St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1860-12-13

| mp prayer that Congress may wise
" consider the propositions present
cd in the Presidents Message and de-
lbcratcIy act on them in all righteous
ness and truth.
The Speaker laid before the House
the annual estimate of the Secretary
Of the Treasury. Referred to the
Committee of Ways and Means.
Mr.. Morchcad, from the Committee
to wait on the President, reported
that they had performed that duty,
and that the President had requested
them to say he wonld communicate
his Message to the House in writing
| to-day, at noon.
Mr.. Phclps-That hour has already
arrived.
After some further proceedings the
Message was laid before the House,
and read by Col. Forney-thc Speaker
having first requested gentlemen to
be silent.
We are enabled to give the follow
ing
| SYNOPSIS OF TIE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
The President reviews the history
Of the ant-slavcry movement, and
says all that is necessary to accom-
plish the object Of peace is for the
slavcholding States to be let alone,
and be allowed to manage their own
domestic institutions in their own
way. The mere election of any man
to Office is not n iust cause for dis
solution of the Union. The antccc-
dents of the President elect arc cal
cula;cd to excite fears in South Caro-
lima, but is the question of contingent
danger sufficient to justify the dcstruc-
ton of the Government
lie reviews the acts of different
northern States in the passage of Per-
sonal Liberty Bills, and pronounccs
them unconstitutional He says it,
should not be presumed in advance
that the President elect will fail to ell
force the Fugitive Slave Law as this
would be unjust, and contrary to
Christian charity. Let us wait for
the overt act.
He then declares against the right
Of secession, and says to admit it
the Union might be broken into frag~
mcnts in less than two weeks. He
quotes the language of jackson and
Madison " Secession is altogether
founded on differences not in the Con-
stitution. The Union was designed
to be perpetual" He then quotes the
Constitution in support Of this view.
The Trainers Of the Constitution never
intended to plant in its bosom seeds
for its own destruction. They were
not guilty of the absurdity Of its own
dissolution. The right of resistance
against tyranny and oppression, how
ever, cannot be denied. This right is
asserted in the Declaration of indie
pcndcnce, but secession is neither
more nor less than revolution.
lie speaks of the affairs of South
Carolina. lie does not apprchend
that an attempt will be made to seize
Fort Moultric, but if in this he is mis-
taken, the officers have orders to act
strictly on the dcfcnsive-let the res
possibility rest on the heads Of those
who provoke the contest. lie invokes
his countrymcn to pause before at
tempting to destroy the Union, which
has conferred SO many benefits. He
argues that Congress can do much to
restore peace by proposing and rec
ommending an amendment to the Con-
stltntion for rcmcdying the existing
evils. The very course he recon-
mcnds is to have an explanatory
clause or amendment of the slavery
question: LIST, Expressly recognizing
the right Of property i'll slaves in
States where slavery now or may
hereafter exist. ID, The duty of pro-
tccting such rights in all the coming
Territories until the latter arc admit
ted as States in the Union. Sd, \
like recognition Of the right of the
master to have his slave WHO has es-
capped from one State to another, re-
stored and delivered up to him.
After abiding to the great CONNER
cial, agricultural, and other material
prosperities of the country, the Pres-
dent asks: Why is it, then, that dis
content now 50 extensively prevails,
and the Union of the States, which is
the source Of all these blessings, is
threatened with destruction? The
long continued and Incorporate inter-
ference of the Northern people with
the question Of slavery in the South
ern States, has at length produced it's
natural effect. The different sections
OF the Union are now arraycd against
each other, and the time has arrived,
$50 much dreaded by the Father Of
his Country,) when hostile geograph-
ical parties have been formed. This
does not proceed solely from the claim
on the part Of Congress or the Terri
torial Legislature to exclude slavery
from the Territories, nor from the eff s
forts of the different States to defeat ,
the execution Of the Fugitive Slave
Law, but the immediate peril arises
from inccsSant and violent agitation
Of slavery for the last quarter of I
century which has produced its ma :
ign influence on the slaves, and in +
spired them with vague notions of +
freedom hence sense of security +
no longer exists around the family =
altar. This feeling of peace at home ,
has given place to apprehension of i
scrvile Instruction. Many matron 9
throughout the South retircs at night +
II dread of what may befal herself 9
md children before the morning. q
Should this apprehension of domestic /
hanger extend and intensity itself I'M y
i'll it shall pcrvadc the South, then n
l!sunion will become inevitable. Self :,
is the first law of nature, {
and no political Union however G
Iraught with blessings and benefits in r
all other respects, can long continue,
II the necessary consequences be to :;
render the homes and iiresides of near
ly half the parties to it habitually Il
and hopelessly insecure. Sooner or I,
later the bonds of such a Union must ,.
be severed. 1t is my conviction that :
this fatal period has not yet arrived. !
After referring to the incessant agi- f
alton AGAINST slavnry at tbo Nor.h 4