Warren telegraph. [volume] (Warren, R.I.) 1857-1861, 1857-12-12
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

emarating from the new President, was awaited
with unusual interest from circumstances to which
we have already adverted. Having laid it before
sis Of IL.
There Is much in the Message TO commend, both
as TO matter and manner. Most Of tine topics con-
sidered are we'll treated. although thcro are sew
eral portions which arc obnoxious to criticism.
We have no disposition, however, to seek tor err
rofs as tho mode in which the President deals with
the Kansas Question furnishes quite enough and
far more than enough occasion for objection on our
part to the position Of the Chief Magistrate of the
Nation. On this point the apprehensions express
Cd in our last issue are fully realized. while the
Presidents explanation of his views, so far from
redeeming them from obloquy BY any display ofabil-
ity really adds emotion of contempt for its pu-
erility to the sentiment ofopposition which his rec
rsancy to great principle must excite in candid
minds. Another lifetime, az long that which he
has already if spent in the exercise of conss-
tent ability, could not atone for such disregard OF
duty and opportunity ~ JAMES BUCHANAN has
thus deliberately exhibited in the most formal man
ner.
The wretohsd shift to which che President ID
reduced in attempting to defend his from
the principle which governed his election, is %
strikingly apparent in the following extract that
we cannot avoid inserting it, After admitting that
he had supposed that the whole Constitution would
be submitted to the popular vote in Kansas, lie
says
quirement, as applicable to the whole constitution
had not been inserted, and the Convention were
net bound by its terms To submit any other portion
OF the instrument to an election, except thatwhich
relates to tho domestic institution" Of Slavery
This will be rendered clear by a simple reference
20 Its language. 1t was not TO legislate Slavery
into any Territory or State, nor to exclude it there
from, but to leave the people thereof perfectly free
20 form and regulate their domestic institutions in
their own way According to the plain construc-
tion OF the sentence, the words domestic institu-
tions have direct as we'll as an appropriate ref.
erence to Slavery. Domestic Institutions are
limited to the family. The relations between mas
ter and slave, and few Others are domestic in
sttations, and entirely distinct from institu-
tions OF political character. Besides, there was
no question then before Congress- nor indeed has
shere been since, any serious question before the
people OF Kansas or the country except that which
relates to the domestic institution of Slavery"
There's strict construction for you, with
vengeance domestic institatons" are limited
to the tamiiy" We shall not undertake to dis-
pute that the relation between master and slave
is domestic institution in the literal family sense
OF the word, in many cases. any more than we shall
dispute that matrimony, parentage, or fraterni.
ty, (Which are probably referred to in Mr.. b.
CHANAN's definite and elegant expression of"a
few others,") are " domestic" in their character
Bat in other cases, Slavery cannot be a domestic
relation of parties in strict family sense, there
being no family concerned, and Mr. BUoHANAN's
forced literality would be wholly inappicable
What miserable quibbligs with language 10 it for
an american President to pretend ignorance of
the enlarged meaning which the time-honored fg-
urativs use of n word attaches to il What egreg-
icus folly 10 is for him to feign that, in political
connection. the sdiss+irs- domestic" (" does not
signify the peculiar internal affairs of people, re-
garded distinctly from those of people, Just
a. plainly as in household connection it means
the special concerns of particular family! Who
can doubt that Mr.. BUCHANAN himself has thou
sand times used the expression of the +" domestic
affairs Of the United States, in contradistinctiou
to their foreign affairs 7" or spoken of the "do-
nestic eoncerns" !" of one Of the States in distin-
gushing its separate interests from those in which
the other States have common interest," But
now has the assurance to say that the use of the
word domestic "is entirely distinct from institu-
tions OF political character and to contend that
when statesman speaks of domestic affsirs.n he
MEANS OF course, family washing or some such |
matter! We defy him to 60 through his official
term without using metaphor which the usage of
centuries may be said to have literalized His Of
hcial term, did we say' Why, the proof is al
ready before us in this precious document itself
Towards the close Of the subject be speaks Of the
" domestic disceTd" and civil war" in which
Kansas" may be involved for many years." unless
he can succeed in coaxing the Free State men into
endorsing bald denial of their rights. Is it only
squabbles that his foresight deprecates?
What does bis bschclorship know Of hem7 He
has certainly kept clear Of all personal danger in
shat respect! Yet he has convulsed the country,
upon miserable verbal subterfuge which any
American schcol-boy can detect at once.
The President is at much pains to rehearse how
the people emphatically pronounced in favor of
the grsst doctrine Of Popular Sovereignty"
which he Justly euloeixes a. .the vital principle
Of eur free indtitpticus" lie says that an ntims-
tion Of contrary character would have been at
once reDudisted Here is his language
Had II been insinuated from any quarter that
u would DC sufficient compliance with the requi-
sitions Of the organic law for the members OF
convention thereafter to be elected, to Withhold the
question Of slavery from the people, and to substi-
safe their cwn win for that ofa legally ascertained
majority Of all their constituents, this would have
been instantly rejected"
Yet be claims that this great doctrine of Popu.
lar Sovereignty" has application to the Slavery
Question alone, and he has the bad taste to quote
one Of the resolutions of the Cincinnati Convention
which makes specification Of that question. If he