitutional duty in this
respect the President does not speak merely to express per
sona convictions but the executive minister of the gov
ernmen enabled by his position, and called upon by his
official obligations, to with impartial eye the in
erests Of the whole and OF every part OF the United
States
OF the condition of the domestic interests Of the Union
its agriculture mines manufactures, navigation and com
merce 1t is necessary only to say that the internal pros
pery of the country its continuous and steady advance
ment in wealth and population and in private well
public we-being attest the wisdom OF institutions
and the predominant spirit of intelligence and patriotism,
which, Notwithstanding occasional irregularities or opin
ion action resulting from popular freedom, has distin-
guished ana characterized the people Of America.
In the brief interval between the termination of the last
and the OF the present session OF Congress-
the public mind has been occupied with the of select
ing for another constitutional term the President and Vice
President Of the United States.
The determination of the persons, who of right,
contngeny, to preside the administration of the
government s under system, committed to the States
and people We appeal to them by their voice pronounced
in the forms of law to call whomsoeyer they will to the
high post of Chief Magistrate.
And thus it that the senators represent the respect
i've States of the Union and the members of the House of
Representatives the several constituencies OF each State
the President represents the aggregate population of the
United States Their election OF him is the explicit and
solemn act Of the sole sovereign authority of the Union
1t is impossible to misapprehend the great principles
which, by their recent political action the people Of the
United States have sanctioned and announced
They have asserted the constitutional equality OF each
and all OF the States OF the Union States they have a
rmed the constitutional equality of each and all Of the c
zens of the United States citizens whatever their re
gon wherever their BIRTH their residence they have
maintained the nvioabity of the constitutional rights
of the different sections Of the Union and they have pro-
claimed their devoted and unaerable attachment to the
Union and to the constitution objects of interest supe
rior to all subjects OF local or sectional controversy the
safeguard of the rights Of ALL the spirit and the
of the liberty, peace and greatness of the republic.
In doing this, they have at the time emphacally
condemned the idea OF organizing in these United States
geographical parties of nashaling in hostile array
towards each other the different parts of the country
North or South East or West
Schemes of this nature haught with incalculable mis-
chief and which the considerate Of the people has
rejected could have had countenance in part of the
country had they not been disguised by suggestions pau
sibe in appearance acting upon excited state of the
public mind induced by causes temporary in their char
acer, and it is to be hoped transient in their influence
Perfect liberty of association for political objects and the
widest of discussion the received and ordinary
conditions of government in country. Our institu-
ons framed in the spirit Of confidence in the neg
and integrity of the people, do not forbid citizens either
individually associated together, to attack by wri-
ting, speech any other methods short Of physical
force the constitution and the very existence of the Union
Under the shelter of this great liberty and protected by
the laws and usages of the government they assa
Citations have been formed in Of the States of
individuals who pretending TO seek only TO prevent
the spread Of the institution of slavery into the present
future inchoae States of the Union are really nfamed
with desire change the domestic institutions OF exstng
States To accomplish their Objects they dedicate them
selves TO the odous task of deEreoatng the government
organization which stands In their way, and of caluu-
mating, with indscrminate inyective only the ci-
of particular States with whose Laws they find fault
but all others OF their fepwezens throughout the
try, who do not participate with them in their assaults
upon the constitution framed and adopted by our fathers
and claiming for the privileges il has secured and the
blessings II has conferred the steady support and CRATE
fu reverence Of their children They seek an object which
they well know TO be revolutionary one They are per-
ecy that the change in the relative condition OF
the white and black in the saveholdng Sate which
they would promote, IS beyond their lawful authority
that to them II is foreign object that cannot be effected
by any peaceful instTumenaliy Of theirs that for them
and the States Of which they citizens the only path to
lie accomplishment through burning cities and rayaged
fields and slaughtered populations and all there is most
terrible in foreign complicated with civil and serye war
and that the first step in the attempt Ia the forcbe dsrup
ton OF country embracing In its broad bosom degree Of
liberty and amount Of indiydua and public prosperity
TO which there Is parallel In history and substituting
its place hostile government driven and inevitably
into mutual devastation and fratricida carnage trans
forming the peaceful and feicous brotherhood into
vast permanent camp Of armed men, like the rival mon
arches Of Europe and Asia Well knowing that SUCH and
such only the and the consequences Of thcr
plans and purposes they endeayor TO prepare the peope
the United States for civil by doing everything in their
power deprive the constitution and the laws of moral
authority and TO undermine the fabric Of the Union by ap
It's people with reciprocal hatred and by educating them
TO stand face to face as enemies rather than shoulder
shoulder fHsndE
II Ia by the agency Of such table interference
foreign and domestic that the minds Of many, otherwise
good citizens have been inamed into the passion
condemnation Of the domestic institutions OF the southern
States a length to pass insensiby to almost equally
passionate hostility towards their eow-czens Of those
States and thus finally fall into temporary fellowship
with the Ryowed and active enemies Of the constitution
Ardeny attached TO liberty in the abstract they do
stop consider practically how the objects they would at
tain be accomplished 10 reflect that even II the
evil great they deem IL they have remedy
apply and that II be only aggravated by their violence
and unconstitutional action. question which Is OF
the most difficult Of all the problems OF social institution
political economy and satesmanshp they treat with
reasoning intemperance Of thought and language EK-
tremes beget extremes Violent attack from the North
finds Its inevitable consequence In the growth Of spirit Of
angry defiance at the South. Thus in the progress OF
events had reached that contamination which the voice
Of the people has poinedy rebuked OF the attempt
Of portion Of the States by sectional organization and
movement TO usurp the control Of the government Of the
United States
confidently believe that The great body Of those who
inoonsderatey took this fatal step are sincerely attached
70 the constitution and the Union. They would upon de-
liberation shrink with unaffected horror rou any con-
scous act Of disunon civil But they have enter
ed into path which leads nowhere unless il be 10 civil
and dsunion and which has other possible outlet
They have proceeded thus far in that direction in conse
queoe Of the successive stages Of their progress having
consisted OF series OF secondary issues each Of which pro-
fessel To be confined within constitutional and peaceful
limits but which attempted indirectly what few men wee
willing do directyhat is 70 act aggressively against
the constitutional rights Of nearly onehslf Of the thirty
one States.
In the long series OF acs Of Indirect aggression the first
was the agitation by citizens OF the northern
States In Congress and Of II Of the question Of negro
emancipation in the southern States