Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1858-12-09
pRESlDENT'S MESSAGE.

rn,, r;fi:eas ct the Sehate 611
f'""" House Of Representatives
WI, r-a romlr,re the condition of the country at
!, "~r, nrcscnt dav with what it year ago. at
t' W l"aot;n. of Congress- we have much reason for
's .i,e TO that Almighty Providence, which has
c;l,d 10 nterpose for our relief at the most
h. s,l neriolls of our history. One year ago, the
c':~, .,s srf, between the North and the South on
X Js,rc,o,s subject of slavery, had again become
% intense as to threaten the peace and perpetuty
p.%s confseracy The application for the admis-
;on of Kansas as State into the Union, fostered
,S ,S;' mhappy agitation, and brought the whole sub
;,. onc, more before Congress. 1t was the desire
!frprv n,trot that such measures OF legislation
,,;b, he adopted, as would remove the excitement
sa, the States, and confine it to the Territory
hrre il ic-itinlately belonged. Much has been
dana | am happy 10 say, towards the accomplish
msnt Of this object during the last session OF Con-
The Suprene Court of the United States had pre-
;nslr terdcl, that all american citizens have an
oo riat to take into the Territories, whatever is
t .s n,onerty under the laws of any of the States
,pl 10 hold such property there under the guardian
dim of the federal constitution, so long as the ter
riara condition shall remain
This is now well established position, and the
,-oreclings of the last session were alone wanting
ta ,yc it practical effect The principle has been
reop1,izeti, in some form or other, by an almost
noq,;c,o,> vote of both houses Of Congress, that
Territory has right to into the Union either
ssa free CT slave State according TO the will Of
majority of its people. The Just equality of all the
Safes has thus bee vindcatcd and fruitful source
dangerous dSsension among them has been re-
moyed
Whilst such has been the beneficial tendency of
your legislative proceedings outside of Kansas, their
influence has nowhere been so happy as within that
Territory itself Left to manage and control its own
affairs in lis own way, without the pressure of ex
terna influence the revolutionary Topeka organiza-
ton and all resistance to the territorial government
established by Congress, have been finally aban-
doned As natural consequence. that fine Terri
tory now appears to be tranquil and prosperous and
attracting increasing thousands of immigrants to
make it their happy home.
The past unfortunate experience of Kansas has
enforced the lesson so often already taught that re-
sstance to lawful authority, under our form of gov
ernGlent cannot fail in the end to prove disastrous
its authors. Had the people of the Territory
welded obedience to the laws enacted by their leg
stature it would at the present moment have con-
tainel large additional population Of Industrious
and enterpriSing citizens, who have been deferred
from entering its borders by the existence of civil
strife and organized rebellion.
1t was the resistance to rightful authority and the
prsevering attempts to establish revolutionary
government under the Topeka constitution, which
caused the people of Kansas to commit the grave er
ror refusing to vote for delegates to the
ton to frame constitution, under law not denied
to be fair and just in its provisions. This refusal to
vote has been the prolific of all the evils
which have followed In their hostility to the ter
rtoria government. they disregarded the principle
absolutely essential to the working of our form Of
government that majority of those who vote-not
me majority who may remain at home, from what
ever cause-inlst decide the result of IN election.
FOR this reason, seeking to take advantage of their
own error, they denied the authority of the conven
uon thus elected to frame constitution.
Iheconvention Notwithstanding. proceedto adopt
constitution unexceptionable in its general fea-
tles and providing for the submission of the slave
rYqueston to vote of the people, which, in my
opllon, they were bound to do, under the Kansas
and Nebraska act This was the all-important ques-
uon which had alone convulsed the Territory and
YET the opponents of the lawful government, perss-
tIs IN Their first error, refrained from exercising
ue right to vote and preferred that slavery should
Allnue, rather than surrender their revolutionary
Topeka organization
wiser and better spirit seemed to prevail before
uE nrst Monday of January last when an election
M %as hed under the constitution A majority OF
@ @ people then voted for governor and other State
% vActrs, tor member of Congress, and members OF
"e STATE legislature. This election warmly
eeSed by the two political parties in Kansas, and
sseaer vote was polied than at any previous elec
;% l,. \ large majority of the members of the leg
,ras n%lre elect belonged to that party which had
previously refused to vote The anti-slavery party
we're thus placed in the ascendant and the politca
r rD"u Oh the State was in their own hands. Hat
Iolsress admitted Kansas into the Union under the
W. eonpton constitution, the legislature might, at it
ro III ilrst session, have submitted the question to
notL :" the people, whether they would or woule
a;ts 'a'e convention to amend their constitution
b,re on the slavery or any other question, ant
Off,. saoP'ed all necessary means for giving speedy
ono.: 70 the will of the majority. Thus the Kansas
settled '''" ''l''''
o,s ohaer these circumstances, I submitted to Con
er le constitution thus framed, with all the OIL
aeaay elected necessary to put the State gov
rpc0si nen' INTO operation, accompanied by stron
s'lh'endation s,s in favor of the admission of Kan
bssa otate In the course of my long public lif
tba I'VE never performed any official act which, il
erosPect has afforded me more heartfelt salts
s1Io: Its admission could have inflicted no pos
WITH; INJURY on any human being, whilst it would
and h orlef period, have restored peace to Kansa
sl,ron harmony to the Union. In that event, tn
sptaai question would ere this have been finall
ma;0.: according to the legally expressed will of
won,a y OF the voters, and popular sovereignt
HAMMER e- '''i"''o'o,A ~ oo'e' e'i'"''oA'
ursru mnn my deep convictions of duty, could hay
drd no other course. It is true, that as an II
and dual a had expressed an opinion, both befor
Of Ihurng the session Of the convention. in fave
tu"n ;uomlttng the remaining clauses of the const
peoUh, as !, well as that concerning slavery, to th
mvsa,: But, acting in official character, neithe
caro rose the proceedings of the convention, and
ml,;.t the constitution which it had framed to be
s' 10 have done this would have been vi