Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1858-12-14
PRESID ENT'S MESSAGE.
Fs1lor Citizens Of t.s Senate aud House of Repre-
scaiatires


wear ago, ut the meeting of Congress. we have
mach reason for gratitude TO that Almighty
Providence which bas never failed TO inieipose
Tor our relief at the most critical Teriod OF our
history One year ago the sectional strife be-
! tween the Aorh and the South or the danger
ous subject of Slavery had again oeccme so in-
tense rs to threaten the peace and perpetuity Of
The Contederacy. The application Cor the ad =
mission of Kansas as State into tie u MON fns-
tered this unhappy agitation. and brought the
whole subject once more before Congress 1t was
tie desire of every patriot tha. such measures of
legislation might be adopted would remove
The excitement from the States and confine 1t To
tue Territory. where II legitimately belonged.
Much las been done, am happy 10 say. toward
The accomplishment of this object during the
last session Of Congress.
The Supreme Court of the United States had
previously decided that all American citizens
have equal right 10 ke into the Territories
whatever is held as property under the laws of
any of the States, and 10 hold such property
there under the guardianship of the Federal
Constitution so long the Territorial condition
shall remain.
his is now a well-established position, and
the proceedings of the last Session we're alone
wanting 10 give 1t practical effect. The princi-
pie has been recognized IN some form or other
10y an almost unanimous vote of both houses Of
Congress. that a Territory has a right to come
INTO the Union either a free or a slave State
according 10 the Will of ajority of its people
vindicated and fruitful source Of dangerous
dIs~ension among them has been removed
While such has been the beneficial tendency
Of your legislative proceedings outside of Kan
sas. tier influence has IuwEere been so happ
- within I at Territory itself Left TO manage
and ctB;rCl Iis OVID affairs u its own wav ith-
out tie pressure of external influence, the revo-
luiionary TcIeka orcanlzaiion and all resist
ance to he Territorial Government established
by Cong ess lave been finally abandoned. As
NATURAL consequence, HAT fine Territory now
appears To se tranquil aud prosperous, and Is
attracting increasing ,hon~and. of imni 9, ants
to make II their laI pv home.
The past unfortunate exl erienee of Kansas has
eriolee the lesson 80 often already taught. tha.
resistance 20 lawful authority under our form of
government. tahnnt iaIl IN The end TO prove dis
astrous 10 lis authors. Had Il e people Of tho
Territory yielded obedience In the laws enact
cd ty ileii Legislature, II would AT the present
moment have contained large additional pop
ulatIou Of Industrious and enterprising citizens,
who have been deferred from entering its hor-
ders hy the existence Of civil strife and organ-
lzed rebellion.
1t was the resistance Ia rghtful authority and
the rerseveTing attempts To establish revolu-
iIonary government under the Tepeka Consti-
tuition, " hich caused the people Of Kansas to
commit tie grave error of refusing to for
delegates 10 the Convention tn frame a Consti-
tuition under n law not denied to be fair and
J-t in lis provisions. THIS refusal 10 vote has
FiSra lte tffllHc source Ct all the evils winch
have followed. in their hostility to the Terri
torial Government, they dissegarded the princi-
pie absolutely essential to the working of our
form of government. that a majority of those
who vote-not The majority who may remain at
ECme, from whateVer cause - must decide The
result Of an election For this reason. seeking
To take advantage of iheir error. they de-
MED the authority of the Convention thus elect
ed to frame Constitution.
Tie Convention. Notwithstanding. proceeded
Ia adopt a Constitution, uneNcepiiOnahle in it's
general features, and providing for the subms-
SION OF the Slavery question To vote of the peo-
pie which, In MY opinion, they bound 10
do under The Kansas and Nebraska act. This
as the all-imIurtant question which had alone
confused the Territory and yet the opponents
of the lawful Government. iersisiing in their
hrst error, renamed from exercising their right
10 vote, aud preferred that Slavery should con-
tiuue rather Than surrender their revolutionary
Topeka organization,
wisfr and better spirit seemed to prevail
heinre lie hrst Monday OF January last. when
an election was held under The Constitution -
majority Of the people lien voted for a Gov
ernor and other State officers, for Member Of
Congress and Members of the State Legislature
his election was warmly contested by the two
political parties in Kansas. and n greater vote
uOiled than II any previous election. a large
majority Of the members Of the Legislature elect
belonged Ia that party which had previously re-
fused to vote TIE Anti-Slayery party vera
thus placed IN the ascendant, and the political
power Of the State was in their own bands
had Congress admitted Kansas into the Union
under the Lecompton Constitutions the Leris-
latuTe might, at II, very first session. have sub
united the question 10 vote of the people,
whether they would or would not have Con-
veution to amend their Constitution either on
the Slavery or auy other question and have
adopted all necessary means for giving speedy
effect 10 the viii of the majority. Thus the
Kansas question would have been Immediately
and finally settled.
Under these circumstances, / submitted to
Congress the Constitution thus framed, with all
the officers already elected necessary to put the
State Government into operation. accompanied
hy a strong recommendation ia favor OF the ad-
nIIs-i"n 81 Kansas a Stale. In the course nf
nv loug public life have never performed any
official act which. IN the retrospect has afforded
me heartfelt satisfaction. Its admission
could have inflicted possible injury any
buuan being. while IL would within a brIei PEE
rod, have restored peace 10 Kansas and lnr-
uUuy 10 the mon. In that event the Slavery
question weuld thIs have been finally set
tied. according TO the legally expressed will Of
a majority of the voters. and Popular Sovereign
TX would have been indicated IN Z conSfitu-
tiuEal manner
With my deep conviciions of duty, ! could
hay. pursued 10 other Course. II H. true that,
~ an individual, ] had expressed an opinion,
both Leiore and during ihe se-sion Of lie ton-
ycution. IN favor Of Submitting the remaining
clauses If the Constitution well that
cerpiEg Slavery. to the people. I5ut. acting IN
official character. neither myself any hu-
man uhrrlly had the power 10 rejudge the
PFC cecdiHgs oi tie ConfeLiion. and declare the
Cnnstiiutiun which !, had framed to lee hulli-
-. To have dn;.e this would have beeD vio-
laiicn ef the Kansas and Notrasta act. which
lef lie people of The Territory perfectly tree
TO form and regulate their dones &c Institutions
in their own way. subject only to tie Constitu-
fiart or lie [ n; I'd II wtuid equally
have violated the great principle Of Popular
~oraraIcsrsfp si syrEr1rsatiFsB uf oar insfftu-
! fi.ns. to dspFIse the people Of the power. if
they ih"' ghi proper TO exercise ~ oi eonhding
70 delegates elected by themselves the trust OF
Z framing Constitution, without requiring hem
ro subject their constituents tn The trouble. ex-
I pen~e and delay of a seeend electIon- 1t would
have been In opposition to many precedeuss IN
car history. commencing In the r@ry besr age OF
the Republic If the admission of Territories "a