The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1860-12-07
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE

porous IN Its material interests The gen
eral health has been excellent, our harvest
have been abundant, and plenty smile
throughout the land. Our commerce anC
manufactures have been prosecuted with en-
ergy and industry, and have yielded faiI
and ample returns. In short no nation il
the tide OF time has ever presented a specta-
Gle OF greater material prosperity than We
have done until recent period. Why is il
then that discomfort now extensively pre-
walls, and the Union of the States, which is
the source Of all these blessings, is threat
ened with destruction? The long contin-
ued and intemperate interference of the
Northern people with the question of slave
~ in the Southern States, has at length
! produced its natural effects The different
| sections of the Union are now arrayed
against each other, and the time has arrived
so much dreaded by the Father of His Coun-
try, when hostile geographical parties have
been formed. | have long foreseen, and Of
ten torewarned my cOuntrymen of the now
impending danger. This does not proceed
solely from the claim on the part Of Con-
gress or the Territorial Legislatures to ex-
clude slavery from the Territories nor from
the efforts of different States to defeat the
execution of the Fugitive Slave Law. All
or any of these evils might have been en-
dured by the South without danger to the
Union, as others have been, in the hope that
time and reflection might apply the remedy.
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 a century, has at length produced its
malgn influence on the slaves, and in
spired them with vague notiohs of free
dom hon Of 11.r
ger exists around the family altar This
feeling Of peace at home has given place to
apprehensions of servle insurrection. Many
matron throughout the South, retires at
night, in dread of what may befal herself
and her children before the morning
Should this apprehension of domestic dan
ger, whether real or imaginary, extend and
intensity itself, until it should pervade the
masses of the Southern people, then disun-
ion will be inevitable Self-preseryation is
the first law of nature, and has been i'm
planted in the heart Of man by his Creator
for the wiseSt purposes, and no political un-
ion, however fraught with blessings and
benefits, in all other respects, can long cons
tinue, il the necessary consequences be to
render the homes and hresiGes of nearly half
the parties to it habitually and hopeIessly
insecure. Sooner or later the bonds of such
u uulOu IlluSJ DC ScEETCu. II Is my COuNlc-
tion that this fatal period has not yet ar
rived and my prayer to God is that he would
preserve The Constitution and the Uuon
throughout all generations. But let US take
warning in time, and remove the cause of
danger. 1t cannot be denied that for five
and twenty years, the agitation at the
North against Slavery i'll the South has
been incessant. In 1888, pictorial hand
bills, and inflammatory appeals were circu-
lated extensively throughout the South, of
a character to excite the passions of the
slaveS-and in the language OF Gen. Jack
son, to stimulate them to insurrectiOn, and
produce all the horrors UI ServIle war. This
agita tinn has ever been continued by the
public press, by the proceedings OF State
and County Conventions, and by abolition
sermons and lectures. The time Of Congress
has been occupied in violent speeches on the
never ending subject, and appeals in pam
phlet, and other forms, endorsed by distin-
guished names, have been sent forth from
this central point, and spread broadcast over
the Union. How easy would it be
for the American people to settle the
slavery question forever and to restore
peace and harmony to this distracted
country. They alone can do it. All that is
necessary to accomplish this object, and all
for, is to be let alone, and permitted to
manage their domestic institutions in their
own way, as sovereign States. They, and
they alone, are responsible before God and
the world for the slavery existing among
them. For this the people of the North are
not more responsible, and have no more
right to interfere, than with similar institu-
tiops in Russia or Brazil. Upon their good
sense and patriotic forbearance | confess |
still greatly rely. Without this aid it is be-
yond the power of any President no mat
ter what may be his own political pro-
clivities, to restore peace and harmony
among the States. Wisely limited and re-
strained as is his power under out Constitu-
ton and laws, he alone can accomplish but
little for good or evil on such a momentOus
question; and this brings me to observe
that the election of any of our fellow
citizens to the office of President, does not
of itself afford just cause for dissOlving the
Union. This is more especially true if his
election has been effected by a mere plurali-
ty, and not majority of the people, and
has resulted from transient and temporary
causes, which may probably never again oc-
cur In order to justify a resort to revolu-
tionary resistance the Federal Government
must be guilty of deliberate, palpable, and
dangerous exercise of powers not granted
by the Constitution. The late Presidential
election, however, has been held in strict
conformity with its express provisions.
How then can the result justify revolution
to destroy this very Constitution Reason,
Justice and regard for the Constitution all
require that we shall wait for some overt
and dangerous act on the part of the Presi-
dent elect before resorting to such a rem
edy 1t is said however, that the antece-
dents of the President elect have been sufi-
cient to justify the fears of the South that
he will attempt to invade their Constitution
al rights; but are such appehensions Of con-
tingent danger in the future sufficient to
justify the immediate destruction of the
noblest system of government ever devised
| by mortals. From the very nature of his
office and its high responsibilities, he must
be conservative The stern duty OF admin-
isterng the vast and complicated councils
of this Government affords in itself guar
antee that he will not attempt any violation
of clear Constitutional right. After all,
be is no more than the Chief Executive Of