Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1856-12-06
pIIRE99TDENT'S MESSAGE
.,.,;..... efthn Sennfe

Tile LtOEStltutlcu hHtHs $50
slaI. from time to iirnc,snot Only recommend
NJ the consideration Of Congress such measures
a he may Judge necessary and eXpedienf' Out
20 that he shall give information 10 them oil
die state of tie Union. To do this fully IN.
t,lv,.s exnositictls IF ali matters III the actual
condition Ut the country, domestic or foreign,
which essentially c accru The general welfare
While performing his constitutional duty IN
MS respect, the President does not speak
fncr.Iy to express personal convictions, out as
the executive minister of the government, en-
al,I.,I Lv his position, and called upon by his
ofFir;al obligations, 10 scan with an impartial
ore Nh. interests Of tho WHOLE and Of every
parl of the United States.
or tha condition of the domestic Interests OF
The UEion, It's agriculture, mines, manufactures,
z NAVIGATION, and commerce, it is necessary only
TO say that the internal prosperity ofthe coun-
a try. lis continuous and steady advancement in
wealth and population, and in private as well as
II public we'll being, attest the wisdom Of our in-
stitu,ions, aal the predominant spirit OF intel
q Iieeuce, and patriotism, which, notwithstand-
Z i,l.r occtsonal rregularit es of opinion or
8 :oI resuIting from popular freedom, has dis.
ti1guisheI and characterized the people Of
America.
In the iefinteryal between the termination
of the last and the commencement of the pre-
sent session Of Congress- the public mind has
@been occupied with the care Of selecting, for
another constitutional term, the President and
ViceaRresident of the United States.
Tie determination of the persons, who are
rF right, or contingently, TO preside over the
administration of the government, is, under
our System, committed to the States and the
people. We appeal to them, by their voice
pronounced in the forms Of law, to call whom
socvcr they will to the high post Of Chief
Magistrate.
Aud thus it lsthat the Senators represent the
respective States Of the Union, and the mem
bers ofthe House Of Representatives the several
constituencies Of each State, so 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 misapprehcnd the great
principles, which, by their recent political ac-
ton, the people of the United States have
sanctioned and announced
They have asserted the constitutional equal
ity Of each and all OF the States of the Union
rs States; tl:ey have affirmed the constitution
al equality Of each aud all Of the citizens of the
United States as citizens, whatever their rcli
gion, wherever their birth, or their residence !;
uIey have maintained the inyiolanility of the
constitutional rights ofthe different sections Of
the Uuion; and they have proclaimed their
devoted aud unHlterable attachment to the u
Mon and to the Constitution, rs objects OF ln-
terest superior to all subjects of local or sec
tional controversy, as tho safeguard Of the |
rights Of all, as the spirit and essence Of tho
liberty, peace, and greatness of the Republic. |
In doing this, they have, at the same time,
cmpLatically condemned the idea of organizing
in these United States mere geographical par
ties; Of marshaIIing in hostile array towards
each other the different parties of the country
North or South, East or West.
Schemes of this nature, fraught with meal
cuIabIe mischief and which the consderate
sense of the people has rejected, could have
had countcnance in no part of 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 in their character, and, it is to be
hoped, transient in their influence.
Perfect liberty of association for political
Objects and the widest scope of discussion, are
The received and ordinary conditions OF govern
mcnt in our country. Our Institutions framed
in the spirit of confidence in the intelligence
and integrity OF the people, do not forbid citi-
xens either Individually or associated togethor
to attack by writing, speech, or any other me-
thod short ofphysicaI force, the Constitution
and the very existence OF tho Union. Under
the shelter of this great liberty, and protected
DY the laws anu uSa8SS Ol HOtSIutHGuI IIICO
assail, associations have been formed, in sore
ofthe States, of individuals who pretending /
to seek only to prevent the spread ys slavery I
into the present. or future inchoate States Of |
The Union, are really inf1aped with desire to
change the domestic institutions of existing |
States.
To accomplish their objects, they dedicate |
themselves to the odious task of deprcciating
the government organization which stands in
their way, and of eliminating, with indis-
crmiuate invective, not only TIE citizens of
particular States, with whose laws they find |
fault, but all others of their fellow citizens |
throughout the country, who do not participate |
with them in their assaults upon the Constitu-
ton, framed and adopted by our fathers, and |
claiming for the privileges it has secured, and
the blessings it has confefred, the steady sup
port and grateful reverence Of their children.
They seek an object Which they we'll know to
be a revolutionary one. They are perfectly !
aware that the change in the relative condition
Of the white and black races in the slayehold-
ing States, which they would promote, is be-
yond their lawful authority; that to them it
is foreign object: that it cannot be effected
by any peaceful fundamentally Of theirs; that |
for them, and the States of which they are
citizens, the only path to its accomplishment
is through burning cities, and ravaged fields, |
and slaughtered populations, and all there is
most terrible in foreign, c"mplidated with civil
aud servie war; and that the first step in the
attemptis the forcible disruption Of country
embracing in its broad bosom degree of lib |
erty, and an amount of individual and public |
prosperity, to which there is no parallel in his
tory, and substituting in its place hostile gov
ernments, driven at once and inevitably into
mutual devastation and fraticiIal carnage, |
Transforming the now peaceful and fvlicitous |
brotherhood into vast permanent camp of
armed men like the rival monarchies of Ep
rope aud Asia. Well knowing that such, aud
such only, are the means and the consequences
of their plans and purposes, they endeavor TO
prepare the people of the United States for
civilewar by doing every thing in their power
TO deprive the Constitution aud the laws of
moral authority, aud to undermine the fabric
of the Unisn BY appeals to passion and secs
ffonal- preiudice hY indoctrinatinn its neonIe