Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1860-12-14
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

II
The President begins with charging upon
the people Of the Northern states 'he oiame
fall the disouiet which exists IN the entire
UNITY because of Slavery. The incessant
agitation of the Slavery question at the North
has at length, he says, produced Its ma
Iign influence on the slaves, and inspired
them with vague notions Of freedom and
hence there is no feeling of security, in the
domestic circle. vc-and-twenty years,
he saws, .sthe agitation at the North against
Slavery at. the South, has been incessant, -
State and County Conventions, aoilIlon lee
lures and sermons, and speeches IN Congress,
have kept it up without cessation. One who
knew 10 better might suppose, IRON Mr..
Buchauan's remarks, the southern slaves TO
be the greatest readers Of speeches, pamphlets,
and Helper books that the country can fur
nish. What can o man want to make such
q fool Of himself for?
What the slaves have heard on the slavery
subject they have heard from their own mas
tiers, and other southern political railers
against "Black Republicans, Anti-slayery
men have not been allowed to speak there.
Il Mr.. Buchanan such a Ounce as not to
know that all the world over, where chattel
slavery prevails, there is fear in the house,
In the field: that the "horrors Of 5 ervIle war
start up in the Imagination of masters and
mIstresses, at the rustic of every leaf a? 1t
has always been so, and il always will be 50.
We give Mr.. Buchanan No credit for honesty
in his remarks on this subject. Mr.. Buchan-
an re-iterates his former assumptions, that
al the obiter dcto Of certain Judges of the
Supreme Court are TO be taken as author
Itstive decisions Of the Bench, to be held as
incontrovertible constitutional law by all the
people Of the United States. We believe he
knows better than that. too.
His remarks on the slavery subject, gener-
ally, are more worthy Of such a'shameless
perver!er Of the truth as Caleb Gushing than
Of President Of the United States.
The President says in plain terms that
there is no right Of secession, as the favor
jte word is just now,-that 1t is neither more
nor less than revolution, that the power Of a
State 10 withdraw itself from under the GOV
eminent Of the United States was never re-
served or given, and does not exist except II
the way of revolution. He considers the
President, however, to be in very helpless
condition to enforce the laws Of Congress in
Sonth Carolina. lie seems TO assume that,
as tie L. 5. Judges and [. s. Marshals in
that state, have resigned, he can take no steps
to Gil their places or to sustain them if ap-
pointed, in doing their duty.
Mr.. B. coufounds the relations of a State.
as State, to the [. S. Government, and the
relations Of the people Of the State TO the
state. The State Legislatures, for instance,
appoint L. S. Senators. and if South Caro- |
lima refuses to appoint her Senators, of course !
there is no way to make her DO it. But then
the business Of Congress would 90 on with
out them just as well. When the people Of
s. Carolina interfere with the administration
Of Z. S. Law, there is way to enforce it.
and to punish those guilty Of interfering with
il in 6. Caroline, IS well as in Massachusetts.
or Wisconsin. President jackson had no |
difficulty in seeing his way clear in such a
case. Neither would My. Buchanan have /
any if be did not wish it.
What then does Mr.. j. propose to have |
done in the case? Why, to have an crplanat-
org amendment Of the Constitution made, |
covering three points, which in substance.
concede every thing that the ultra slavehold-
Ing politicians Of the country ask for. to secu 7
and psrpetuate their power in the nationol
government; and by implication to exert itin
the free States also. IL Mr.. Buchanan can
have a security for bis life till be sees such
an amendment made to the [. S. Consti-
tuition, he viii live longer than Methuselah
did.
In reference 10 Kansas, Mr.. Buchanan goes
into defence Of his Lecompton Constitution
policy. The nation understands that subject
very well, and all his specious argumenta-
ion viii 20 for nothing with the people.
lie has not the decency to recommend the
Omission Of Kansas as State in which we
hink he shows mean spite, which is very {
ly atOned for by saying that if Congress
an devise any constitutional measure Tor the
elief Of the great suffering there from the /
allure Of the crops, be shall be glad to have I
done.
On the subject Of Tariff the President says {
he Tariff must be modified SO as to produce
lore revenGe-which is, doubtless correct
Ie also says that toe system of al ia 'orcna /
1ties opens the way to inumerable frauds {
tat system of specific duties, where practi- :
lble, Is much preferable on every account r
e think he is right there, too. Something @
ust be done Immediately, he says, to relieve =
e pressing wants of the Treasury. o.
On the whole, the message is a failure, and c.
80 considered throughout the country, I'll