Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1858-12-15
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

PHED1DGN y MEODAUG'
Etgr.cid.eas Of tie Senate and House Of
p,presentatrcs When we compare the
condition of the country at the present
dny with what it was one year ago, at the
meeting of Congress, we have much rea-
,on for gratitude to that Almighty Provi-
dence which has never failed to lnterpose
for our relief, at the most critical periods
Of our history. One year ago, the section
Al strife between the North and the South
on the dangerous subject Of slavery, had Il
cain become so intense as to threaten the
peace and perpctuity Of the contederacy.
The applicaton for the admission Of Kan
sos as a State into the Union, tostered this
unhappy agitation, and brought the whole
subject once more before Congress. 1t
was the desire of every patriot that such
measures of legislation might be adopted,
AZ would remove the excitement from the
States and confnc it 10 the Territory
where it legitimately belonged. Much
has been done, am happy to say, towards
the accomplishment OF this object, during
the last session of Congress.
The Supreme Court Of the United States
had previously decided, that all American
citizens have an equal right to take into
Ne Territories, whatever is held as prop
srty under the laws of any Of the States,
and to hold such property there under the
guardianship of the federal constitution,
% long as the territorial condition shall
remain.
This is now well established position,
and the proceedings Of the last session
we're alone wanting to give it practical et-
feet. The principle has been recognized
in some form or other, 10y an almost unau-
imous vote of both houses Of Congress, that
Territory has a right to come into the
Union either as free or slave State, accOr-
ding to the will of the majority of its peo
pie. The just equality of all the States
has thus been vindicated, and a fruitful
source of dangerous dissension among
them has been removed.
Wills such has been the beneficial ten
dency of your legislative proceedings out
side of Kansas. their influence has no.
where been so happy as within that Terri
tory itself Left TO manage and control its
own affairs in its own way, without the
pressure of external influence, the revolu-
tonary Topeka organization and all its re-
sstance tothe territorial government es-
hblished by Congress, have been tinally
abandoned As a natural consequence,
that fine Territory now appears to be tran
Gull and prosperous, and is attracting IN
crensing thousands of immigrants to make
it their happy home.
The past unfortunate experience OF
Kansas has enforced the lesson so 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 yielded obedience to the laws
enacted by their legislature, 1t would az
the present moment have contained q
large additional population Of of industri-
Gus and enterprising citizens, who have
been deferred from entering ITS borders
by the existence of civil strife and orgoni'
zed rebellion.
1t was the resistance of rightful author
Ity and the pesevering attempts to estab
.sh revolutionary go ernment under the
Topeka constitution. which caused the
the people of Kansas to commit the grave
error Of refusing to vote for delegates tC
the convention to frame a constitution
under law not denied to be fair and JUS
IN its provisions. This refusal 10 vote ha:
been the prolific source Of all the evil
which have followed. In their hostility
to the territorial government, they disre
garded the principle, absolutely essentia
10 the working Of our form of government
that majority Of those who vote-no
lhe majority who may remain at home
nom whatever cause-must decide the re
suit Of an election. For this reason, seek
ing TO take advantage of their own error
they denied the authority of the conven
uon thus elected to frame a constitution
The convention, notwithstanding pro
eeeded to adopt constitution uneXcep
UNABLE in its general features, and proyi
@ng for the submission of the slavery
question to vote of the people, which, il
NY opinion, they were bound to do, unde
lhe Kansas and Nebraska act. This wa
The all-important question which had alon,
conyulsed the Territory and yet the op
Ponents of the lawful government, persist
ing IN their first error, refrained from eX
erc.sing their right to vote, and preierre'
mat slavery should continue, rather thai
surrender their revolutionary Topeka OF
eanization.
a wiser and better spirit seemed to pre-
val before the first Monday Of Januar
iSt when an election was held under tn
constitution. majority of the peopl
'hen voted for a governor and other stat