The eastern clarion. [volume] (Paulding, Miss.) 1837-1863, 1858-12-18
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.


IhESll)EN1 L > MESSAGE.
Flia1r-rif'ssoS Of The S.nate and
House qf Representatives.:
When we compare the condition Of the
country at the present day with what it
was one year ago al the meeting of Con
gIess. we have much reason for gratitude
to that Almighty Providence which has
never failed to interpcse for our relief, at
the most critical periods of our history
One wear 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 per-
pe,uity Of the oonfederaey. The applica-
ton fir the admission Of Kansas as state
into the Union, lostered this unhappy
agitation. and brought the whole subject
once more before Congress. 1t was the
desire of every patriot that such meas
ures Of legislation might be adopted, as
would remove the excitement from the
States and confne il 10 the Territory
where it legitimately belonged. Much
uas been done, and ! am happy to say,
towards the accomplishment of this OBJ
isct 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 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 as the territorial
condition shall remain.
This is now a well-established position.
and tile proceedings OF the last session
were alone wanting 10 give it practical
effect. Tho principle has been recognis-
ed. in 0me form or other by an almost
unanimous vote Of both houses Of Con
sro-s that q Territory has g right to
come into the Union either as a free or
slave State. according tothc viii of a ma
ioriJv Of is people. ThcJust equality Of
an the States has thus been vIndicated,
and a fruitful source Of dangerous dissen-
/ SION among them has been removed.
Whilst such has been the beneficial
tendency of your legislative proceedings
outside Of Kansas, their influence has
I nowhere been 50 happy as within that
/ Territory itself. Left to manage and con-
! rol its own affairs in It's own way, without
/ the pressure of external influence, the
! RcyolutiouarN Topeka organization and
! all resistance to the territorial govern
( mcnt Established bv Congress, have been
finally abandoned. As natural conse-
( gucnce. that fine Territory now appears
to be tranquil and prosperous, and Is at
/ tracing increasing thousands Of immi-
| grants tomake it their happy home.
The past unfortunate experience OF
I Kansas has enforced the lesson so often
already taught that resistance to lawful
authority, under our form government
cannot fail in the endto prove disastrous
to its authors. Had the people of tho
Territory yielded obedience to the laws
! enacted by their legislature, it would al
the present moment have contained a
/ large additional population of industrious
and entorrrisiug citizens, who have beer
deferred from entering its borders by tho
! existence OF civil strife and organized re
igliou
ID was the resistance to rightful author
itv ana the persevering attempts to estab
lish q revolutionary government under
the Topeka Constitution, which caused
/ the people Of Kansas TO commit the grave
arr0. Of refusing to vote for delegates tC
the convention TO frame a constitution
, under law not denied TO be fair ano
just ia It's provisions. This refusal to vote
, hal been the prolific source of all the
evils which have followed. In their hos
uHty ,o the territorial government. the,
I di-rcrarded the principle, absolutely Is
| -eutial 10 the working OF our form o
-o,eimauy J.iat majority OF those wh'
votc-uoJ the majority who may remain
1t home. from whatever cause-must dc
eide the result Of an election. For thi
reason. seeking to take advantage Of thei
own error. they denied the authority O
the convention thus elected to frame
constitution.
The convention, Notwithstanding, pre-
/ ceciel to adopt constitution unexceT
tiouable in It's general features, and pre-
y.diug for the submission OF the SLAYER
| question TO vote of the people, which
.n my opinion. they were bound to do un
I der the Kansas and Nebraska act. Thi
was the a!I-important question which ha
alone conyulsed the Territory and We
| theopponents ofthe lawful government
nar-lsting in their first error, rclraine
irom exercising their right to vote, an
/ preferred that slavery should continu,
/ rather than surrender their revolutionar
Topeka organization.
wiser and better spirit seemed to pr,
vail before the first Monday of Januar
Last. when an election was held under tn
| con s.itution. 4 majority of the peopl
then voted for a Governor and other Stat
officers. fora member of Congress. an
| member. of the State Legislature Tn
I election was warmly contested by th
two political parties in Kansas, and
greater vote was polled than at any pr
vious election \ large majority Of til
: members OF the Legislature elect belon
IA 20 that party which had previously r
+ fused tJ vote. The anti-slavcry part
e were thus placed in the ascendant, an
, the political power Of the State was
4 their own hands. Had Congress admitte
g Kansas into the Union under the Lccon
. ton constitution. the legislature might.
s ! It's very first sion. have submitted ii
question TO a vote of the people, whcth,
= thgy would or would not have conve
ton u am1nd their constitu ton eitl
I er on the slavery or anyother question
3 and have adopted all necessary means +,
(. giving speedy effect to The will Of a m
? iar.ty Thus the Kansas question won
r have been Immediately finally so
j. lied
Under these circumstances. ! submitt5
to Congrc-s the constitution thus frame
with all the officers already elected nece
~arv 70 put the State government in
Z operation, accompanied 10y a strong T
I, commentator In favor Of the admissiC
q of Kansas rs State. In the course of II
= long public life. | have never perform,
: auy official act which, in the RETROSPECT
Z has afforded me more heartfelt sati.factio
z Its admission could have inflicted no DC
$ sible injury on any human being. Will
. IL would, within brief period, have
stored peace to Kansas and harmony
4, the Union ln that event, the slave
as question would, ere this, have been final
settled, according TO the legally-express
VIII of a majority Of the voters, and pou
Z, lar sovereignty would thus have been vi
n dirated in q constitutional manner.
lie With my deep convictions of duty
n could have pursued no other course.
u. j. true. that. rs an individual, | had c
% pressed an opinion, both before and duri
ny the session Of the convention, in favor
!. submitting the remaining clauses of t
- constitution, as weil as that concerni
slavery. to the people. But acting in
- official character, neither myself nor a
by I human authority lad the power to
2 nudge tho proceedings of the conventiC
= and declare the constitution which it h
framed to be a uullity To have done Il
would have been aviolation of the Kan.
2" and Nebraska act, which left the peol
Fi All' l'liAt'4N l'Nt4.'NAt il't " l'l
Y, and regulate their domestic institutio
80. In their own way, subject only to t
Z" Substitution OF the United States
* would equally have violated the or,
IL principle Of popular sovereignty, at {
lad foundation of our institutions, to depri
the people OF the power. if they thoug
a. proper to exercise il, of coniiding to de
gates elected by themselves the trust
,! framing constitution, without requiri
them to subject their constituents to I
trouble, expense, and delay, of a seco
election. ii would have been in oppJ
ton to many precedents in our histo
u. commencing in the very best age of
M republic. of the admission of Territor
aP as States into the Union, without a p
-T ..y vious vote of the people approving tn
n constitution.
a. II Is To be lamcnted that question
in. insignificant when viewed in its practi
effects on the people of Kansas, whetl
,s decided one way or the other, should ha
kindlad such flame of excitem,
throughout the country. This reilccti
- NAV prove to be lesson Of wisdom a