The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1860-12-08
The Presidents Mesa 70.

houses of Congress on Tuesday last We
give the following abstract Of it. which We
have 'f'ade pretty full as TO that portion Of
I,t!,e Message treating Of the pIes,n, nnhapap
condition Of the country. hrc,uSc Of the gen.
cral interest which the discussion of the sub.
jet at this time, particularly by the Plesi-
dent, -coui,.andS.
The President. after allu,ling 20 the pros.
perity of the material Interests of the country
the excellence Of general health, the abund.
ance of la vests, and the ample returns Weld.
cd 10y commerce and manufactures un,,l very
recently. inquiries the cause 81 the pf..y.Ahg
discomfort, and Threatened destruction OF he
Union. and attributes tie same to the long
continued and intcinpcrats interference Of the
Northern people with the Cue slon Of slavery
IN the south, the liGesSant and violent ag,la-
lion of which, in the North, he says, has in.
spircd the slaves with vague notions Of free.
dom and destroyed that Sense of security for.
Inerlv existing around the family affairs of
the South. No political Union can long cx.
list. the President thinks. where the tircSldes
OF nearly half the parties to it are rendered
hopelessly insecure It is his conviction
however, that the fatal period for dissolution
has not yet arrived, nevertheless we should
| '"N' waning III MIX duu remove The cause
Of danger.
After referring to the agitation Of the
slavery question by the circulation in 1885
OF infn,nnaory appeals and pictorial hand.
bills, calculated to excite the passions Of the
slaves, the continuation of the agitation since
then hy the press, by State and County Con.
venti"ns. abolition sermons. and speeches in
Congress the Message goes Oh to show
now easily the question could be settled by
the people themselves, by allowing the >av.
States to manage their domestic institutions
in their own way They. and not the people
OF the North, are Responsible before efud and
the world for slavery existing among them
The election OF any one of our fellow. cit.
zens, the President declares does not of itself
afford just cause for dissolution Of the Union.
particularly Ii that election is by n mere plu.
rnlity of votes. and is the result of temporary
causes not likely again To occur. To Justify
resort to revolutionary resistance, the Fed.
rral government mus, be guilty of "a ,lelber.
ate. .palpable and dangerous exercise of
powers not granted by the Constitution. The
late presidential cleo: ion having hcen held in
strict conformity with the provisions of the
Constitution. the result cannot justify such
, revolutionary resistance. The aniecrlents of
the President elect, and the apprshenSons Of
contingent danger in the future thereby
occas'oned. are not sufficient to Justify the
! destruction Of the government The nature
? If his office, its hisl. responsibilities and the
duty of administering the vast concerns Of
government afford the guarantee OLA conserva.
tive and Constitutional admiaislra lion by tn,
PrcSid, Mt elect. As the mere executive officer
OF the government his province is no, to make
but to execute the laws
In view of the fact. as cited BY him. that
no act has ever passed Congress, except the
Missouri Compromise, mpaiin, the rights of
/ the South. and the improhability of any such
legislation by the present or next Congress,
the President thinks We should he restrained
and not raShly bring the evil day upon our.
= selves. In answer to the allegation that the
r South is denied EQUAL rights in the Territori.
eS. and should therefore srcrde the President
, says. Congress has never passed any act 20
exclude slavery from the Territories and the
Supreme Court has decided in favor of the
| right OF owners to take slaves there and hold
= them under the Constitution.
The act Of the Kansas Legislature declaring
that slavery is. and shall bc, forever prohihi-
J ted IN this Territory. the President declares
c to be unconstitutional. and thinks it will be
J. declared void by the Judiciary when present.
ed i'll Il legal form. ATluSion is then made
TO the bred Scott decision as adjudging that
n this power did not exist in Territorial Leg.
: i>lature. the President proceeding to argue
that question somewhat at length and sus.
tanning the assumed position of the Court.
e The acts OF Northern legislatures to defeat
4 the execution of the fugitive slave law. the
. Pr, sident regards as the most pa liable viola !.
ton of Constitutional duty vet committed.
c Neither Congress nor any President. he saws.
!. can justly BE- held responsible for these act $.
n which. passed in violation of the Constitution
are null and void The Const,u,ionality
u Of the fugitive slave law, has been es.
,abiShcd by all the Courts, State, National
=. and Supreme. except a State Court in Wis.
consin, whose decision has been reversed by
! the proper appellate tribunal
c The CONSTITUTIONS, nrov;s;o, ,no, .h;.,
the law is based waS .sser,;,I 70 ,h.' .a",;o',
Of the CONSTITUTION ,nJ m. la,y has I,..p ,,,
law Of the land from ,he days NJ W,sh;n, Wv,
iii uow SLnulJ n. nav, pus.;a.', =. s w.: ="
c the enforcement of the fugitive slave Inv he
F" will have manifested disregard Of the Con.
stltution and laws t. the great niurv of the
people of the South. It would be- 1T ,v,r
with every principle OF iustice and Christian
charity to presume in advance thai Mr. lin.
:, coin will thus violate his dut,. Let ms whit
+, says the President. for the overt act. Unless
n these obnoxious and unconstitutional enact.
/. ments-the personal liberty b:lls-are