Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1858-12-16
Presidents Message.
FsHo.o,ciiizcns ofthe Senate ead of

FeHo,c,citizens ofthc Senate aad Of
4E frH the HoHee Of R personalities
When we compare the condition ot
the country at the present day with
what it was one year ago, at the meet
ing of Congress, we have much reason
for gratitude to that Almighty Provi
teuee which has never failed to inter
pose for our relief, at the NEST critical
periods of our history. One year ago
! 1hu scctianal strife between the North
i. -, ~ llll Oang etOUs SUB
ject of slavery, had again become so in
tense as to threaten the peace and per-
petuity of the ConfedeFacy. The ap-
plication for the admission of Kansas
as a State into the Union, fnstered this
unhappy agitation, aud brought the
VII lie subject once more before Con-
gress. 1t was the desire of every pa
'triot that such measures of legislation
mi. hit be adopted as would remove the
excitement from the States, and confine
1t to the Territory where it legitimately
belonged. Much has been done, l am
happy to say, toward the accomplish
ment 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 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 posi-
tiou., 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 an alfn0st unanimous vote of Con
gress, that a Territory has a right to
come into the Union either as free or
a slave State. according to the will of a
majority of its people. The just equity
of all the States has thus been vindica-
ted, and fruitful source of dangerous
dissension among them has been re-
moved
While such has been the beneficial
Tendency of your Legislative proceed
ings outside of Kansas. their influence
has nowhere been so happy as within
that -Tsrritory itself. Left 10 manage
and control its own affairs in its own
way. without the pressure of external
influence, the revolutionary Topeka
organization. and all resistance to the
Territorial Government established by
Congress, have been finally abandoned.
As natural consequence that fine
Territory now appears to be tranquil
aud prosperous, and is attracting in
Jereasine thousands of emigrants to make
it their happy home.
The past unfortunate experience OF
Eefsas has enforced the lesson so often
!. already taught, that resistance to lawful
authority, under our form of govern
mcnt. can not fail in the end to prove
disae.r aus to its authors. Had the peo-
pie Of the Territory yielded obedience
to the laws enacted by their Legisla-
turc,. it would at the resent momen mi
have contained large additional popu-
lation Of Industrious and enterprising
citizens, who have b. en- deferred from
entering its borders by the existencs Of
civil strife and organized rebellion.
It was the resistenoe to rightful au-
thoritv,. and the perse, cring attempts to
establish a revolutionary government
under the Topeka Constitution, which
causcd the people of Kansas to commit
the grave error of refusing to vote for
delegates to the convention to frame a
Constitution, under law not denied to
be fair aud just in its provisions. This
refusal to vote has been the prolific
source of all the evils which have fol
lowed In their hostility to the Terri
toriaf Government they disregarded the
principle, absolutely essential to the
z working of our form of government, thai
majority of those who vote-not the
) majority who nlay remain at home, from
l0whatever cause-must decide the result
OF an election. For this reason, seek.
ing to take advantage of their own err
! ror, they denied the authority of the
convention thus elected to frame con-
rtitution-
,,sr The Convention, notwithstan ding
proceeded to adopt constitution unex-
reeptionable in its general features, ant
providing for the submission of the
!, slavery question to a vote of the people
which, in my opinion, they were bount
to do. under the Kansas and Nebraski
Act This was the all-important ques
ton which had alone convulsed tn
Territory; and yet the opponents of tn
lawful government, -persisting in, thei
first error, refraincd from exercising
their right to vote, and preferred tha
slavery should continue, rather thai
surrender their revolutionary Topek
organization. ~.
A wiser and better spirit seemed t
prevail before the first Monday of Jan
uary last, when aa election was hel
nnder the constitution. A majority c
the people then voted for Governo
and other State oifioors, for member c
Congress, and members of the Stat
Legislature. This election was warml
contested by the two political parte
in Kansas, and greater vote was pol
ED than at any previous election. !
large uia1nrity of the members of th
Legislators elect belonged to that part
which had previously refused to vot'
The dhti-slaVery party we're thus place
IN the ascendant, and the polite;
power Of the State was in their ow
7idhds. sicii" - l'
s7i 'G1i 3a 11 yrial-J f.