Washington telegraph., 1858-12-22
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Fsllol-- Citizens Of the Senete
and y9uss oF Es,rrrs1f.rfsr.s.


and HoHse Of RepressHfa'ires:
When We compare the condition Of the eoun-
try at the present day with what il was one
year ago, at the meeting Of Congress. we have
much reason for gratitude to that Almighty
Providence, which has never failed 70 interpose
Tor our relief, at the most critical period of our
history One year ago the sectional strife be-
tween the North and South on the dangerous
subject of slavery, had again become so intense
as % threaten the peace and perpctuity Of the
CUntc,s-racy- The application for the aimis-
sion Of Kansas a Sttte in the Union, foster
ed this unhappy agitation, and brought the
whole subject once more before Congress 1t
WAS the desire of every patriot that such mea-
sures Of legislation might be adopted. as would
remove the excitement from the States. and
contne 1t to the territory where it lcgitimn tciv
belonged Much has been done 1 am happy
TO say, toward the accomplishment Of this OBJ
ject, 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 property under the laws of
any of the States, and to hold such property
there under the guardianship Of the federal
constitution, 50 long the territorial condition
shall remain.
This Is now a wel-cstablishcd position. and
the proceedings OF the last session we're alone
wanting to give it practical effect. The prin-
oiple has been recognized. in some form OF
other. by almo-t Unanimous vote Of both
Houses Of Congress. that Territory has
right 10 come into ;he Union either free or
slave State. arcoriing to the viii of majori-
ty Of its people. The just equality of all the
States has thus been vindcated, and fruitful
source of dangerous dissension among them
has been removed.
Whilst such has been the beneficial tendency
Of your legislative proceedings outside Of Kan
sas, their influence has nowhere been 80 happy
sAE-
and control its own Affairs IN it, own way, with
out the pressure Of its own influence, the rev
oluti"uary Topeka organization, and all resist
auce to the territorial government established
10y Congress. have been finally abandoned. AS
"a natural consequence. that huc Territory now
appears to be tranquil and prosperous, and Is
attracting increasing thousands of immig grants
20 make II their happy home.
The past uut0rjui. ate experience Of Kansas
has enforced the lesson so often already taught
that resistance 70 lawful authority, under our
tor'u ut government, cannot fail Iu the ,ul to
prove disastrous 10 IL authors. Had the peo-
pie Of the Territory Yielded obedience tp the
laws enacted by their legislature. 1t would at
the present moment have contained large ali
diJional population Of Industrious and enter
pri~iu- citizens, who have been deferred fr.m
entering it, borders ny s,ru existence Of csyii
strife aud organized rebellion.
II was the resistance 10 the rghtful autLorl-
tv. au.l the perscvcring attempts t. establish
revolutionary government unler the Topeka
constitution which caused the people Of Kan
SIS 90 commit the grave error of refusing 10
vote for delegates o. the convention tu frame a
constitution, under law not denied 90 be fair
and Just in its provisions The refusal to
vote has hceu the prolific source ui all the evils
which have followed. In their hostility To the
territorial government, they disresHried the
pr.u-iplr absolutely essential 90 the working
uI our form of government. tdut majority oi
those who votc--uot the majority Who mas re-
main at home, from whatever causc-nu~t de
ciIs the result of am election For this reason.
sec Sing U take advantage of their own error.
they d,uicd the authority OF the convention
thu elected g. frame a constitution
The convention, notwithstanding, proceeded
To adopt Il constitution unexceptIunahlC in it,
general features. aud providing iur the su'nis-
sion Of the slavery question % a vote Of the
people, which, in my opinion, they were bound
to do under the Kansas and Nebraska act This
was the all-important question which had alone
cnuvulsei the Territory, ami yet the opponents
Of the lawful government, perslstlug "a their
first error. rctraiHcd from exercising their
right 90 vote, and preferred that slavery should
continue. rather than surrender ther rcvolu-
t.Uuary Topeka organization.
4 wiser and better spirit seemed 70 prcvall
before the first Monday Of January last, when
an election was held under the constitution
minority Of the people then voted Tor a Cover
nor AMI other State officers, for A member Of
Congress- and members Of the State Lesis.a-
turc- This election was warmly contested by
the two political parties in Kansas, and great
er vote was pollcd than at any previous eiee-
ton A large majority Of the members OF the
Legislature elect belonged to that party which
had previously refused to vote The antl-slaNc-
rs party were thus placed IN the ascendant,
and the political power of the State was ia their
own hands Had Congress admitted Kansas
. i'm
tion. the Legislature might, at its very first
session have submitted the question to vote
Of the people, whether they would or would
not have a convention 10 amend their constltu-
tion either on the slavery or any other question,
and have adopted all necessary means for CIV
ing speedy effect 10 the will Of the majority
Thus the Kansas question would have been I'M
mediately and finally settled
Under these circumstances / submitted TO
Congress the constitution just framed, with all
the officers already elected necessary to put the
State government into operation, accompanied
BY strong recommendation IN favor OF the
admission OF kansas as a State. In the course
Of my long public life, have never performed
any official act which, in the retrospect, has at
forIed more heartfelt satisfactiOn- Its admis-
sion could have inflicted possible INJURY on
any human being whilst it would, within
brief period, have restored peace TO Kansas
and harmony to the Union. In that event, the
slavery question would ere this have been
finally settled according 70 the legally express
ed will Of a majority Of the voters, aud popular
sovereignty would thus have been vindicated in
n constitutional manner.
With my deep convictions Of duty, could
have pursued no other course. 1t is true, that,
as an individual, l had expressed an opinion,
botb before and during the session Of the con
veption, in favor of submitting the remaining
clauses of the constitution. well a. that CON
cerning slavery, to the people But, acting in
an official character, neither myseh nor any
human authority had the power 20 re-judge the
rrocee,Jipgs of The convention, and declare the
Constitution which it had framed TO be nuiity
To have done this would have been a violation
of the Kansas and Nebraska act, which ieit the
people Of the Territory perfectly Tree TO iorin
and regulate their domestic institutions IN their
way, subject only to the constitution oi tns
United states. 1t would equally have viola