Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-12-06
PREsIDENT's MESSAGE
FsliOV Oitiasss Of he Senate
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NN-o INV uSeu upunConL, ana plenty
smiles throughout the land. Our CON-
meree and manufactures have been prose
ouied With energy snd industry, and have
yielded fair and ample returns In short,
no nation in the tide Of time has eysr pre-
sented spectacle Of greater material pros
perity than We have done until within q
very recent period.
Why is il, then, that discomfort now 90
extensively prevails, and the Union Of
States, which is the source Of ell these bless
ings Is threatened with destruotion2 The
long continued and intemperate iEterfe
renee Of the Northern people with the ques-
ton Of slavery in she Southern States has
81 length produced it's natural effects. The
different sections Of the Union ere now AZ
rayei against each other, aud the time has
arrived, SO much dreaded by the Father Of
his COuntry, when hostile geographical par
ties haFe been formed. have long foreseen
aud often fore warned my oountrymen ofthe
now impending danger. This does not pro
oeed solely from the claim on the part Of
Congress or the Territorial legislature to
exclude slavery from the Territories, nor
nom the efforts Of the different States 70
defeat the execution Of the fugitive slave
Law. All or any Of these evils might have
been endured by the South without danger
10 the Union, les others have been, in the
hope that time and reflection might apply
the remedy. The immediate peril arises
not 90 much from these causes as from the
fact that the inoessant and violent agita-
tion Of the slavery question throughout the
North for the last quarter Of q century, has
at length produced its malign influence on
the slaves, aud inspired them with vague
notions Of freedom.
Hence q sense Of security no longer exists
around the family altar. This Telling Of
peaoe at home has given place 10 apprehen-
sions Of survile insurrection. Many 9 ma
tron throughout the South retires at night
in dread Of what may befall herself and chill
dren before morning. Should this spprehen-
sion Of domestic danger, whether real or
imaginary, extend aud intensity itself un-
til it shall pervade the masses Of the South
cru people, then disnniOu viii become in
evitable. Selfpreservation is the FIRST law
Of nature, and has been implanted in the
heart Of man By his Creator for the Wisest
purpose; and no political Union, however
fraught with blessings and benefits in all
other respects, can long continue, if the ne
oessary consequence be to render the homes
Il habitually and hopelessly insecure
Sooner or later the bonds Of such Union
must be severed. Il is my conviction that
this fatal period has not yet arrived; sndmy
prayer to God is that He would preserve
the Constitution and the Union throughout
all generations.
But let us take warning in time, and re-
move the cause Of danger. II cannot be
= Il. a -
agitation at the North against slavery in
the South has been incessant, In 1885
pictorial hand bills and inhammatory sp-
peAls were circulated extensively through
out the South, Of q character to excite the
passions Of the slaves; and, in the language
Of Gen. Jackson, "to stimulate them to in
surrection and to produce all the horrors of
3 serviie war" This agitation has ever
since been continued by the public press,
By the proceedings Of State and county CON
ventions and by abolition sermons and leo
lures. The time Of Congress has been oc-
cupied in violent speeches on the never
ending subjects and appeals in pamphlets
and other forms, endorsed by distinguished
names, have been sent forth from this cen
trsl point, and spread baoadoast over the
Union.
How easy would it be for the American
people 10 settle the slavery question forever
and TO restore peace and harmony to this
distracted country
They, and they alone, can do 1t. All
that is necessary to accomplish the object,
and ell for which the slave States have ev-
er oontended, is to be let alone, and per-
mitted to msnage their domestic institu-
items in their own way. As sovereign
States, they, and they alone are RESPONSE
bic before God and the world for slavery
existing among them. For this the peo-
pie Of the North are not more responsible,
and have no more right to interfere, than
with similar institutions in Russia or in
Brasil Upon their good sense and patri-
otto forbearance confess ] greatly rely
Without their aid, it is beyond the power
Of any President, no matter what may be
his own political prceliVities, to restore
peace and harmony among the States
Wisely limited and restrained as is his pow
er, under our constitution and laws, he alone
can accomplish but little, for good or for
evil, on such a mOmentOus question.
And this brings me to observe that the
election Of any one 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
was effected by q mere plurality and not
majority, of the people, and has resulted from
transient and temporary causes, which may
probably never again occur. In order TO
Justify resort to revolutionary resistance,
the federal government must be guilty Of 8
deliberate, palpable. and dangerous exer-
else Of pOWeTs not granted by the ooustitu-
ton The late Presidential election, how
ever, has been held in strict conformity
with its express provisions. How, tEeu,
can the result justify revolution to de-
stroy this very constitution Reason, JUS
tice, a regard for the constitution, all re-
quire that we shall wait for some overland
dangerous act on the part Of the President
before resorting 70 such q remedy.
1t Is said, however, that the antecedents
Of the President elect have been sufficient
to justify the fears Of the South that be will
attempt to invade their constitutional
rights. But Rre such apprehensiOns Of
contingent danger in the future sufficient 70
Justify the immediate destruction Of the
noblest system Of government ever devised
by mortals9 From the very nature Of his
Office, and its high responsibilities, he must
necessarily be conservative. The stern
duty Of administering the vast and compli-
Gated concerns Of this government sfOrds
in itself q guarantee that he will not at
tempt any violation Of q clear constitution
al right. After all, he is no more than the
chief executive officer Of the government
His province is not 10 make, hut to execute,
the laws; and il is a remarkable fact in cur
history that notwithstanding the repeated
efforts Of the anti-slavery party, no single
act has ever passed Congress, unless we
may possibly except the Missouri Comprom-
Use, impairipg in the slightest degree, the
rights Of the South to their property in
slaves. And il may also be observed, judg-
ing from present indications, that no prOba-
bility exists Of the passage Of such an act,
by majority Of both Houses, either in the
present or the next Congress. Surely,
under these circumstances, We ought to be
-