The weekly Minnesotian., 1856-12-20
MONDAY MORNING, DEC. Is, 1856
The Presidents Message.

Since the organization of the Federal Gov
ernment, we think we can say with truth
and without fear of successful contradiction,
that more disgraceful and partisan state pa
per never emanated from an Executive OF
the United States.
We dislike ourselves, and feel like reprov-
ing the act in others, to assail or speak in
terms condemnatory of the President of tn,
United States. For the man, we have no
higher re- gard than for any other citizen, ex-
cept when his character makes him pre-emi-
nent but for the place, we always feel re-
verence which prompts Us to forbear to con-
denim him who occupies it. But when the
man who fills it forgets, or disregards the
sanctity of the place and office, and sinks
into the mere demagogue and political petit
fogger and nountebank, it becomes the duty
of the independent press, in the perform
ance of its obligations to the community.
who are sought to be imposed upon, to cx-
pose his falsehoods, to tear the cobweb COW
erings from his s,Aphslres and to correct his
perversions of the truth and his falsifcations
of the history of thcpast and present. Mr..
Pierce has been guilty Of all these and
shat too, in State Paper, WHICH, from its
source, should be high-toned, truthful re-
cord of the state Of the Union-of its past
and present history.
Instead of this, however, and in manner
entirely foreign to the object and design OF
that provision of the Constitution with
which he is reten1ing to conform, he de-
votes more than three-fiths Of his Message
to the dissemination of a hackneyed partisan
fal,ehood, which ought to sink still lower
than his natural level even, the poor petit
foggcr, who: in times of political excite
nient, quits, for time, imposing upon those
who are weak enough to trust to his cOun-
sells; turns demsgoeue, and seeks to acquire
notoriety by the brazen impudence with
which he can PROFOUND lie, and then swear
to its authenticity.
The question of slavery, the repeal Of the
Missouri Compromise" and the troubles
in Kansas are lhe themes upon which be os-
tensIbly writes while, in fact, the whole
document is an attack upon the Rep ,blican
organization libel upon its doctrines, and
an inye,erate assault upon the honesty Of
the people of the North, in revenge for their
reputation of him and his treasons.
Thus. did the paper carry with it any
force, it would really and seriously be most
baneful in its influences. But, fortunately
the character of the man proves an anti lote
to the poison it might otherwise infuse. In
s.ead OF the pride and honest desire which
the President should feel, in being the instru-
ment of healing the feuds, which he declares
to exist between the North and the South.
he, Northern man himself, uses his utmost
power to create an antagonism between those
two sections of our common country.
He attacks the motives Of the North, while
he lauds the patriotism of the South de-
clares the North to be an organized band Of
abolitionists, resolved upon a revolution Of
the government the South the pillar of the
Union the North the ahettors and beget.
trrs Of civil war and the troubles in Kansas
the South as the conservators of the peace
and the only friends of the Constitution.
From the fact that there are, at theNorth
few miserable fanatics, who prate about
abolition, and who are a obnoxious to the
Republicans as to Dem ocrats, this worthy
and dignified President has seen proper to
declare, that the Republican party, whose
principal strength. at present, is in the North
are abolitionists and revolutionists and who
under the pretence of preventing the spread
of slavery, are innamed with desire tc
change the domestic institutions of the ex
isting States.
Now, what We complain of in this, i,
this: that at the time Mr.. Pierce wrote tha
sentence, he knew it to he a downright, un
qualified falsehood, and that he might will
the same prop iety declare that the Demo
cratic part, were secessionists. Nay, will
more propriety could he SO declare, for it il