Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1858-12-16
Presidents Message


SAVING THE UNION.
FeUo,c-citizens efMe Senate and Houst
Of Representatives..
When we compare the condition oI
the country at the present day with
what it was one year ago. at the meet
ing Of Congress, we have much reason
for gratitude to that Almighty Provi-
dence. which has never failed to inter
pose for our relief, at the most critical
periods Of our history. One year ago
the sectional strife between the North
and the South on ths dangerous sub
iect of Slavery. had again become 81
intense as to thrca'e. the peace AMI
pcrpe;uity Of the confcIcracy. The
application COR the admission Of Kan
. sas as a State into the Union. fos;erel
this unhappy agitation. and brought
the whole subject once more before
Congress. Ii was the desire Of every
patriot that such measures of leSisla-
tion might be adopted. as would re-
move the excitement from the States
and conline it to the Territory where
it lcgitimately belonged Much has
been done, | am happy to say, towards
the accomplishment Of this object du-
ring the last session Of Congress.
SLAVERY THE LAW or THE TERRITORIES
The Supreme Court of the United
States he d previously decided that all
American citizens have an equal right
TO take into the Territories whatever
is held as property under the laws Of
any of the States. anil to hold such
property there under the guardianship
of the Federal Constitution, so long
as the territorial condition shall re-
main.
This is now a well-established posi-
ton, and the proceedings of the last
session We're alone wanting to give it
practical effect. The principle has
been recognized, in some form or 9th
er, by an almost unanimous vote o.
both Houses of Congress, that Terri
tory has a right 20 come into the Uni
on either as Free or Slave State.
according To the viii OF majority OF
rs people. The ust equality OF all
the States has thus been vin,iratesl.
and Il fruitful source of dangerous dis
Scnsion among them has been re-
moved
Whilst such has been the beneficial
tendency of your legislative proceed
ings outside Of Kansas, their influence
has nowhere been 50 happy as within
that Territory itself. Left to manage
AMI control It's own a;!airs in its own
way. without the pressure of external
influence, the revolutionary Topeka
organization and all resistance to the
Territorial Government established hv
Congress, have bcri, finally abandoned.
Us natural consequence, that fine
Territory now appears to he tranquil
and prosperous, and is attracting in
crcasin. thousands of immigrants to
make it their happy homo.
READS KANSAS 4 IrcTcaE.
The past Unfortunate experience Of
Kansas has enforced the lesson so often
already Taught, that resistance to law
lul authority, unlcr ouy form OF gov
"-nmcn'. can no. .aii in :ie c.. -
prove disastrous to It's authors. Hal |
the people Of the Territory yielded obc-
licncc to the laws eaactcd ly their
Legislature. it would at the present
moment have contained n larger addi- /
lional population of Industrious an6
cntcrprising citizens, who have beer
deferred from entering it, borders by
the existence Of civil strife and organ |
lied rebellion.
1t was the resistance to rightfu au-
thority and the pcrscverng attempts
to establish a revolutionary govern
ment under the Topeka Constitution.
which caused the people of Kansas to
commit the grave error of refusing to
vote for delegates to the Convention
TO frame Constitution, under law |
not denied to be fair and Just in its
provisions. This refusal to vote has
been the prolific source of all the evils
which have followed In their hostil-
iiy to the Territorial government, they
disregar,led the principle. absolutely
essential to the working Of our form Of
government, that majority of those
who vote--not the majority who may
remain at home, from whatever cause
must decide the result of the election.
For this reason, seeking to take adj
vantage of their own error, they denied
the authority of the Convention thus
elected to frame Constitution.
The Convention, Notwithstanding,
proceeded to adopt Constitution un-
exceptionable in its general features,
aud providing for the submission of
the Slavery question to vote of the
people. which. in my opinion, they
were bound to do, under the Kansas
and Nebraska act. This was the all
important question which had alone
convulSed tho Territory; and yet the
opponents of the lawful government.
persisiing in their first error. refrainel
from exercising their right to vote.
and preferred that Slavery should con
time. rather than surrender their rev
olutionary Topeka organization.
a wiser and better spirit seemed to
prevail before the first Monday of Jan
nary last, when an election was held
under the Constitution. a majority
of the people then voted for the Gov
crnor and other State officers, for a
member OF Congress and members Of
the State Legislature. This election
was warmly contested by the two po-
litical parties in Kansas. and a greater
vote was pollcd than at any previous
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