Quasqueton guardian. (Quasqueton, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1856-1858, 1857-12-17
Presidents Message.

EF This document is very lengthy,
and we are unable to give our readers
more than simple synopsis of it, which
will be found upon our first page. Near
ly one-fourth of it is taken up with a
discussion of the causes Of the present
financial embarrassment which the Pres
ident attributes entirely to the action Of
the banks. He admits that the govern
ment, however, can do but little or no.
thing towards remedying the present
evils, or in preventing their future oc-
currenee, because of a lack of jurisdic-
tion-admitting which, the cause for
this elaborate treatment of the subject is
not apparent.
The President states that our relations
with foreign governments are as peaceable
as can be desired, with the exception OF
those with the government of Spain
The prospect of an amicable understand
ing with that government, we apprehend,
is by no means fattering, so long as the
doctrines of the Ostend Manifesto find
an embodiment in the person of our
chief magistrate, and so long as the in
terest whose puppct James Buchanan has
proved himself, rules SO thoroughly the
policy Of the government. The slavery
propagandists are determined to possess
themselves of Cuba, and to do 1T, too,
through Northern influence and North
.rn means. When this is done, then,
and not till then, will there be anything
else but "sound and fury, signifying
nothing" in their periodical threats of
disun,on.
Upon the Kansas question, around
which centres the whole interest of the
message, the President takes bold ground
in favor of the action of the Constitution
nj Convention. AS an individual he
would rather that the whole Constitution
should have been submitted to the peo-
pie, but recognises in the course adopted
no violation of the organic act of the ter
ri:ory nor of the inherent rights of the
people. The provision in the Nebraska
Kansas bill which declares that the peo-
nile Of those territories shall be left per-
fectly free to form and regulate their do
mestic institutions in their own way he
assumes to apply solely to the institution
Of slavery. and contends that in submit
ting the slavery clause to the people, the
Kansas Constitutional Convention fulfilled
all the requirements OF that act Among
the many cxpositions of the principles
and operations OF that bill, this is GER
tainly the most novel. In this view, pop
ular sovereignty simply means the right
of choice between free and slave labor,
and does not recognise the peoples right
of decision upon any other OF the many
questions of domestic concern. This
Interpretation is new one to the Democ-
racy, and we doubt much whether they
will accept it, even though coming from
the fountain head Of official patronage.
The fact is, Mr.. BUCHANAN felt that his
utter abnegation TO the slave power in
this matter, required a defence, and he
has attempted it behind pretext as false
as it is flimsy. But even if this narrow
application of tie +" broad principles" of
that bill were the true one, yet Mr.. bU-
cHASAs knows that it has not been truly
made. He knows that there are clauses
in the constitution of Kansas. ihdepen-
dent of the Slavery clause so called
which will fasten that institution upon
the State, even though that clause itself
were stricken cut. And how absurd
hen. for him TO assert that The rgh's