The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1858-12-17
THE POST.
ATHENS, FRIDAY, DEC. II, s5s.
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Fello,o. Citizens Of the Senate, and


PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Fellop. Citizens of he Senate, and ...
House Of Representatives:
When VIC compare the condition Of the
country at the present day with what it was
one year ago, at the meeting of Congress, we
have much reason for gratitude to that Al
mighty Providence, which has never failed to
interpose for our relief, at the most critical
periods of our history. One year ago, the
sectional strife between the North and the
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 State into the Union, fostered this un-
happy agitation, and brought the whole SUBJ
ject once moro before Congress. II was the
desire of every patriot that such measures of
Legislation might be adopted, as would re-
move the excitement from the States, and
confine il to the Territory where it aegti-
mately belonged. Much has been done, | am
happy to say, towards the accomplishment of
this object, during the last session of Con-
gress.
The Supreme Court of the United States
had previously decided, that all American clti.
zens have an equal right to take into the Ter
ritories, 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 as the
territorial condition shall remain.
This is now n weli-established position,
and the proceedings of the last session were
alone wanting to giveit practical effect. The
principle has been recognised, in some form
or other, by m almost unanimous vote of
n ricbt 70 coma ;nte ,ha IInion a;,har u, ""a
fr,s or a sI,ya Stato nccord;na to tho ,,;II of
. moioritv of n. no,nla Ths ;,., 'a,;,,, m'ai "
of siI ~, S,,,a. hos ,h,s ha., n;ndoa,a3
and n fruitful sourcs Of danoerons d;sssns;o,,
amono tbem has hoon ran,nvsd
Whilst .nch b,s boon tha honoG,;,I ton
dsncv of vonr lsais,,tiye nro,ocd;nns outside
of Konsos ihair ;nansnca hos n noy5ara hao,,
an hnnnv ~. u;,h;n ,hnt ,ra.,;,o,v ;,soie
Taft 81 ,,.no',a and c"ntroi IT, o,;,, ae;.., T.,
;s.nwn ,yov S,;thort tl,. nrosarra of "w,os,"i
sn.o ,ba rauoIr,;nuar,, i"U Ta,o,,a 1911;
zat;on ond nil rss;s,an.o to H.. tr,.;,o,;,, ~
eminent established Inv Congress. have been
fnaIIv abnndonod Aso notnrol conseouenca
I'D iine Territorv now onnenrs to be tran,
ouil and PROSPEROUS. and is ATTRACTING ipcreas.
inc tbousnnds of immioronts In mako IL ,beir
bnnnv bome
The past unfortunate experience of Kansas
has enforced the lesson 80 often already
taught. that resistance to lawful authority.
under our form of government, cannot fail in
the end to prove disastrous to its authors
Had the people of the Territory Welded obe.
dience to the laws enacted by their legisla-
ture, II would at the present moment have
contained large additional population of in
dustrious and enterprisinc citizens, who have
been deferred from entering its borders by
the,-,yistence of civil strife and organized re-.
befljon. ......- -..... .. o.
1t was tho resistance to rightful authority
,and the perseyering ATTEMPTS to establish a
revolutionary government 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
10 be fair and lust in its provisions. This
refusal TO vote has been the prolific source of
all the evils which have followed, In their
hostility to the territorial government. thew
disregarded the principle, absolutely essen
tial To the waking Of our form If oovern-
mont. that n mnioritv of those who yote-not
the maiority who NAV remain nj home. from
whatever cause-must decide the resnlt Of an
eleciion. For this reason. seeking to take
advantage of iber own error thew denied The
.ou,hor;,y Of ha .onvar,;on thns eIec,od to
frame n cons,itni;on -. '' :.
The cnnyention not,yi,bstord,,, n,ooooa
ed 10 odon, onns,i,ut;o, ,,navan,iIn r'Jh -,
ito GonsrdI sso,m.a. anS 'fm. n.on;dpn So. ,ta ~
smbmi.s;on ,t os ,he s,a,u anu Paa,;ns Puus ~. ..e
or ,hs no J qus'on ';.; ~ ro'e
wsrs Ho,InS pSp d m"v,, io. ~ ,h my upm,on' 'ney
braska oct TbiS was % ,ho all imnor,,n, n nnos ,0s