Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1860-02-01
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

Fsliots thiseRs Of he Senate
and House Of Representatives,:
Our deep and heart-irlt gratitude ~ due to
that Almighty Power which has bestowed upon
us such varied and numerous blessings through
out the past year. Tie general health OF the
country las been excellent; our harvcsts have
been unusually plentiful, aud prosperity smiles
throughout the land Indeed, Notwithstanding
our demcrits, we have much reason to believe
from the Iast events in our history thnt we have
enjoyed the Special protection of Divine Prori'
dence ever since our originals nation. We have
been exposed to mnny threatening and alarming
difficulties in our progress; hut on each success
i've occasion the impending cloud has been uisSl-
pated ut tie moment il appeared ready To hurst
upon our read, and the danger to our institutions
has passed away. May we ever he under the di-
vine guidance and protection.
" mlstit is the duty of tn, President, 'from
time 10 nme to give to Congress information of
I'm. s,ae of the Union " ] shall not refer in de.
tail to The recent sud and bloody occurrences Mt
unrpers Ferry. STILL IL is proper u observe
that tlese events, however had and cruel in them
selves derive their chiei importance from the
ap,.thensun that they are hut symptoms OF an
;,,elrable disease in the public mind, which may
Peak out in still more dangerous outrng"s, and
terminate ut last in an open war by the North to
abolish slavery in the South. Whilst. for myself.
| entertain no such apprehension. they ought to
the approach of danger. Our Union is a stake
of such incstimnhle value as to demand our con-
slant and watchtnl vigilance for ts preservation.
H. this view, let me lmpore my cnnhtlymen'
North nd South, tn cultivate the ancient ceiinE
Of mutual iurbearuce and good will towards
each other, ard strive to ullay the dem srlrIf
of gcytipnai hatred and strife now Ghv" IN the
lind. This ndgco proceeds from the heart OF m
old ubiicuucuontry whose services cnmmrurei
~ tia nst generation, among the wise an" CON.
servutive statesmen Of that day nov nearly All
,.ss,G away, and Yihosa f.sl and dearest earthly
wish is 70 leave IN. country tranquil prosperous,
u iied ald powerful
Ne ought tu reflect that in this tge and eSpe'
cially in this country. there is an incesiHn' AHY
and rrEuA ol pablo ornou Questions "hi.A.
IN their day assumed NEST threatening aspect
have now nearly gone from the memory OF men.
Tbey are 'vulcanOes burnt out, and On the lava
and ashes and sanalid scOrin OF old eruptions
pruw the peaceful olive, the cheering vine, ana
Tie sustaining cori." Such, in my opinion, VIII
prove to he the fate of the present sectional ex-
cirement. should those who wisely seek to Apply
the remedy continue always to conlinc their el-
forts within the rale Of the constitutions II
this course be pursued, the existing agitation on
the subject of domestic slavery, like every thing
human, will have it's day, and give place to other
and less threatening controversies. Pnhlic-opin-
ion in this country is all powerful and when 1t
reaches dangerous excess upon any question:
the good sense of the people will furnish the cor
recti,ye, and bring it back within sale limits
Still. to hasten the auspicous result, ut tile pres
ept crisis we ought to remember that every ra
tional creature must he presumed to intend the
natural consequences of his own teachings.-
Those who announce abstract doctrines, subver-
siye of the constitution and the Union must not
be surprised should their heated partisans ad
vance one step further. and attempt by violence
20 carry these doctrines into practical effect. In
this view of the subject it ought never TO be for
rotten that, however great may have been the po-
liticul advantages resulting from the Union 10
every portion of our common country, these VIII
all prove to he nothing, should the time ever
arrive when they cannot he enjoyed without seri-
ops danger to the personal safety of the people
of fifteen members of the oniederacy. Ii the
peace of the domestic freside throughout these
States should ever be nvaded-if the mothers of
families within this extensive region should not
be able 10 retire to rest at night without suffer
ing dreadful apprehension OF what may he their
own late and that of their children before morn
ing it would be vain to recount to such u people
the political benefits which result to them from
the Union. SclfpreservatiOn is the first instinct
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 in
tolerable. But indulge in no such gloomy fore
bodings. On the contrary, firmly believe that
the eVentS III tiai pei Periy, ny e""o.'E VIZ tNo
ple to pause and reflect upon the possible peril to
their cherished institutions, will be the means,
under Providence, of alaying the existing excite
xosct and preventing future outbreaks of IL SINH
lar character. They will resolve that the consti-
tnt;on and the Uuion shall not be endangered ny
rash coupsels, knowing that should "the silver
cord Le loosed, or the golden bowl be bro EN-
At the tountain,' human power could never reu-
n;,s the scattered and hostile fragments.
/ cordially congratulate you upon the hnai set,
Element by the supreme Court OF the United
States of the question of slavery In tine lerrito-
ries. which had presented an aspect 80 trniy LOT
midnble at the commencement OF my administra-
tion. The right has been established oil every
>ctizen to take his property of any kind :nchdihg
ing slaves, into the common Territories belonging
equally to all the States of the conederacy, and
to have it protected there under the federal con-
stitution Neither Congress nor Territorial
Legislature nur any human power has any au-
tbority to annul OF impair this vested right
The supreme judicial tribunal of the country,
vbiebis a coordinate branch of the Government,
has sanctioned and affirmed these principles OF con-
stitutional law, 50 manifesty just In themselves,
and 80 well calculated to prolDate peace and har-
,ponv amung tie States. IL il a striking proof
of the sense Of Justice which is inherent ia our
deotle. that the property in slaves has never
been disturbed, to my knowledge, IN any oi the
Territories. venbhroughoHt the late troubles
In Kar,sas there has bot been any attempt, as
am crediblv informed, V interfere in single in
stance. with the right os tbs master. Had any