The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1856-12-12
The Presidents MESSAGE.


calm wisdom, and enlightened patriotism, and
giving evidence of that Independent policy
and CONSCIENTIOUS adherence to principle
which hnv" charuct crized all the measures ui
! his administration. That administration has
been cninently successful, both in it's domcs
tic and foreign policy, and has commanded the
respect Of friend and foe, both at home and
| abroad. The President has had able counsel
lors i'll Marcy, Davis, Guthrie and others of his
Cabinet, but We suppose that due credit is to
be awarded to the sagacity which dictated the
selection, as we'll rs to the controlling spirit
Which gave unity to separate counscls, and
imbucd with Il single purpose, and n common
policy, the collected wisdom and sagncitv OF
the different members of the Cabinet. The
length of the Message, precludcS its puhlica
ton in our columns but for the information OF
our readers, we shall attempt to give synop-
sis Of its leading positions.
The Message conGratu!atcs the people of tho
Union upon the present condition of its ngricul.
ture, commerce and manufactures upon the
steady and continuous progress of its wealth and
population and above ali, upon the result of
the recent Presidential clcction That event it
regards rs having asserted the Constitutional
equality Of the various States of the Confc,l-
cracy, and Of the citizens thereof; rs having
maintained the inviolability oftIle Constitution;
and rcbukcd the spirit of sectional organzn.
ti"n as arrayel in geographical parties
The Message enters into IL detailed account
of the oI gin and growth Of this sectional or
ganization. Its igin is attributed to the in.
huencc of Il small body Of fanntics, whose de-
sign Is to cXtirPatc Slavery in the States. Con
scous, that this end is impracticablc, under Con.
stltut'onal restraints, they dcprcciatc the Gov
ernmcnt, assault the Constitution, and are
ready to adopt any measure Of vinlcnce to
effect their purposes, whether it be civil wal
or disunion. The influence of this class Of f,-
natics, has effected the public mind of the
North and has produced deep feeling of hos
tility to the South and its institutions. Tic
great body of the Northern community. the
President believes to be ardcntly attached to
the Constitution, and that it would shrink with
horror from any consious act of disunon or civil
war, but it has been unconscously led into n
series Of acts, which inevitably tend to tia,
result
The first in the series Of acts of indirect az
erosion upon the Constitutional rights Of the
States, was the agitation, in and out of Con.
gress Of the question of negro emancipation
The second step was the unwarrantable resist.
nncc OF the law of Congress, for the delivery
OF fugitive slaves by State legislation, and
which produced hostile conflicts between the
officers of the several States and the General
Government The third stage in this contro
versy was the imposition of anti slavery re-
strictions in the organization of the territorial
Governments, aud in the admission of new
States. The imposition of such a restriction
was successfully resisted in the case of Missou-
RI but was acquicsccd in, with reference to
the rest of the territory acquired from France
ty the adoption of the Missouri Compromise
line. Ti.e Message reviews the history OF
Northern agitation on this subject, and shows
conclusively, the unconstitutionality, and futil.
ty of all such restrictions.
The Missouri Compromise was for long
time acquiesced in, though not approved by
the States of the Union 1t wns applied to the
State of Texas upon its admission but its
from Mexico by the United States, was success
fully resisted by the North who are answera.
bic for its repeal, as a legislative Compromise
if such it may be called The enactment then
ceased to have any binding force whatever, and
such it was regarded, on the occasion of the
admission of California, and the organization OF
the territories of New Mexico, Utah and Wash
I'M fofo of
at the passage of the Kansas cbraska Bill
The progress of Constitutional enquiry and
reflection, and the decisions Of the Supreme
Court had established the invuldity Of all such
restrictions, and the inability of Congress to
prescribe any such Constitutional restraints
upon any present or future States of the I'm
ion. The law was dead letter. and entirel,
inert and its repeal was merely the removal
of an imperfection from the Statutes, without
in anywise affecting the action of the States OF
the citizens thereof Yet the repeal of the SIS
souri, Compromise, was made the occasion of 6
wide spread and dangerous agitation.
The repeal was alleged TO be violation o
a solemn compact aud therefore, breach O
good faith. But even admitting it to be com
pact between sovereign parties; the North hat
already disavowed its binding obligation; ye
if still binding, like any compact, it was Ger
tajply subject to revision and amsndment bu
tbeiDg mere act of Congress, it might be abro
gated by the same authority, which had pas
sed it originally The argument against II
repeal. came with a bad grace from tzose wht
had resisted legislative enactmsnts, made il
pursuance Of a Constitutional compact whiel
recognized the Slavery element and the right