The Feliciana Democrat. (Clinton, La.) 1855-186?, 1856-12-13
ODE ftIitiana Democrat.
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

Ills message 10 InaJ OVuy ~ noon to-day.
The opening of the Message is devoted to
review Of the condition of the domestic inter
csts Of the country. Its agricultural, mining,
manufacturing and commercial interests are in
aprosperous condition, and the steady advance
mcnt of the wealth and population of the
Union, betokens the predominant spirit OF in
telligcnce and patriotism which have ever dis
tinguished the people of the United States of
America.
He alludcs to the late National election, and
says that the plcoplc have asscntcd to the con
sttutional equality of each; and that all the
States of the Union, Us States, have affirmed
the constitutional equality of nil citizens Of the
United States, as citizens, whatever their re-
ligiou, or whatever their place of birth or resi-
dcncc.
They have maintained the inviolability of
the Constitutional rights Of the different see
tons of the Union, and proclaimed their dcvot-
cd and unaltcrabc attachment to the Union
and the Constitution. He cmphatically con
demns the idea Of organizing in the United
States mere geographical parties, and Of mar.
shalng in hostile array the different parts Of
the country
Tie continues, at much length, an accom-,
Of our sectional controversy, and condemns, in
nncqnivocal terms, the action Of the Abolition
party at the North. lie believes that the
great body of that party, who inconsidcratcly
took this fatal step, are sincerely attached 10
the Constitution and the Union Among the
long series of acts Of Indirect aggression, the
first was the strenuous agitation, by the citi-
zcns Of the Northern States, III Congress, and
out of it, Of the question of negro emancipation
in the Southern States.
The second was to facilitate the escape Of
persons held in service in the Southern States,
and to prevent their cxtraditon when reclaim
ed according to the provisions of the Constitu-
ton of the United States
The third was in connection with the organ
ization of Territorial Governments, and the
admission Of new States. That question was
for time disposed of by the adoption Of a
geographical line of limitation, which was ac-
quicsccd in, rather than approved, by the diff
tcrcnt States Of the Union. 1t stood on the
statute books Of the country, however for .
number Of years and the people Of the rcspcc
tive States acqnicsccd in the rcinactment of
the principle as applied to Texas and were
prepared to acquicScc in lis further application
TO territory acquired by the United States
from Mexico.
But this proposition was successfully resisted
crn States, who, regardless Of the statute line
of limitation, insisted upon applying II rcsiric
ton in regard to negro slavery to new terrific
ry generally, whether lying North or South of
it, thereby repeating it as II legislative compro-
mise; and, on the part of the North, persiSting
in violating the compact, if indeed any com
pact existed. Thcrenpon this enactment ccas
ed to have binding virtue in any sense, yheth
X n,tl,,p tl,. y nrt1 ,I,a -, Ia.
and so in effect it was treated on the occasion
the Territorial organization Of New Mexico,
Utah and Washington Territories
Such was the state Of the question when the
time arrived for the organization Of the Terri
tories of KncSaS and Nebraska IN the course
of Constitutional inquiry and reflection it had
now, ut length come to be clearly seen that
Congress does not possess the Constitutional
power to impose restrictions Of this character
upon any present or future State Of the Union
In long series of dccision-on the fullest
argument and most deliberate consideration,
the Supreme Court had finally determined this
point in every form under which the question
could arise, whether as affecting public or pr
vatc rights in questions OF public domain, re-
lgiOn navigation and seryiudc The several
'1''s'N' W ~, S"'o' wv, - 'o'aN W WV SohS'
tuition, co-equa in domestic legislative power
and Congress cannot change IA law of domestic
relation in Maine no more than it can declare
those Of the State Of Missouri puity. 1t
takes away no right and it confers none. To
repeal will be. only to remove impcricctions
from the statute without affecting, either in
the sense of permission or prohibition, the ac
ton of the States or their citizens
Still, when nominal restrictions of this ma.
turc already dead in usage or law was in posi-
tive terms repealed by the last Congress in u
clause of the act Of organizing the territories
of Kansas and Nebraska; that repeal was
made the occasion Of II wide, spread and dam
gerous agitation concerning the affairs of the
territory Of Kansas.
The President says that many acts of dsor-
der have been, undeniably, perpetrated, tend
Ing to occasion the interruption, rat er than
the permanent suspension Of the regular gov
eminent. Aggressive and most rcprehensblc
incursions into the territory were undertaken
by citizens of both North and South, and there
has existed within it q state of insurrection
against the constituted authorities, not without
fron, Ill ~ H.,