Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1860-12-02
" wish il to leave his country tranquil,

IncessaDt fiux aud reflux OF puDiic oPm-
ion. Questions which III Their day rs
sumed most threatening aspect, have
now nearly gone from the memory Of
men. They are "volcanocs burnt OUT,
and on the lava and ashes and scorie OF
old cruptions grow tho peaceful olive,
the cheering vine, and the sustaining
corn" Such, in my opinion, VIII prove
TO be the fate Of the present sectional
excitement, should those who wisely
seek to apply the remedy continue al
WAYS TO contine their efforts within the
pale of the Constitution. If this course
be pursued, the existing agitation on the
subject of domestic slavery, like every
thing human, will have its day and give
place to other and less threatening con-
troversics. Public opinion in this coun-
try is all powerful, and when it reaches
a dangerous excess upon any question,
the good sense of the people will fur
nsh the corrective and bring it back
within safe limits. Still, to hasten the
aucpicious result, at the present crlsls,
we GU sht to remember that every ra-
tional creature must be presumed to III
tend the natural consequences OF his own
TEACHINGS. Those who announce alb
stract doctrines subversive of the Con
st;tution and the Union must not be
surprised should their heated partzans
advance one step further, and attempt
by violence to carry these doctrines into
practical effect. In this view Of the sub
iect it ought never to be forgotten that,
great may have been the political advan-
taees resulting from the Union to every
portion of our common country, these
will all prove to be as nothing should
the time ever arrive when they cannot
be enjoyed without serious danger to the
personal safety of the people Of fifteen
members of the confederacy. If the
peacc of the domestic tireside through
out these States should ever be invaded
If the mothers of families within this
extensive region should not be able to
retire to rest at night without suffering
dreadful apprehensions of what may be
their own fate and that Of their children
before morning-it would be vain to re-
count to such people the political ben
etits which result to them from the
Union. Self-prcservation is the first in
stinct of nature and therefore any state
of society in which the sword is all the
time suspended over the heads OF the
people. must at last become intolerable.
But | indulge in 10 such gloomy forebo-
dnes. On the contrary, firmly be-
| lieye that the events at Harper's Ferry,
by causing the people to pause and re-
fleet upon the possible peril to their
cherished institutions, will be the means,
under Providence, Of allaying the exist
ing excitement and preventing future
outbreaks of similar character. They
will resolve that the Constitution aud the
Union shall not be endangered by rash
counsels, knowing tat, should "the sill
yer cord be loosed or the golden bowl Of
broken at the fountain" human
power could never reunite the scattered
and hostile fragments.
Probably no portion of the Message
will be of more interess to the public
than that which contains the PRESIDENT
views on the subject of SLAVERY IN TIL
TERRlToRIEs. On this question, thu
Message is easily understood, and thu
doctrine Of non-lnteryention either b..
} Congress or the Territorial Legislature
10 distinctly enunciatcd The Presiden
says:
SLAVERY IN THE TERRITORIES.
| cordially congratulate you upon th'
final settlement by the Supreme Cour
of the United States of the question o
slavery in the Territories, which hat
presented an aspect so truly formidable
At the commencement Of my administra
} ton. The right has been established 0
every citizen to take his property of any
kind, including slaves, into the common
Territories belonging equally to all tn
state. Of the confederacy, and to have i
protected there under the federal consti
tuition. Neither Congress nor Terri
torial Legislature, nor any human powe
has any authority to annul or impair
this vested right. The supreme judlcia
tribunal CT the country, which is a co-or
Innate branch Of the government, ha
sanctioned and affirmed these principles
of constitutional law, so manifestly just
in themselves, and so we'll calculated tc
promote peace and harmony among the
states. 1t is striking proofof the sense
Of justice which is inherent in our PEG
pie, that the property in slaves has new
er been disturbed, to my knowledge, il
any of the Territories Even throughout
J the late troubles in Kansas there has no
, been any attempt, as | am credibly in
formed, to interfere, in a single instance
with the right of the master. Had any
such attempt been made the judiciary
would doubtless have afforded an ade
quate remedy. Should they fail to dc
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 possesses the power to an
null or impair the right to property in
slaves, the evil would be intolerable. In
the latter event, there would be strug-
gle for majority of the members of the
Legislature at each successive election,
and the sacred rights Of property held
under the Federal Constitution, would
} depend for the time being on the result.
The agitation would thus be rendered in
cessant whilst the Territorial condition
remalned,and its baneful influence would
keep alive dangerous excitement among
the people of the several states.
| Tins has tho sfafns &c ~