Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1858-12-10
Presidents Message.
Fs'io'o c'n=e~ Of The Senate


country ut the present day with what it wa.
one Year ago, at the meeting of Congress. We
have much reason for gratitude to that Al
mighty Providence, which has never failed IL
interpose for our relief; at the most critical
period of our history. One year ago, the Sec
t,onal strife between the North and the South
on the dangerous subject Of slavery, had again
become 50 intense as to threaten the peace and
pcrpetuiiy of the contcderacy. The applca.
ton for the admission of Kansas State III
TO ,ne Union, tostercd this unhappy agitation.
and brought the whole subject once more be-
fore Congress. 1t was the desire of every pa
trot that such measures OF legislation might
be adopted, would remove the excitement
from the ates, and coniine il 10 the Icirifu-
~ where 1t lesitlnately belonged. Much has
1een done. am happy TO say. towards the ac-
oonplIshmeHt Of this object, durlag the last
SESSION Of Congress.
he Sapreuc Court of the United States
had previously decided. that all American cit
t@sns have an equal M ht to take INTO the Ter
lttorie~, villa ever Is held as property under
the LAWS u any IF he States, and to hold
such property there under the guar dianshp Of
the federal constitution. 80 long as the terrific
rial condition shall remain.
This Is nov well established condition, and
the proceedings OF the last session were alone
wanting to gave II practical effect. The prin-
cIp.c has been recognized, in some form or
other, by an almost unanimous vote OF both
houses OF Congress, that Il Territory has Il
r.5ht to come into the Union either as free
or slave > ,a;e. According to the viii of a
ior,ty OF It's people. The Jast equality OF all
the States has thus been yindicatcd, and 4
irul tui source Of dangerous disc: sion among
them has been removed.
Whilst such has been the beneficial tenden-
.vt,s 4
hansa,, their influence has been nowhere 81
happy i within that Territory itself. Lett to
manage and control its own affairs III its own
way. without the pressure OF external nda-
ence. the revolutionary Topeka organization
and all resistance 10 the territorial government
established by Congress, Ia e been finally a
bandoned. As natural consequence, that
tine Territory now appears to be tranquil and
prosperous. and is attracting increasing thou
sands OF INN, grants 10 make 1t their happy
home.
The past unfortunate experience Of Kansas
has enforced the lesson so often already taught,
that resistance to lawful authority. under
form of government, cannot fail IN the end to
prove disas mus to is authors. Had the pco-
pie Of the Territory yielded obedience to the
laws enacted by their Legislature, 1t would az
the present moment have contained large adj
ditional population Of industrious and enter
prislng citizens, who have been deferred from
entering It's borders by the existence of CIVIL
strife and organized rebe lion.
1t was the resistance 10 rlghtful authority
and the pefseverug attempts to establish
revolutionary government uuder the lopez
constitution. which caused the people OF Kan
sas 10 commit the grave error Of refusing 10
vote for delegates Ia the convention to frame
aconstltu,lou under law not denied to be
tar and just III It's provisions. This refusal TO
vote has been the prolific source Of all the
evils which have followed. In their hostility
10 the Territorial goyernmen. they disregarded
the principle, absolutely essential 10 the WORK
lns Of our form OF government. that mayer
NV Of those wh5 sote-not the majority who
NAV remain at nome, from whatever cIusc-
must decide the result OF an election. For
this reason, seeking TO take advantage 81 their
own error, they denied the authority OF the
canyen ion thus elected to frame eunstitu-
ton.
The convention. not aith>taHdlHs, proceed
ed TO adopt a constitution uneNcepuonabl- IA
its general features aud providing for the sub
mission ol the slavery question to vote OF
the people. which. IN my opinion, they were
bound to do under the Kansas and Nebrask a
net. Thu, was the all-impor'ant question
whi,h had alone convu.sed the Territory =
and yet the opponents OF The lawful govern
ment persisimg III their hrs. error, refrained
from exercising their ght 10 vote, and pre-
ferred that slavery Shot. J continue rather than
surrender ,helr rcvo.u ioh4ry Topeka organ
ization.
\ wiser and better spirit seemed to prevail
before the list Monday OF January last. when
An election was held under the constitution.
A majority OF the people then voted for a
Governor aud other State officers member
of Congress, and members OF The State Legs
l,ture This election was was warmly confess
ted bv the two political parties in Kansas, and
a greater vote was polled than at any previous
election. y large majority OF the :Acmbefs
of the Legislature elect belonged TO that par
" which had previously refused to vote. he
anti slavery party were thus placed In 'he as
cendant; and the political power oi the State
wa. in their own hands. Had Congress ad-
mi,,ed Kansas into the Union under the l-e-
comuton constitution, the Legl,.a ure might,
AT IL, very first session, have submitted the
question To a vote Of the people, whether they
would or would not have convention TO a
mend their constitution. either on the slavery
ar any other question, and have adopted all
necessary means Tor giving speedy effect to the
viii Of the maJony. Thus The Kansas gus
ton would have been immediately and hhaiiS
set led.
all the oifice already elected necessary to pat
the State government into operation, accom-
nanied bv a sirong recommendation III iav II
nf the admission OF Kansas as state In
IN, course OF NY long public life | have new
or performed any official act which, III the re-
trospecl. ha, afforded me more heartfelt salts
faction. Ii admission could have inflicted no
uossible injury on any human being, whilst It
would; wi hun u brief period, have restored
peace 10 Kansas and harmony to the Union.
In that event the slavery question would ere
this have been finally settled, according to the
legally expressed will OF ma orlty OF the vo-
ters. and popular sovereignty. would thus have
been yindicated in a constitutional manner
Win my deep convict ms OF duty, cod'd
have pursued n ether conrse. 1t true that
that. as an individual, had expressed ar
ooinion, both before and during the session OF
me convention, III favor OF submitting the re
naming clauses of the constitution, as well
AS that concerning slavery, TO the people,
Blu, acting in an 9TH nal CHARACTER, hether
myself nor any human authority had the
power to rejudge the roceedings OF the con-
vention. and declare the constitution which 1t
had framed - be nullty, To have done
This wound have been a violation OF the Kan
So and y =braska act. which left the people OF
the territory ..perteclly free form aud regulate
tne;y domestic institutions IN their own way.
subject only TO the constitution OF The United
States" II would equally have violated the
grea, principle OF popular sovereignty az the
foundat on OF our institutions, TO Deprive the
people of the power. if they thought proper,
TO exercise It, of contiding 10 delegates elect
ed by themselves the trust of framing con-
stitution, without requiring them TO subject
10