The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1858-12-16
Presidents Message.
FcllOV Citizens Of the Senate
and House Of Representatives.:

When we 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 |
Almighty Providence, which has never failed |
to inteTPoSe for our relief, at the most criti- |
col periods Of our history. Ode year ago,
the sectionsl strife between the North and
the South on the dangerous subject Of slave.
~, had again become SO intense as 10 threat
en- the peace and pefpethitb Of the confed-
eracy. The application for the admission
OF Kansas as State into the Union, foster.
ed this unhappy agitation, and brought the
whole subject once more before Congress.
Ii was the desire Of every patriot that such
measures Of legislation might be adopted, as
would remove the excitement from the
States, and con6ne it to the Territory where
it legitimutely belonged. Much has been
done, | um huppy to say, towards the &C.
Complisbment OF this object, during the last
session of Congress.
The Supreme Court of the United States
had previously decided, that Ill American
citizens have an equal right to take into the
Territories, whichever is held as property
under the laws Of any Of the States, and TO
hold such property there under the guardian
ship of the federal constitution, so lobg as
the territorial condition shall remain.
This is now a we'll established position,
and The proceedings OF the last session were
alone wanting to give it practical effect
The principle has been recognized, in some
form or other, by on almost unanimous vote
Of both houses Of Congress, that Territory
has right to come into the Union either as
free or slave State, aCturding to the will
of majority Of its people. The just equal.
iy 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 tend.
ercy Of your legislative proceedings outsde
Of Kansas, their influence has been nowhere
SO happy as within that Territory ITSELF
Left to manage and control its own affairs
in its own way, without the pressure of e&.
ternal influence, the revolutionary Topeka
organization and all resistance to the terti.
torial government established by Congress,
have been finally abandoned. AS natura
consequence, that fine Territory now appears
to be trODquiI and prosperous, aad is attract.
ing increasing thousands OF Immigrants to
make it their happy home.
The past unfortunate experience Of Kan
sas has enforced the less OH so often already
taught, that resistance to lawful authority
under our torn Of government, cannot TAI
in the eLd 10 prove disastrous to its authors
Hnd the people OF the Territory yieldet
obedience 10 The ws enacted by their Leg
isluture, it would at the prest mt momen
have contuD,d large additional population
bi industrious and enterprisiDg citizens, VIII,
have been deferred from entering it border
by the tkist.nce of civil strife und organized
rebellion.
1t was the resistance to rghtful outhorit,
ond the perseSeriDg attempts TO establish
revolutionary government under the Tupek
constitution, which caused the people o
Kansas TO commit the grave error of refus
ing to vote for delegates TO the convention
10 tiume constitution under law not de
MED to be fair and just in its PROVISIONS
This refusal 10 vote has been the prolf
source OF all the evils which have followed
In their hostility to the Tertitufial govern
ment they disregarded the principle, abso
lutely essential to the working OF our form
Ui government, that majority of those VIII
Vote-not the majority who may rethaih II
home, from whatever Cause must deCid
the result of an election. For this reason
seeking to take advantage of their own error
they denied the authority of the conventio
thus elected to frame constitution.
The convention, Notwithstanding, pre-
ceeded to adopt o constitution unexceptioh'
in its general features, and providing for th
submission OF the slavery question to vol
of the people, which, in my opinion, the
were bound to do under the Kansas Nebra'
kaact. This was the all.important questio
which had alone convulsed the Territory
and yet the opponents of the lawful govern
ment, persisling in their first error, refraiI
edfrom exercising their right TO vote, ar
preferred that slavery should continue rath'
Than surrender their revolutionary T0pel
organization. ,..., ..y r...
Awiser and better spirit seemed TO preva
before the first Monday Of January last, whe
there was an election held under the consl
tuition. A majority OF the people then vote
for a Governor and other State officers, e
member of Congress, and members of Il
State Legislature. This election was warm
contested BY the two political parties in Kal
sac, and greater vote was polled than at ar
preyious election. A large majority OF ii
members Of the Legislature elect belongs
ID that party which had previously refused
vote. The init slavery party were th'
placed In the ascendant, and the polite
power OF the State was in their own hand
Had Congress admitted Kansas into Il
Union under the Eecompton constitutio
the Legislature might, at its very first Sc
sion, have Submitted the question to vo
of the people, whether they would or wou
not huve q convention 10 amend their CO
stitution, either on slavery or on any 9th
question, and have adopted all hecessa
means for giving speedy effect to the will
the majority. Thus the Kansas questi
would have been Immediately and final
settled. ....-@+ !.
Under these circumstances, submitted
Congress the Constitution thus framed, wi
ali the officers already elected necessary
put the State government into operation, q
companied by strong recommendation
fdyorsof the admission OF Kansas as Stat
In the course Of my long public life ha
never performed any official act which,
theretFospect, hes afforded the more hea
felt satisfaction. Its admission could hu
inflicted NO possible injury on any hum
beiRg, whileit would, within brief perit
have restored peace to Kansas and harmo
To- the Union. In that event the slave
questiDn would ere this have been fina
settled, according to the legally express
will Of q majority OF the voters, and popuI
sOreFeignty would thus have been vindicat
in a constitutional manner.
with my deep convictions of duty, cor
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