Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1858-12-11
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
To Congress, December 9, 1858.
pr.u..r D.f,~.. of n, .Cendfs

When we compare the condition of the country |
at the present day with what 1t was one year ago,
At the meeting of Congress, we have much rea- |
son for gratitude to that Almighty Providence,
which has never failed to interpose for our relief,
at the most critical period of our history. One |
year ago, the sectional strife between the North
and South on the dangerous subject of slavery,
had again become so intense as TO threaten the
peace and perpetuity Of the confederacy The
application for the admission Of Kansas as q
State into the Union fostered this unhappy agi.
taton, and brought the whole subject once more
before Congress. 1t was the desire of every
patriot that such measures Of legislation might
DO adopted, as would remove the excitement
from the States, and confine IL TO the territory
where it legitimately belonged Much has been
done, am happy TO say, towards the accom-
plishment Of this object. The Supreme Court
during the late session of Congress Of the
United States had 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, and to hold
such property there under the guardianship OF
the federal constitution, so long the territorial
condition shall remain. This Is now a well es-
tablished position, and the proceedings Of the
last session were alone wanting to give it practi
cal effect. The principle has been recognized,
in some form or other, by an almost unanimous
vote of both houses Of Congress. that territory
has right to come into the Union either as
free or a slave State, according to the will Of
majority of its people. The just equality Of all
the states has thus been vindicated and fruitful
source OF dangerous dissension among them has
been removed
Whilst such has been the beneficial tendency
of your legislative proceedings outside of Kansas,
their influence has been nowhere so happy as
within that territory itself. Left 10 manage and
control its own sffairs in It's own way, without
the pressure Of external influence, the revolution
airy Topeka organization and all resistance to
the territorial government established by Con-
gress, have been finally abandoned. AS natu.
raj consequence, that hne territory now appears
to be tranquil and prosperous, and is attracting
increasing thousands OF immigrants to make II
their happy homes.
The past unfortunate experience Of Kansas has
enforced the lesson so often already taught that
res;stance IN lawful authority under our form of
Government. cannot fail in the end 10 prove dis.
ssirous 10 lis authors. Had the people of the
territory Welded obedience TO the laws enact, d
nv their LEGISLATURE IL would at The present mo.
ment have contained n large additional nopula.
t;on of ;ndustrious and enternr;sino citizens who
have been deferred from entering its borders by
lion.
II MAS the Resistance IN r;pb,fnl authority and
the nersever;ng a,,emnts 10 establish a r.vou
t;onarv Government, under The Tonek n cons,i,u
,;on wbicb caused the neonle of Kansas N rom
nit The Grave error of refusing 10 vote for dele
gates 10 The convention TO frame a constitution
under law not denied TO be fair and lust in il,
nrov;s;ona This r.fnsal m vote has beer IN,
proIf;c source Of ali The evils with have follow
ed. In their hostility to the territorial govern
ment thew disreeardtd the principle. absolutel,
essential n the working Of our firm of cavern
men, that a majority If those VIM vo,e-no
the majority who NAV remain at home. from
wbstever csuse-must decide the result of a,
election. For this reason, seeking to take advan
,aoe of their own error thew denied the AUTHORITY
of The Convention inns elected TO frame a consti
tut;on.
The convention notwithstanding nroceede,
a. .dor, cons,;,r,;or rne~c.n,;onobIe in !,
general features and nroyidine for The submis
sion of the slavery ouestion TO . vote of the Dec
ME. which. In NV ouipiou. thew were bound Il
do under the Kansas and Nebraska act. Thi
was the all.important question which had alon
convulsed The territory and yet the opponents Q
the lawful government, persisting in their frs
error, RETAINED from exercising their right t
vote, and preferred that slavery should continu
rather than surrender their revolutionary Topek
organization.
A wiser and better spirit seemed to prevail b.
fore the first Monday of January last, when a
election was held under the constitution me
iority of the people then voted for a governO
and other state officers, for a member of Congress
and members Of the state legislature. This cleo
tion was warmly contested by the two politics
parties in Kansas, and greater vote was pole
than at any previous election. A large majort
of the members of the legislature elect beloDge
to that party which had previously refused t
vote. The anti-slavery party were thus place
in the ascendant, and the political power Of tn
state was in their own hands. Had Congress I'D
mfted Kansas into the Union under the LecomI
ton constitution, the legislature might at its yer
first session, h ave submitted the question to
vote OF the people, whether they would or woul
not have convention to amend their consttu
tiop, either on the slavery or any other question
and have adopted all necessary means for givin
speedy effect to the will of the majority. Thu
the Kansas question would have been immediate
" and finally settled.
Under these circumstances, I submitted +
Congress the constitution thus framed, with d
the officers already elected necessary to put To