The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1860-12-07
The Presidents Message.

President Buchanan transmitted his annu-
al message to Congress on Tuesday. 1t
reached this place Wednesday evening. 1t
is quite lengthy, making ten or twelve col
umns in this paper. We shall endeavor to
issue it in supplement and send i, to our
subscribers with their next weeks CALEpoNI-
An. The late hour at which it was received
renders it impossible to give even respect
able abstract of it in this paper. The follow
ing remarks are from the Sp. nyfeld RguJ-
lic0n:
The President devotes half his message
to Congress to discussion of the slavery and
| disunion questions and in the uncvenness
and Inconsistency of its treatment of these
questions, We find evidence of the cabinet
councils and contests upon the message, and
of the tinkering it underwent, before it was
given to the public. On the subject of sla-
very he espouses Southern ideas on that of
disunion, Northern. He attributes to the in
reference and aggress'ons of the North the
present disturbance u>ine South and threat
ened disruption OF the Union but he stout
ly denies that an excusable emergency for
disunon has arisen, and argues that the in
stitutiOn of slavery is in no danger from the
election of a republican president. Yet if
the Northern states continue to defy and null
lily the fugitive slave law, that will justify
revolution on the part Of the South, for there
is no secession, he argues, but by revolution.
His argument against the light of secession
is one of the best passages in the message
and he announces that the duty of the exec
utive to enforce the laws, to collect the reve-
nue. and to defend the forts and other prop
erty of the United States, in any and all the
states, is plain, and will be performed by him.
in the event of any interference with those
elements and privileges Of the federal gov
eminent, by South Carolina, for instance
But he finds nowhere any power in the gen
eral government to coerce a state into re-
naming in the conlederacy, nor can he think
it would be wise to undertake it, even were
the power granted or inferable. SO long, in
other words, as a state does not attempt to
seize upon the federal revenues, or interfere
with their collection, and respects the proper
~ of the United States within her limits, so
long does she seem at liberty. by the consti-
tuition and laws, to indulge in the luxury of
seeding. This seems to be Just and legit-
innate distinction.
The President appeals strongly for the
preservation of the Union, and proposes an
amendment of the constitution putting into
form and permanence the principles Of the
bred Scott decision, as final and satisfacto-
ry settlement of the slavery question for this
purpose. He does this very gravely and ear
nestly, as if he thought it were likely or pos
sible to be done.
The message is not likely to have a very
important effect upon pablo opinion in Ell
Their section. Each will find matter in it for
cordial acceptance and instant rejection. 1t
unites the possible and the impossible, the
reasonable and unreasonable and discusses
together two questions that should have been
entirely separated in such document. His
discussions and demonstrations will contrib
ute, so far as they have any influence, to
delay in the Southern revolution, and to the
development of stronger party in the Sou
thern states against disunion at all under
present provocations. We are thankful for
so much of use and benefit to the cause of
the Union but he insults the North and
truth in attribu,ng to it the blame for the
present trouble, and he triAes with the South
in holding out the idea that principle ex-
pressly negatived in the recent Presidential
election can he enacted into a constitutional
provision. MIR. Buchanan has thrown away
his opportunity; ne did not even appreciate
it; and the most he seems to desire is to
keep off the crisis till after he shall close his
term of service.
The other portions of the message are of
comparatively little interest, but worth read
ing as review Of our more important for
eign and domestic affairs during the last four
years. The President, with troubled con-
science, labors to defend his course in Kan
sas, and plumes himself on having conquered
peace in Utah. He boasts of having re-
duced the expenses of the government to a
bout thirty millions Of dollars in the last
year, but admits the bankrupt condition of
the treasury, and argues with good sense the
old Wing doctrine Of specific in lieu Of ad
valorem duties"