New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-03-12
MESSAGE OF naR. BUCHANAN.

MESSAGE OF Mn. BucHAnAn. 1
take the solemn oath that will faithfully execute
the Office of President Of the United states and viii
to the best of my ability preserve protect and defend
the Consultation Of the United States. y
In entering upon this great office must humby
invoke the God of our fathers for wisdom and firm.
to execute its high and responsible duties in such
manner as to restore harmony and ancient friend
ship among the people Of the several States and to
preserve our free institutions throughout many gem
erations. Convinced that owe my election to the
inherent love for the Constitution and the Union
which still anmates the hearts of the American peo
ple let me earnestly ask their powerful support in
sustaining all just measures calculated to perpetuate
these, the richest political blessings Which Heaven
| has ever bestowed upon any nation. Having deter
mined not to become candidate for reelection,
shall have no motive to influence my conduct in adj
minstering the government except the desire ably
and faithfully to serve my county, and to live in the
grateful memory Of my countrymen. ...1t
we have recently passed through presidential con-
test in which the passions Of feiowctizens were
excited to the highest degree by questions of deep
and vital Importance but when the people pro-
claimed their will, the tempest at once subsidized and
| all was calm.
prescribed by the Constitution heard and instant
submission followed. Our own country could alone
have exhibited SO grand and striking spectacle of
| the capacity Of man for selfgoverDment.
What happy conception, then. was it for Congress
to apply this simple rulethat the will of the major
ity shall governto the settlement of the question
Of domestic slavery in the Territories Congress is
| neither "to Iegsiate slavery into any Territory or
State to exclude it therefrom but to leave the
people thereof perfectly free to form and regulate
their domestic institutions in their way, subject
only to the Constitution Of the United States. As
natural consequence, Congress has also prescribed
that when the Territory Of Kansas shall be admitted
as State, it "shall be received into the Union with
or without slavery as their constitution may prescribe
at the time OF their admission
difference Of opinion has arisen in regard to the
point of time when the people of Territory shall
decide this question for themselves.
This is happily. matter of but little practical
egtma.e belongs to The Supreme eoart of ai Tie
United States, before whom it is now pending, and
will, it is understood be speedily and finally settled
10 their decision, in common with all good citizens
/ shall cheerfully submit, whatever this may be,
though it has ever been my individual opinion that,
under the Nebraska Kansas act the appropriate he.
rod will be when the number of actual residents in the
Territory shall justify the formation Of constitu
ton with a view to its admission as State into the
Union. But be this as it may it is the imperative
and indispensable duty Of the Government of the
United states to secure to every resident nhabitant
the free and independent expression Of bis opinion by
his vote This sacred right of each individual must
be preserved That being accomplished. nothing can
be iarer than to leave the people Of Territory free
from all foreign interference. to decide their own es.
tiny for themselves subject only to the Constitution
Of the United States fs'7
The whole territorial question being thus settled
upon the principle of popular sovereignty-a prnci-
pie as ancient as free government itselfeverything
Of practical nature has been decided. No other
question remains for adjustment because all agree
that under the constitution slavery in the States is
beyond the reach of any human power, except that
OF the respective States themselves wherenit exists
May we not then, hope that the long agitation on
this subject is approaching its end and that the geo.
graphical parties tc wcf it has given birth so much
dreaded by the Father of his Country, win speedily
become extinct Most happy will it be for the coun
try when the public mind shall be diverted from this
question to others of more pressing and practical i'm.
portance. Throughout the whole progress of this
agitation which has scarcely known any intermission
for more than twenty years, whilst it has been pro-
ductive of no positive good to any human being it
has been the prolific source of great evils to the mas
ter, TO the slave and to the whole country. 1t has
lenated and esranged the people of the sister States
from each other and has even seriously endangered
the very existence of the Union. Nor has the dan.
ger yet entirely ceased. '
Under onr SYSTEM there s a remedy for all mere
political evils in the sound sense and sober Judgment
OF the people Time is great corrective Political
subjects which but few years ago excited and eX-
asperated the public mind have passed away and are
now nearly forgotten. But this question of domestic
slavery is of far graver Importance than any mere
political question, because, should the agitation
tnue it may eventually endanger the personal safety
of large portion of our countrymen where the insti
tuition exists. In that event. form of government
however admirable in ITSELF and however productive
OF material benefits, compensate for the loss of
peace and domestic security around the family altar.
Let every Unon-oving man, therefore exert his best
influence to suppress this agitation, which, since the
recent legislation OF Congress is without any egti-
mate object. ...r-
1t is an evil omen of the times that men have un-
deraken to calculate the mere material value of the
Union. Reasoned estimates have been presented of
the pecunlaly profits and local advantages which
would result to different States and sections from its
dissolution, and of the comparative injuries which
such an event would nfict on other States and Sec
tons Even descending to this low and narrow view
OF the mighty question: all such calculations are at
| fant. The bare reference to a single, consideration
will be conclusive on this point. We at present enjoy
free trade throughout our extensive and expanding
country such as the world has never witnessed This
trade is conducted on railroads and caals-on noble
rivers and arms of the sea-wheh bind together the
North and the South the East and the West Of our
= contederacy. Annihate this trade, arrest its free
progress by the geographical lines of jealous and
hostile States and you destroy the prosperity and on
ward march of the whole and every part and involve
all in one common ruin.
But such considerations, important as they are in
themselves, sink into insgnifcance when we reflect
on the terrific evils which would result from disunon
to every portion of the contederacy-to the North
not than to the South the East not more than
to the West. These shall not attempt to portray ;
because feel an humble confidence that the kind
Providence which inspired our fathers with wisdom
to frame the most perfect form OF government and
Union ever devised by man will not suffer it to perish
until it shall have been peacefully instrumental by
its example, in the extension of civil and religious
liberty throughout the world. .'.5 U.r
Next in Importance to the maintenance Of the Com
stuton and the Union is the duty of preserving the
government free from the aint even the suspicion
of corruption Public virtue is the vital spirit of re.
publics and history proves that when this has de-
cayed, and the love Of money has usurped its place.
although the forms of free government may remain
for season. the substance has departed forever
Our present financial condition is without parallel
in history. No nation has ever before been enbar
rassed from too large surplus in its treasury This
almost necessarily gives birth to extravagant egisla.
ton. 1t produces wild schemes of expenditure besets
race of speculators and obbers, whose ingenuity is
eXerted in contriving and promoting expedients to
obtain public money. The purity of official agents.
whether rghtully or wrongnlly suspected and the
character of the government suffers in the estimation
of the people This is in itselfa very great evil.
The natural mode Of relief from this embarrass-
men is to appropriate the surplus in khe Treasury to
great national objects, for which clear warrant
be found in the Constitution. Among these might
mention the extnguishment of the public debt, q
reasonable increase of the navy, which is at present
inadequate to the protection of our vast tonnage
atoat now greater than that of any other nation as
well as to the defense of our extended seaeoast.
1t is beyond all question the true principle that no
more revenue ought to be collected from the people
than the amount necessary to deray the expenses of
a wise, economical and efficient administration of the