The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1856-12-10
Presidents Message.
gsatlsnssu Of lie Senate,

- and House Of Representatives:
The Consultation requires that. tn,
President shall, from time to time, moi
only recommend to the consideration O.
Congress such measures as he;may judg,
necessary and expedient, but also tha
be shall give information as to the stat,
Of the Union. Ie. e.sS ~ ~.
To do this fully involves exposition O.
all matters IN the actual condition o.
all the country, domestic or foreign
which essentially concern the general
welfare. - & ..g.s .il - 500
While performing this constitutions
duty in this respect, the President doe
not speak merely to express persona
convictions, but as the Executive Minis
ter Of the Government. Enabled by hi,
position and called upon by his official OBJ
legations to scan with an impartial eye
thesinterests of the whole and every part
of the United States, ofthe condition of
che domestic interests Of the Union, its
agriculture, mines, manufactures, navi-
cation, and commerce, it Is only to say
that the internal position of the country
its continuous and steady Advancement
IN wealth aud population aud in private
as well as public well being, attest the
wisdom of our Institutions and the pre-
dominant spirit of inte liigence and pa
triotistn. which notwithstanding occas
ional irregularities of opinion or action
resulting from popular freedom, has dis
tinguished and characterized the people
of America.
In the brief interval between the ter
mination of the last and the commence
nent of the present session of Congress,
she public mind has been occupied with
the care of selecting for another consti-
sutional term the President and Vice
President of the United States. The
determination of the persons who are of
right or contiagently to preside over the
Administration of the Government is un-
der oar System committed to the States
and the people; We appeal to them by
their voice pronounced iu the forms of
law to call whomsoever they will to the
high post of Chief Magistrate And thus
Il is that as the Senators represent the
respective States of the Union, and the
members of the House of Representa-
tives the several constituencies of each
State, DO the President represents the
akkECkatG- ROp0AahtOA OA -t0S OultCO
States. The election of him is the ex-
plicit and solemn act of the sole sever
eign authority of the Union.
It is Impossible to misapprehend the
great principles which by their recent
politicei action the people of the United
States have sanctioned and announced
They have asserted -ee4s.ite+iesal
equality of each and all of the States of
the Union. As States, thy have af-
frmed the constitutional equality ofeach
and all of the citizens of the United
States, as citizens, whatever their relig-
ion, wherever their birth or residence
They have maintained the invisibility
of the constitutional rights of the differ
ent sections OF the Union. and they have
proclaimed their dividei and usaltera-
bic attachment to the Union and to the
Constitution as objects of interest supe-
rior to all subjects of local or sectional
controversy, as the safeguards of the
rights of all, as the spirit aud essence of
the liberty, peace and greatness of the
Republic. In doing this they have at
the same time emphatically condemned
the idea Of organizing in these United
States mere geographical parties, of mar
shaling in hostile array towards each
other the different parties of the coun-
try, North or South, East or West.
Schemes of this nature fraught with
incalculable mischief and which the con
siderate sense of the people has rejected,
could have had countenance In DO other
part of the country had they not been
disguised by suggestions plausible in ap-
pearanee, acting upon an exclted state Of
the public mind induced by causes tenn
porary in their character and it is to be
hoped transient in their influence; perfe
liberty of association for political objects
and the widest scope of discussion are the
received and ordinary conditions of gov
ernment in our country.
Legislation has been recommended by
me. Our institutions framed in the
spirit of confidence in the intelligence
and integrity of the people, do not for
bid citizens either individually or as
sociated together to attack by writing
speech, or any other method short of
physical force the constitution and the
existence of the Union under the shelter
of this great liberty, and protected by
the laws aad usages of the Govern
ment they assail. Associations have
been formed In some of the States of in
dividuals who, pretending to seek only
TO prevent the spread of the institution
of-slarery into the present or future
States ofthe Union, are really inAamed
with desire to change the domestic in
stitntions of existing States.
To accomplish their objects they dedi-
cate themselves to the odious task of
depreciating the good organization which
stands in their way, and of fcalumniating
with indiscriminate invective, not only
the citizens of particular states with
whose laws they find fault, but all 9TH
ers of their fellow citizens throughout
the country who do not participate with
them In their assaults upon the Consti-
tuition, framed and adopted by our Faith
ers, and claiming for the pryeIeges it
has secured, and the. blessings it has
conferred, the steady support and CRATE
ful reverence of their children.
They seek an object which they well
know to be revolutionary one. They
are perfectly aware that the change IN
the relative condition of the white and
black races, in the slave holding States,
which they would promote, is beyond
their lawful authority; that to, them it
is foreign object, that it cannot be eff
fected by any peaceful ipstrumentality
of theirs, that for them aud the States
of which they are citizens, the only path
to its accomplishment is through burn
ing cities, and ravaged fields, aud slaugh-