The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1860-12-13
The Presidents Message.
Fslzoso Citizens Of the Senate and
House of Representatives

House OF Representatives
Throughout the year since our last
meeting, the country has been eminent
ly prosperous in its material interests.
The general health has been excellent,
our harvests have been abundant, and
plenty smiles throughout the land. Our
commerce and manufactures have been
prosecuted with industry, and have
yielded fair ample returns. In short
no nation in the tide of time, has ever
presented spectacle of greater mater
ial prosperity, than we have done un-
til a very recent period. Why is it,
then, that disoontent now extensively
prevails, and the union of the States,
which is the source of all these bles-
sings, is threatened with destruction
The long continued and Incorporate
interference of the Northern people
with the question of slavery in the
Southern States, has at length pro-
duced its natural effects. The differ
ent sections of the Union are now ar
rayed against each other, and the time
has arrived so much dreaded by the
Father of His Country, when hostile
geographical parties have been formed.
/ have long foreseen, and often fore
warned, my countrymen of the now
impending danger. This does not pro-
ceed solely from the claim on the part
of Congress or the Territorial Legisla-
lures to exclude slavery from the Ter
ritories; nor from the efforts of differ
ent States to defeat the execution of
the Fugitive Slave Law. All or any
of these evils might have been endured
by the. South, without danger to the
Union, as others have been, in the hope
that time and reflection might apply
theremedy. The immediate peril arises,
not so much from these causes, as from
the fact that the violent agitation OF
the slavery question throughout the
North for the last quarter of century,
has at length produced its malign in
fluence on the slaves, and inspired them
with vague notions of freedom; hence
a sense of security no longer exists
around the family altar. This feeling
of peace at home has given place to ap.
prehensions of servile insurrection.
Many a matron throughout the South,
retires at night in dread of what may
befall herself and her children before
the morning. Should this apprehen.
sion of domestic danger, whether real
or imaginary, extend and intensity it.
self, until it shall pervade the masses
of the Southern people, then disunion
will be inevitable. Self.preservation is
the first law of nature, and has been
implanted in the heart of man by his
Creator for the wisest purposes, and nc
political union, however fraught with
blessings and benefits in all other re
spects, can long continue, if the neces
sary consequences be to render the
homes and firesides of nearly half the
parties to it habitually and hopelessly
insecure. Sooner or later the bonds Of
such union must be severed. 1t il
my conviction that this fatal period ha:
not yet arrived, and my prayer to Goo
is that he would preserve the Constitu
ton and the Union throughout all gen
erations. But let us take warning il
time and remove the cause Of danger
1t cannot be denied that for five anC
twenty years, the agitation agains
Slavery in the South has been inces
SAINT. In 1885, pictorial hand-bills and
inflammatory appeals were circulated
extensively throughout the South, of .
character to excite the passions of the
slaves-and in the language of Gen
Jackson, to stimulate them to insurree
ton, and produce all the horrors of {
servile war. This agitation has evel
since been continued by the public
press, by the proceedings of State ant
County Conventions, and by abolition
sermons and lectures. The time O
Congress has been occupied in violen
speeches on the never-endiDg subject
and appeals in pamphlet, and othel
forms, endorsed by distinguished names
have been sent forth from this centra
point, and spread broadcast over th,
Union. How easy would it befor tn,
American people to settle the SLAYER,
question forever, and to restore peac,
and harmony to this distracted country
They alone can do it. All that is nee
essary to accomplish this object, ant
all which the slave States have eve
contended for, is to be let alone, ant
permitted to manage their domestic in
stitutions in their own way, as sover
eign States. They, and they alone, ar
responsible before God and the worl,
for the slavery existing among them
For this the people of the North ar
not more responsible, and have no NOR
right to interfere, than with similar in
stitutions in Russia and Brazil. Upol
their good sense and patriotic forbeal
ance I confess 1 greatly rely. With
out their aid it is beyond the power G
any President, no matter what may b
his own political proclivities, to restor
peace and harmony among the States
Wisely limited and restrained as is hi
power under our constitution and laws
he alone can accomplish but little TO
good or evil, on such a momentou
question and this brings me to OF
serve that the election of any one O
our fellow citizens to the office of Pres
ident, does not in itself afford Just caus
for dissolving the Union. This is NOR
especially true if his election has bee
effected by a mere plurality, and nc
a majority of the people, and has re
suited from transient and temporar
causes which may probably never agai