New-York daily tribune., 1859-12-28
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

The President commences with the usual express
sion Of gratitude to the Almighty for the numerous
blessings bestowed upon us during the past year,
including excellent health plentiful h.rve,ts aud
general prosperity throughout the land. He then
passts on the recent sad and bloody occur
"rences at Ilarper'S Ferry" which, be 'aJs,
e" derive ther chief importance from the apprehen-
"sOn that they are but symptoms Of 8n lncnrable
" disease in the public mind which may break out
" in still more dangerous outrages, AMI terminate
at last in open war BY the North TO abolI'h Slav
cry In the South" In this dismal apprehension,
| however, the President does not share. g For
myself," he says, 81 entertain no such
| spprehension" Yet with singular iBcousist-
ency, though protesting not to believe that the
events at HaJper's Ferry will lead to the grave
results that others appcebend. he thiuka "they
"ought to afford solemn warning to us all to be-
'ware of the approach Of danger. Our UniOo is
"a stake OF such inestimable value as to d. nand
"our constant and watcbtul vgor for Its preserva-
A." ton. In this view, let me mplore my country
men, North and South to cultivate the ancient
feelings of mutual forbearauce and good will
toward each other, and strive to alIay the demon
spirit of sectional hatred and strife alive 10
'' the land. This advice proceeds from the heart
{" of al old public functlonary, whose service COM
g menced 10 the last generation, amOng the wise
50 and conservative statesmen of that day, now
Z" nearly all passed away, and whose first and
" deortst earthly wish is to leave bis country tran
''quil, prosperous, united, aud powerful"
This Is satisfactory as far as it goes. Il is right
ana becoming that the President of the Uaited
States the Chef Magistrate OF the Republic, whose
Constitution and laws it Is his swoIn duty to uphold
and NATHAN, should rebuke the Reasonable spirit
which has OF late 80 strongly manifested itself in
rampant threats to overthrow the Constitution aud
the Uuion But as these atrOclOus menaces of civil
waI--tbese preparations for armed rebellion against
The National GOverDment-tbese declarations of
design 10 seize and plunder the National Capitol Of
it, archives and its treasure have proceeded ex-
cusiSely from the leaders OF that party of which
Mr. Buchanan is the acknowledged head and chief
we think his rcbuke should have been plainly aud
sterny directed against theee guilty rlngleaders OF
disunion apd not have been wasted IN vague gener-
alities. The only disu0loHsts of any consequence
in the country, the ony political disunionists,
are the Democratic leaders in and out OF
Congress who impudenty threaten rebellion
and civil war in case the majsrity Of the
people cOnstitutionaly elect President IN
1860, and who III the States over which they yet
retain cOntrol-as in South Car Olna, for instance
are already making open preparations for military
resistance to the Federal authorities. And, thorgh
South Carolina Is, We believe, the only State which
L.. ..f
money for REASONABLE purposcs, other Democratic
States of the South, through their representatives,
have expressed similar sentiments; and, as the
President justly observes, that " those who an
"1ounce a0strset doctrines subyersiye Of the Con
stiiution and the Union, must not be surprised
should their heated partlssns advance one step
fartber ana attempt by violence to carry these
doctrines INTO practical effect" No Republican
State, no Republican Governor or Senator OF Rep
reseniatiye, no Republican Journal or orator. has
ANNOUNCED such abstract doctrn-s or has uttered u
word against the Union or the Constitution either
directly or BY implication. Among all the million
and bait of Republican voters, we venture to sag
not n disunionist can be found. In tue Republican
States of the North, the only disunIonists are
handful of GarrisOnians, who. belong to no party,
are avowedl, hostile to the Republicans, and nsEer
vote Dor hold Office and have very little pefceptole
influence in public affairs.
The menace OF disunioo, the danger Of disunson,
Il Danger there be, cvmes from two classes, botn
however, SO closely allied as to be nearly identical
the Democratic politicians ard the shareholders.
The SHAREHOLDERS threaten secession unless they
permitted TO extend Slavery into the T-rrt rles
and into the regions south Of us; aud the Demo
cratic politicians playing iuto the hands OF tee slave
holders, and at the tune playing on their fears
nutter treason and reoesonin case the adnlnistra-
tion OF the Government is taken from them by the
legal vote OF the people, and they are forced to give
up the honors and Offices they have 50 oog enjoyed,
together with the use and abuse of ninety millions
| of annual revenue, to say nothing OF lat contracts
and other pickngs and stealngs, that follow natu-
rally when the political control Of continent is IN
| Democratic hands.
Mr. BuchaDan's rebuke Of disunionism would
have had some force if directed against these
classes-against the only real disuuionists. 1t was
! his duty, as the Chief Executive of the Federal
Government, TO have warned these dellded aud
desperate men of the madness of thelr projected
resistance to the cOnst utionsi voice OF the people
in case Of the election of Republican President
| :. YSco "a 20 have cleared hrns.lf nj th. sama