Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1860-01-06
r.F PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.


n Almighty Power which has bestowed
n ans such varied and numerous blessings
Il ,lout the past year. The general
,.lf the country has been excellent;
Ilrv.sts have been unusually plentiful.
Il r--1sraritv smil throughout the land.
s,l N n,tvithstanding our demerits, we
II uch reason to believe from the past
in our history. that we have enjoyed
Il -. e. ,ial protect on Of Divine Providence
4 .s-.-rro our origin as a nation. We have
Il -..7 7avr5sei TO many threatening andalarm-
H -reulties in ur progress but on each
... .,,-iva occasion the impending clou
/ 5 iissiratad at the moment it appeared
~ 20 aurst upon our head. and the dan
.- T. oar institutions has passed away.
ur--ya ever be under the divine gu dance
L -s rr5tection.
whilst It is the duty Of the President
f-Hm time 10 time 10 give t. COngre. IN
Il nation Of the state Of the UniO0. !
Il al not refer in detail To t e recent sad
Z = oodv occurrence at Harper's Ferry.
'. If is proner 10 observe that these events,
never bad and cruel in themselves. de-
.. heir chief imp rtance from the appre-
.-s;7n that they are but svmtoms of an in
Il .-ilo disease in the public mind, which
NV reak out in sill more dangerous out
/ avs and terminate at last in an open war
4 n North to abolish slavery in the ) nuth.
h Whilst for myself. | entertain no such ap-
H -,1,nsian they ought to afford a solemn
Il r--ninr o ne all 10 beware Of the approach
danger Oar Union is a stake of such in
.--nlble value rs 70 demand our coustan.
M watchful vigilance for its preservation.
T, this view. let me implore my oountryment
y,-th and South, to cultivate the ancient
.sripr Of mutual forbearance and good will
wards each other, and try to allay thess
--.1 spirit of sec tional hatred and strife now
alive in the land This advice proceeds from
.-a heart of an old public functiOnary whose
.s--ices commenced in the last generation,
ing tho wise and conservative statemen of
,-- lav. now nearly all passed away, and
VI 81 first and dearest earthly wish is to
ars his country tranquil, prosperous, united |
s-i powerful.
We ought to reflect that in this age, and |
-reciallv in this country, there is an inces-
.r- fax and refux of public opinion. Ques- |
ms which in their day assumed a most |
.--,atening aspect. have now nearly gone |
a,n The memory of men. They are d" vol |
,r5,s burnt out, and on the lava and ashes |
ri s1ualid scorie Of old eruptions grow the |
81 raacaful olive. the cheering vine, and the |
..-annC corn Such, in my opin on will |
--.ge to be the fate Of the present sectional
7itament, should those who wisely seek to
,rrlv the remedy. continue always to con-
fra their efforts within the pale Of the Con
,rti-ion. If this course be pursued, the eX- |
sting agitation on the subject OF domestic !
slavery. like everything human. will have Its |
ilv and give place to other and less threat |
ming controversies Public opinion in this |
0untrv is all powerful, and when it reaches |
q dangerous excess upon any question, the
GOOD sense Of the people will furnish the
corrective and bring it back within safe IL
mits Still, to hasten the auspicious result,
.f the present crisis. we ought to remember |
nat every rational creature must be pre-
umed to intend the natural consequences Of |
his own teachings Those who announce |
.is.ract doctrines subversivc OF the ConstItu |
non and the Union must not be surprised |
hould their heated partizans advance one |
tan further, and attempt by violence to car
~ bes- doctrines into practical effect. In i
d, Wow of tho suhiact II ought never to be |
r-otten that, however great may nave by"
no political advantages resulting from the
'nion to every portion of our common coun-
.y these will all prove 20 be as nothing |
should the time ever arrive when they cannot |
BE- onioved without serious danger to the per |
.1ll safety of the people of fifteen members
be confederacv.
II the peace of the domestic tlreslde |
HrlughOut these States should ever be in
uisd-if the mothers Of families within this
extensive region should not be able to retire
p rest at night without suffering dreadful
arrrehensions of what may be their own
ae and that Of their children before morn
nE- il would be vain TO recount to such
people the political benefits which result TO
en- from the Union. Self preservation is
he first instinct Of nature and therefore /
sny state of society in which the sword is all
the time suspended over the heads Of the peo-
pie must at last become intolerable But |
indulge in no such gloomy forebodings. On
the contrary, firmly believe that the events
at Harper's Ferry, by causing the people to
pause and reflect upon the possible peril to
their cherished institutions, will be the
means, under Providence, of allaying the ex-
istng excitement and preventing further out
freaks Of similar character. They will
res1ve that the Constitution and the Union
shall not be endangered by rash counsels,
knowing that, should +" the silver cord ne
.)osed or the golden bowl be broken
az the fountain, " human power could never
raCnite the scattered and hostile fragments.
cordially congratulate you upon the final
settlement by the Supreme Court of the
Jnited States of the question of slavery IN
the Territories, which had presented an as
pect so truly formidable at the commence
ment Of nv administration. The right has
been established of every citizen to take his
property of any kind. including slaves, into
the common Territories belonging equally to |
all the States of the confederacy, and to have |
i protected there under the federal cOnstltu-
ton. Neither Congress nor territorial De- |
glslature nor any human power has any |
authority to annul or impair this vested |
night. This supreme judicial tribunal of |
this country, which is a coordinate branch |
0f the government, has sanctioned and af- |
hrmed these principles of constitutional law, |
s manifestly Just in themselves, and so well
calcnlated to promote peace and harmony
among the States. 1t is a striking proof of
the sense Of Justice which is inherent in our
people, that the property in slaves has never
been disturbed, to my knowledge in any of
the territories. Even throughout the late
troubles in Kansas there has never beenany at
tempt. as am credibly informed, to interfere,
IN a single instance, with the right OF the
master. lfad any such attempt Deen mdde
the judiciary would doubtless have afforded
an adequate remedy. Should they fail to do
this hereafter. it will then be time enough to
strengthen their hands by further legislation.
Had it been decided that either Congress or
the Territorial Legislature possess the power
to annul or impair the right to property in
slaves. the evil would be intolerable. In the
latter event, there would be a struggle for
the majority of the members of the Legisla
oue at ,ach successive election, and the sa-
ored rights of property held under the Fede-
NJ constitution would depend for the time
beng on the result. The agitation would
thus he rendere incessant whilst the Terri
tlial condition remained, and its banetul
influence would keep alive dangerous ex-
element among the people of the several
States.
Thus has the status of q Territory, during
me Immediate period from its first settlement
until 1t shall become State, been irrevoca-
ly fixed by the final decision of the
supreme Court Fortunate has this been
iur the prosperity of the Territories, as well