The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1860-12-08
The Presidents Message.
Fsiiop- Citizens Of The Senate aud House
of Efpresenf dtfpsc:

country has been emineutty pros porous in its
tcrial interest The general health has been ex-
Gel lent, our harvests have been abundant, and
T1enty smiles throughout. the land, Our i
mcrcc and IN anufactures have been prosecuted with
energy and industry, and have yielded fair and
ample returns. In short no nation in the tide of
time las ever presented spectacle Of greater ma
teriuI prosperity than we have done until very
recent period. Why is 1t, then. that discomfort
now extensively prevails, and The union of the
States, which ~ the of these dressings II
threatened with destruction? The long continued
and incorporate Interference of the Northern PEG
pie with the question OF Slavery in the southern
States, has at length produced its natural Effects
Ihe different sections OIL the MON are now arrayed
against each other, and the time has arrived so
much dreaded by the Father of his Country, wher
kastiie geographical parties have been formed.
have long foreseen, and often forewarned my coun-
trymcn OF the now impending danger. This does
not proceed solely from The claim the part of
Congress nr the Territorial Legislature to exclude
Slavery from the Territories nor from the efforts
OF different States 10 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, others have been, in the
hope that time and reflection might apply the re m.
edy. The immediate peril arises, not 30 much from
these causes from the fact that the violent agi
tatlon Of the Slavery question throughout the
North for the last quarter of century, has OIL
length produced its align influence on the slaves,
anu inspired them with vague notions Of freedom ;
hence sense of security longer exists at the
gwen place 70 apprehensons of servile insurrec-
tion. Many natron throughout the South re-
tires Vt night IN dread of what may hefall ,rself
and children before the morning. should this APP
prehension Of domestic danger, whether real or
imaginary, extend and intensity itself, until 1t
shall persaie tho masses Of the Southern people,
then disuli3n will be inevitable. Self-prcscrva-
tion j. the FRS. Law Of nature, and hos been i'm
planted in the heart Of man by his Creator for the
wisest purposes, and no political union, however
fraught With blessings and benefits in all other
respects, can long continue, IL the necessary con
sequences be to render the homes and fresides Of
nearly half the parties to 1t hsbtuAIly and hope
lessIy Insecure. Sooner later the bonds OF such
union must be severed. IL Is my conviction thai
this fatal period has not yet arrived, and my pray
or 10 God Is that he would preserve the Constitu
ton and the Union throughout ali gencrations.--
But let US take warning time and remove the
cause of danger. II cannot be denied that for FIVE
snd twenty years, the agitation against Slavery in
the south has been incsssant. In 1895, pictorial
handbills and indAmmatory appeals were circuis-
ted extensively throughout the South. OF q chsrAc
ter TO exete the passions Vi the slayesin the Ian
guage of Gen. Jackson, TO stimulate them to in
surreotion, aud produce all the horrors OF ser
vile war. ihis agitation has evsr since been con-
tinued by the pablo press, by the proceedings Of
State and County Conventions, and by abolition
sermons an lectures The time Of Congress has been
occupied In violent sPercaa The never lending
subject, and appeals IN pamphlet, and other forms
endorsed by distinguished names. have been sent
forth from this central point, and spread broad
cast over the Union How cay would il be for the
American peops TO settle the Slavery question for
ever aud TO restore peace and harmony 10 this dis
uacted country! They alone can do it, All that
Il necessary to accomplish this object and all that
the slave States have contsnded fer, is 10 he
let alone, ami permitted to In anage their domestic
institutions In their own way, as sovereign States
They, and they alone, are responsible before aod
and the Werla foF he Slavery existing among
them. For this the people OF tho North are not
more responsible, AID have no more right TO inter
fere, than with similar institutions In Russia
Brazil. Upon their good and patriotic for
bearApce confess greatly rely. Without their
aidit is beyond the power of my President, no
matter what may be his own political precv ties .
t. restore psaee and harmony among the States 49,
Wisely limited aud restrained as Ii his power under
the Constisution and laws, h. alone accomplish
bus little far good or evil, such momentous
question. Ana tLia brings me 10 observe that the
election VI any Of fellow citizens the
Office Ut President, does mt in itself ensrd just
cause for dn solving the Union. This ia err
pecially true ii his election has been Effected
by amere plurality, and not majority Of the
people, and has res ulted from trans ent AMI tenn
porary causes which probably may never again oo-
cur. In order te Justify resort to revolutionary
resistance the Federal Government must lie guilty
OF deliberate, paipable, and dang srous exercise
Of powers lot granted BY the Constitution The
late Presidential election, however, has been hell
in strict conformity with its express proyisons.-
How, then. can the result justify revolution to
destroy this very Cons ituton? Reason, justice
Ahl regard Tot tue constitution all require That
shall wait for some overt and danger on the
part Of the President eject before reserting such
Aremedy. 1t II said however, that The antscedents
Of the Pres dsnt elect have been sufficient just
fy the fuars IT the South that he will attempt to
invade their constitutional rights but are such
apprehensions et contingent danger in the fu TIRE
sufficient to justify the immediate destruction Of
the biest system Of Government ever devised by
rnprtats frotn the very nature of his ofice ard
it, high responsibilities be must necessarily be
conservative. The stern duty Of admins erine
the vast and IMPLICATED councils OF this govern.
ment affords IL itself guarantee that he i'll not
attempt any violaton of clear Constitutions
tight. After ali be is more than the Chief Ex
ecu,ive officer Of ths Government. His province is
not TO make but 10 execute its laws, and ii ia .
mxrkabie fact in our history that, notwithstund.
Ing the repeated att. npts Of he anti slavery party
no single net has ever passed Congress, unless We
may possibly except the Mi souri, Compromise, in
pairing IN the slightest degree the rights Of the
south TO their property in slaves. And 1t may also
be- observed Jrdging from present indications,
no probability exists VI the passage Of such act
by majority Of both houses either in the present
or the next Congress. surely under these circnm-
stances We oughtto be restrained from present &c.
ton by the prrcept Of Him who spske as never
man spoke, that Sufficient unto the day is the evil
thereof" The day Of evil never may come unless
We shall rsshiy bring IL upon ourselves. Its al
lsged a. one cause Tor Immediate that the
Southern States are deui~e equal rights with the
other States in the common territories. but by
what authority are these denied Not by Gongrtes
which has never passed, and believe never will
pass any act TO exclude Slavery from these terrific
ries and certainly not by the Supreme Court
which has soiemny deciued thai slayes are proper
~, the owners have u rig ht to take thom into the
acemmon territories and hold them there under the
protection Of the Constitution. SO far then NJ
Congress 10 concerned, the objection Is not to any
thing they have already done; but Ia what the,
may DO hereafter. Ii will surely DO admitted th 81
this apprehension OF future danger is no good rea
son Tor An immsdiata dissolution of the unlon. -
LIS true that the Territorial Legislature OF kan
go, c. &c ~. :. tsea pssss X. .s.st
haste act over the veto If tbs Governor drclar-
Ing that Slavery ~, and shall be forever prohibit.
% ia that Territory. such act, however, plain
" violating the rights OF property secured BY the
Constitution, WALL surely b. declared void by the
Judiciary, whenever Il shall be presented in legal
form. uniy<three days after my inauguration
the Supreme Court OF The United states sulamnly