Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1858-12-15
yEV SERIES.
nREstDENT'S MESSAGE

.-v at the present day with What IL was
colurJ ,,r oso. at the meeting of Congress, we
:n' !nob reason for gratitude tosthat Al
have I.r Providence which has never failed to
mgu.y for our relief, at the most critical
b|, of cur history. One year ago the
ge'",s strife between the North and South
~ dangerous subject of slavery, had
'u bscone so intense as to threaten the
a-2'l ,,;,g G Of the coufederacy. The applica-
eiPs'r he admission Of Kansas as a State
Hen 49, tO' I,niop. fostcrcd this unhappy agita-
mo cd brought the whole subject once
A'-, fore CcScress. 1t was the desire of
'O's ,str;ot hat such measures Of legislation
~, Ia a3opted as would remove the ex-
l4.z.r+ from the States, and confne it to the
-. 60 where it lcgitimately belonged
,S.,j'G ,I.,b bos been done am happy to say, to-
5,rj. ,.J, tho accomplishment Of this object, du-
w. he last session Of Congress.
Tie euprcr.1 Coort Of the United States
}.5 rreyiausly decided, that all American
.;,tns have au equal righ: TO take into the
r,rr:tori,s. whaa.ycr Is he'll IS property un-
T., ~. lar.s O. aIy OF The States, and 10 hold
rrcrartv there under tho guardianship
.rthl f,.erai constitution, SO IoHS as the ter
.,ria, condition shall remain.
,rb;. : no,y vel established position, and
.,rr,,.rliugs e. the last ,o>. 'ou were alone
.',irr- - aiv, r practical effect. he Prln-
r las }-lu recognized, ia sru.e form or
Her hv m almost unanimous vote OF both
I...,s e Cr~-ress, that a Territory has the
...I, 20 come into the Union either as n free
&c, sara State, according to the will OF a
,,,;,-;t- Of i,s reorle. The just equality of
.H.ro States has thus been Vindicated, and
arftrnI source Of dangerous discussion a.
..ar, them has been removed.
Will srcI has becp the beneficial ten
legcv Of your legislative proceedings outside
,fKops.s. their influence has nowhere been
- Larrv rs within that Territory itself. Lett
E, manage and control It's own affairs IN lis
own wav, without the pressure OF external
i,arercc the revolutionary Topeka orgauI-
ga,ion and all resistance 10 the territorial
rar'-,n}arr established by Congress, have
Eqc1 finally abandoned. As natural con-
sconenca. that tiae Ecrritory nov appears TO
be tranquil aud prosperous, and IS attracting
rc~assiI,r thousands Of immigrants 10 make
i their happy home
The mast unfortunate experience of Kan
.,s.bos enforced the lesson so often already
,.rrl. I,,, resistance to lawful authority
under our form Of government, cannot IAN II
he cLl to prove disastrous to its authors:
Had tie people Of the Territory yielded ooc
li,nce to the laws enacted by their leglsia
r7c il woulI at the present moment hav
.aptaiueG large additional population OF IN
,r.,,jous and eutel prising citizens, who haV'
hrn deferred from entering It's borders b.
| H.. ov.,fo~ca or civil strife and organized re
icli5n. .,
Il was the resistance 10 rightiul authorit,
ard the pcrseyering attempts to establish
7rutirnary government under the loPeh
constitution, which caused the people OF han
IS to commic the grave error OF refusing u
5.. for delrratcs 20 the convention to fran
acoas:itutioa, under law not detled to o
lair ar5 lust in its provisions. lis FeIusa
to- ga,e has been the prolific source OF al tn
evils sHhi,a have followed. Ia their hoslIlh
% he territorial government, they disregaI
d.; III, rrinciplo. absolutely essential to III
working e our form OF government that
naioy.ly Of those who vote-nnt the maJont
who nav remain at home, from WhateY'
,lr,e-- must decide the result OF an electoI
IT,, Ills reason. seeking to take advantage
,f.;- oyyn error. they denied the authority
A.. o-,rcntio1 thus elected to frame COZ
..utIou
The eonyeLtion, Notwithstanding pr
led to alopt a constitution uneAceptlon
'e in its general features. and proVldl Il
the submission Of the slavery question to
vo,. Of the people, which, IN my opinion
thcv we're bound to do, under the Mans
and Nebraska act. This was the ali-impo
tant ogas.lon which ha, alone convH.sed Il
Territory; an ! yet the opponents OF the Lax
f.. government. persisting III their trst err
ystraincd from exercising their right to Vot
aud preferred that slavery should continu
rather than surrender their revolutionary L
Ieka organization
4 wiser and better spirit seemed to preya
before the first Monday of January last
an election was held under the constitution
4 majority Of the people then voted tor
governor and other State officers, tor meu
bsr Of Congress, and members of the Sta
legislature. This election was warmly col
tes'ei by the two political parties in hansa
-ld greater vote was pollcd than at al
Previous election. 4 large majority OF Il
members of the legislature elect belonged
that party which had previously refused
'ote. The anti-slavery party were thus pi
ed IL the ascendant, and the political pow
OF the State was in their hands. Had 20
gress admitted Kansas Into the Union und
The Lecompton constitution, the legislatu
night at its very first session, have subm
I'd the question to vote of the peopl
whether they would or would not have co
Senuon to amend their constitution either
I9e slavery or any other question, and ha
@15opted all necessary means for giving spec
yles' to the will of the majority Thus
Kansas question would have been imme(
'eIy aud finally settled
r Under there circumstances, | submitted
congress the constitution thus framed, wi
g.. 81 Tue officers al:eady necessary to put t
S-Ss government into operation. accomI
,S Is'a Gy strong recomme ndation in favor
&c aaHission of Kansas as State. In t