Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1857-02-05
The Presidents Message.
SPEECH OF HON. J. A. BINGHAM,
OF OHIO.

The Presidents Annual Message bsiag un
der consideration, on motion TO refer anc
print
Mr.. BINGHAM said:
Mr.. SPEAKEE: The Presidents Message
now under consideration. Abounds IN sentiments
subversive Of the Constitution, and sanctions
and dssands policy destructive OF the public
psscs. and iSjaHOdstOthe public interests. :
And yet the PreSidsal complains Of agitation
His friend and advocate. the gentleman from
GeOrgis, Mr.. stephens, repeats bis complaint.
and cries. Agitation 7 agitation + There
has bssn agitation, general and universal. a.
mongst the people. It still continues, and not
without cause. The President in my judge.
msit, his abtSed the high trusts committed to
him; hence the agitation, and that cry Of a.
larn' among the people Of which he complains
Is it right. sir. that the people raise the cry
Of alarm it is right that they agitate for the
correction Of abuses committed by their ayeots
and representatives. believe, with Burke,
where there is abuse. there ought to be clam
or; because il is better to have our slumbers
broken by the 6re.bell. than to perish amidst
the flames
The President in his message, under cover
Of cunning device of words. advances the
mOnstrcus proposition that the several States Of
this Union, as States, haye constitutional and
imprescriptibls right to traffic in slaves, not on
" within their repective lmits, but throughout
the ns tOnal Territories. Having inaugurated
this policy in Kausas, by which that i!l-fated
Territory has been subjected to an absolute ty-
ranny; by which its soil has been cursed with
the mSnsced fo,t Of the bondman. aud stained
With the blood Of murder and assassination; the
President, with an ascidity unparalleled, dep
risstss agi.ation, and demands acqulescsucs in
this policy as the test Of 4 lety to the Constl'
tuition and the UniOn. To enfOre this acquies
Uencs as duty, the President undertakes de-
feuss Of the repeal Of what he terms the stat
ute restriction upon the institution Of new
States, and an exposition Of the principles Of
the Constitution and Of the rights of the States
ander It. OF the repeal Of the statute rsstrc-
ton by the KanSa,.Nsbrasks act OF 1854, he
says:
'ConsFess legissted upon the subject in such
terms as were most consonan with the prnci-
pie of popular sovereignty which underlies our
Government. Il could not have lsgislated 9th.
4rwise without doing violence to another great
Il Iha inanp inf Ia
right Of equality Ofths several States
This statute restriction upon the institution
Of new States which was repealed the Presi
dent tells US WAS Vioative Of the imprescriptibls
right Of equality Of the several State" II is
zOt the right Of the new States that this statute
restriction invaded, for they we're not in being
but the inprescripibls right Ofequality Ofthe
several States.
What was this statute restriction, The repeal
Of which the President thus attempfStp defend,
and why was il originally enacted Z 1t was
the restriction imposed upon the extension Of
slavery BY the eighth section Of the act Of 49,
30, commonly called the Missouri compromise
and which forever excluded slavery (Other
wise than in punishment of crims) from all that
part OF the louisiana Territory lying west of
the western boundary Of the State Of ssissOuri
aad north Of Sc 80 north latitude. This prohi-
hhion was in it's terms perpetual The motives
which prompted its enactment are apparent
The Congress which enacted it. doubtless felt
snd knew, that slavery was subversve Of the
snds OF all free government, violation Ofjus-
tics and Of the rights Of the snslavsd, and con-
trary to the spirit Of our free Constitution:
they also knew, that in the wrong in which this
institution has its inception, there was no law
10 restrain the ensIave@eat Of all classes and
races Of men; that the brute force, By which the
inherent rights of the black race had for centu-
riss been clovsn down, was not likely to be re-
strained from inAlcting like cruelies and Op-
prsssions upon the white race-thss the vio-
!lence in which this system lives and has its be-
ing, is deaf alike, to the voice of justice and
the err Of the oppressed, whether that cry
bursts from the crushed heart Of an African, or
a. American. Hence the origin of that enact
nsnt. It was humane, polite, and just
But, sIr. it was repealed. we are told. in or
der to maintain inviOlate the imprsscriptibls
right Of equality Of the several States An
imprsscriptibls right Of equality in what ? In
the bones and sinsws aud sOsls Uf men ! And
this right. the President tells Ne, is mPrescrip-
tibls-not TO BE- forfeited By HOnussr. nor to be
restrained BY congrSs.icaal enactment and CO.
extensive With the natiOnal Territories. Tbs
President further tells Us that this righs fss
great principle Of our ins1itatoas--a Sonstitu-
tional nnht Of each and al Of iha Rtata. OH.