, 1860-12-06
the peESiDENT'S hfEs.shGE


-, lntousnoo' ne year since our last meeting,
=. nue so otn,s naa been cmlnently prosperous In
ne mAH ~ interests. The general health has
9eu EXCELLENT, our hnrvests hnye been allun.
1neal, ano plenty smiles throughout the land.
Our commerce md manufactures hnyc been
tlosecuiea With energy and Industry, aud
aHFe Cod Ealr and ample returns. In short
no nstlon Ii the tide Of time, has ever present,
Gu spectacle Of greater material prosperity,
:nAa VIC hare done until a very recent period
Why is 1t, then, that discomfort now extensive
II prevails, aud the union Of tho States, which
IL me source Of ell these blessings, is threaten
ed with destruction. The long continued and
intemperxte interference Of the Northern pc,,-
c1n States: has at length produced tts NATURAL
effects. The different sections Of the Union
arc now ar1aycd against each viher. and fh,.
time has arrived so much dreaded By the Faith
er Of His Country. whc1 hostile geographical
parties have been lc,;.mcd. have long fore
OF the now is-,pcnding danger. This docs not
proceed eee4ciy from The clatm On the part Of
Gons5cfs or the Territorial Legislatures to cx-
claao slavery from tho Territories; nor froul
1ne efforts Of different States 10 defeat the cx-
Caution OF the Fugitive Slavc Law, All or any
Of these eyils might hare been cnd.:rcd by tI,c
south, without danger to the rnion, rs Others
have been, in the hope that iime and reflection
m'snt apply tho rcmGdv. The immcdiat.
peru arises, not so much from these causes
as from the TACT that the violent agitation o;
INC slavery question throughout the North
1os tnc insr quarter of q century, has At 1cng1l,
proanccc4 Its malign influence on the elavcs,
nna o..spired them with vague notions Of free.
uo.A: hence sense Of security no longer
c-ists around the family altar. This feel
prchensions Of ec5vilc insulrcction. Many
,natron throughout tho South, rctires at nigh
IN dread Of what may bclall herself and lncr
children before tho morning. Should thi.
apprehension oflomestic danger, whether real
or imaginary, extend and intensity ITSELF unit:
1t shall pervade the 1uasscs Of the Southern
people, then disunion Will be inevitable Sell.
preservation Is the first law Of nature, and lia~
been Implanted in the heart Of man By llie
Creator Tor the wiscst purposes, and no politi.
cli union, however fraught with blessings and
benefits in al other respects, can long con.
t.nue, If the necessary consequences bc to rcn-
der the homes and tircsidcs Of nearly half III.
parties to it habitually and hopelcssly in>r-
cure- Sooner or lat or the bonds of sucl, 1lnitn
must be severed. 1t Is my conviction that tls
fatal period has not yet arrived, and my prxyrl
10 God is that he would preserve the Constjt:,-
tlon and the Cnion throughout all generations.
But Il: rs take warning IN tilne end remove
TIE cause Of danger. II cnnao: be denied thai
= iHr i've ana a. M twenty years thc agitation again>1
1s35, pictorial ha1d-bills and intlamma1ory NJ
rcals were circulated extensively throughout
the South. ofa character to excite the passions
81 the slarc5-and IN the language Of Gel.
Jackson. tD stimulate them 10 lnsurrcction
and produce Ill the horrors Of servile war
This nsitation has ever since been continued
:,y the pnb1ic press, by the proceedings o!
Stale aud County Conventions, and by abol-
uou sermons and lectures. The time Of Con-
:tess Las been occupied in violent speeches OH
1ac ncvcr-enalns subject, and appeals in pam
ph!rt* aad Other forms, cndors cd by distiu.
Eashed names, have been sent forth from this
central point. and spread broadcast over tht
tu!oil How easy would 1t be for the Ameri-
cal people 70 srtt}c the slavery question for
ever, AMI 10 restore peace and har1nonyt TO this
distracted country. They alone can do 1t. All
That is necessary accomplish this object cad
~ which the sElvc States have ever contendc,
ior, Is to be Lei alonc, and permitted to man.
ase thelr domestic Institutions in their own
way, rs soscrcisn Stiles. They, and they
a'onc arc Responsible tefore God and the
world for TIT slavery existing among them.
fns ms the people of the North arc not more
Responsible, as,d have no more right to inter
MrG; tasn with similar institutions in Russia
os bfaA'. Upon their good sense and patriot
&c ,osoearanre confess greatly rely. With.
nas tIcir aid il Is beyond the power Of auy
Lf.side:t, no matter what may be his own 10.
Alcai PT0cliristcs. 10 restore peace and harmo-
ny anon. thaStates. Wisely limited and re.
etraned as Is his power under our Constitu-
lion aud 1aws, he alone cau accomplish but
Atf'c ior sood or evil, Oh such 1nomcnious
question; aud this brings nc to observe that
The election of uny one of our fellow-citizcns
70 The office Of President, does not in itself NJ.
This is more especially true if his election has
pe:n casetcd by mere plurality, aud not
majority OF tile people, and Inns resulted from
Transient ;iil4 temporary causcs which may
rsseaolJ never a:,1n occur In order o justi-
~ Resort to revolutionary resistance the Fed
crn Government must DC guilty Of dclibe--
afe, I'atpahlc. aud dangerous exercise Of now
Srs not granted by the Constitution. The Iatc
ircsidentia! eicction, however, has been held
~ strict conformity with its express proyis-
llrtf"n to destroy this very CONSTITUTION
Msaso'' Just,ct aud regard for the Coustitu.
'oA I'll require that we shall wait for sp1nt.
nscfe sad dangerous act on the part of the
1Iss'lei't clctI before resorting to such rem
49, :. u. sals, ho"evcr, that the anteccdcnts
;1s .ae tfc>iocnt elect have been sufficient 10
Justly ths tcars OF The South that he will at-
sclntl 10 1nra,le their Constitutional rirhtx.
nut arc such a1prchcnsions Of contingent
ua5s1 II, ing future euf1cient to justify thu
..9n.eai.se ces'fuc''on of the noblcst system
o. uoEcrhIl7nt ever devised l,y mort:ls. From
'ae ss;s nas':rc Of lis Office nnd It's high re-
lies he must necessarily be conscry-
a'.e, lac stern duty of administering the
sas: nd complicated councils Of this govern
.uSas aaoras IN Itself guarantee that lie will
no. ate:nni any violation OF clear Coustitu-
*,onat fiaAt. After all he is no more than the
Galei Executive officer Of the Government.
aus province Is mol to make, hut execute its
laws ana : Is u ren1arkaLlc fact in our history
tue s':tiriarcry party, no single act has ever
3asscd CoiEatss, unless VIC may possibly cx-
ssnt ~ Missouri Compromise, impairing in
!ae slightest degree the rights Of the South to
iHe!r property III slaycs. And it inay also BE-
observed, jadSing from present indications,
tha; 10 probability exists Of tho passage OF
INCA an act by majority Of both Houses
either IN the present or the next Congress-
surely under i!,esc circumstances VIC ought TO
bc restrained from present action by the prc.
ccps 0: iIin who tlake rs never man spoke.
lhat. "suidcicnt unto the day is the evil there
Of" The day Of evil may never come unless
VIC saall rashlv bring II upon ourselves. |
IL Is alleged a. one cause for immediate
denied equal rights with the other
States in The common territories. nut by
what authority arc these denied. Not by |
Congrcss. which has never passed, aud I be- |
Aese never will pass, any act to exclude slave
~ from these territories; and certainly not by
the Supreme Court which las solcmnly de-.
cldcd That slaves arc property, und. like NIL |
other properly, the owners have a right tn
take thcl:s into the common territories and |
mold ii"'li there under the protection Of The
consultation. So far then as Congress is coll
cernesl the objection Ii not 10 anything they |
have alre:'uy doue, but to what they NAV do |
hereafter. 1t will surely be admitted that this l
apprehension nf future danger is no good req
A'n for al immcdate dissolution of the
Union.
II is t-uc that tho Territorial Legislature Of
Kansas, on tho I'D Of February, 15jo, passed
IN SrGat haste III act over tho veto Of the
Governor, declaring that slavery is, and shall |
es forever prohibited in the territory. Such |
OF property secured By the Constitution, will |
surely be declared void by the judiciary |
whenever il shall be presented in 1ega' form.
On'y tlTee diys after my Inauguration, the |