The north Iowa times. [volume] (M'Gregor [i.e. McGregor], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1856-12-19
HESS AGE.

gross such measures as he may Judge
necessary and expedfcnt. but also that he
shall give information to them of the state
of the Union. 70 do this fully involves
exposition of all matters in the actual
condition of the country, domestic or
foreign, which essentially concern the
general welfare. While performing his
constitutional duty in this respect, the
President does not speak merely TO ex-
press personal convictions, but as the ex-
ecutive minister of the government, en-
abled by his position, and called upon by
his official obligations, to scan with an
impartial eve the interests of the whole
and of every part !, Of the !, United . States.
II is impossible to misapprehcnd 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 as States they have affirmed
the constitutional equality Of each and all
of the citizens of the United States as
citizens, whatever their religion, wher-
ever thcir birth, or their residence !; they
have maintained the inviolability of the
constitutional rights of the different Sec
tons Of the Union and they have pro.
claimed their devoted and iulalserable at.
tachment to the Union and to the consti.
tuition, as objects of interest superior ia
all subjects of local or sectional contro!
versy, as the safeguard of the rights Of
all, as the spirit and the, essence of the
liber:y, peace, and greatness Of the re.
public.
In doing this, they have, at the same
time, alphabetically condemned the idea O
organizing in these United States nero
geographical parties of marshalling il
hostile array towards each other the diff
ferent parts of the country, North OF
South, East or West. ....' a...-., -
Schemes Of this nature, fraught Will
incalculable mischief, and which the con
siderate sense of the people has rejected
could have had countenance. in no part o
the country, had they not been disguised
by suggestions plausible in appearance
acting upon an excited state of the public
mind, induced by causes temporary il
their character, and it is to be hoped
transient in their influence. -
Perfect liberty of association for politi
cal objects and the widest scope Of dis
cussion are the received and ordinary con
ditions of government in our country
Our institutions. framed in the spirit O
confidence IN the intelligence and integ
rity of the people, do no. forbid citizens
either individually or associated together
to attack by writing, speech, or any othe
methods short of physical force. the con
stitution and the very existence of tn,
Union. Under the shelter Of this grea
liberty, and protected by the laws ant
usages OF the government they assail
associations have been formed in some 0
the States Of individuals who, pretending
to seek only to prevent tie spread of til,
institution of slavery into the present Of
future inchoa.e States of the Union, ar,
really inhamed with desire to change tn,
domestic Institutions of existing States
To accomplish their objects, they dedicat,
themselves to the odious task of depre
ciating the government organizatio,
which stands in their way, and of calum
mating, with indiscriminate invectiye
not only the citizens of particular States
with whose laws they find fault, but al
Others Of their fellow citizens throughou
the country, who do not participate will
them in their assaults upon the constilu
ton, framed and adopted by ourfathers
and claiming for the privileges it has Sc
cured, and the blessings it has conferred
the steady support and grateful reverence,
OF their children. They seek an objec
which they well know to be revolution
airy one. They are perfectly aware tina
the change in the relative condition O
the white and black races in the slave
holding States, which they would pro
mote, is beyond their lawful authority
that to them it is a foreign object; thai i
cannot be effected by any peaceful instru
mentality Of theirs that for them, ans
the States of which they are citizens. til,
only path to its accomplishment is through
burning cities, and ravaged fields, ant
slaughtered populations, and all there il
most terrible in foreign, complicated will
'civil and scrvile war and that the frs
step in the attempt is the forcYble disrup
ton of a country embracing in its broat
bosom a degree Of liberty, aud an amour
Of individual and public prosperity, t,
which there is no parallel in history, ant
substituting in its place hostile govern
ments, driven at once and inevitably int
mutual devastation and fratricidal car
mage. transforming the now peaceful anc
felicitous brotherhood into vast perma
nent camp Of armed men, like the riya
monarchies Of Europe and Asia. Wei
knowing that such, and such only, ar,
the means and the consequences of thei
plans and purposes, they endeavor to pre-
pare the people of the United States fo
civil war by doing everything in thei
power to deprive the constitution and tn,
laws Of moral authority. and to undermine
the fabric Of the Union by appeals to pas
sion and sectional prejudice, by indoctri
mating its people with reciprocal hatred
and by educating them . stand face tx
face as enemies. rather than shoulder t,
shoulder as friends.