The register. (Monroe, La.) 185?-1861, 1860-01-12
The Presidents Message.
THIRTY-sIxTH CONGRESS.

uhy Ut tuc USUAL nOur. AIter tne usual pre-
liminary proceedings the Presidents Message
was received and read. The Senate wa.
crowded with spectators, many Of the member
Of The house being present.
The following is a synopsis of the Message
The President. after expressing gratitude to
the Almighty for the blessings with which the
country has been favored throughout the year
refers to the recent bloody occurrences at IIar
per's Ferry. The President says that tlcst
events, bad and cruel as they are in themselves
derive their chief Importance from the apprc
tension that they are but symptoms Of an in
durable disease in the public mind, which may
lfeak out still moro dangerously; and cause
outragcs far more serious, which will finally,
terminate in all open declaration of war by the
North to abolish slavery in the South.
The President said that willie he himself
entertained no such apprehension, these occur.
renccs ought to afford solemn warning to us
all to beware Of approaching danger.
"Let me-" says the President, '.implore my
countrymcn, both North and South, to cult
vate the ancient feeling Of maternal forbear-
ancc and good will towards each other, and
strive to allay rather than excite the demon
spirit of sectional hatred and strife, which is
now alive throughout the land"
This advice proceeds from the heart of an
old public functiOnary, whose services COM
menccd during the last generation among tho
wise and conservative statesmen of that day.
"But l indulge in no gloomy forebsdings,
and ami Of opinion that thorough investiga-
ton Of the a!..:.!r will be tie means Of allaying
the existing excitement, and preventing all
further outbreaks Of like nature"
The President cordially congratulates Con-
gress on the. final settlement by the Supreme
Court Of the question of slavery in the Ter
ritories where the right has been established
that every citizen may take his property, of
any description, including slaves, in Territory
belonging equally to the whole Confederacy.
and have it protected there under the Federal
Neither Congress nor the Territorial Legis-
lature, nor any human power, las any power
to annul OF impair this vested right. Thus
has the status of Territory during the inter-
mediate period from its first settlement until it
becomes stateibecn irrevocably fixed by the
dnaa decision Of The Supreme Court.
The President then describes the mode of
Of Territory as q State into the
Union. lie says it may be admitted with or
Inn, ell
State Or Territory may prescribe. This prin-
ciple has been recognized by an almost unani-
mous vote Of both Houses Of Congress during
the last session.
In relation to the slave-trade, the President
aays that he has used and shall continue to use
MI lawful means at his command to Suppress
It. Our history, he continues, proves that the
fathers Of this Republic, in advance of all
other nations, condemned the slave-tradc.
The President announced that the Chinese
rcaty had been finally concluded and ratifca-
ions exchanged. The supplemental conven-
ions are, however, pcnding-one in relation
20 the rights of Americans in China, and an.
other in relation 10 the duties on American
goods in transit across any portion Of the
Chinese territory.
The Paraguay difficulty is briefly referred to
rs having been satisfactorily adjusted
Our relations with France, Russia, and all
he Continental powers Of Europe, with the
Exception, perhaps, of Spain, continue to be
If most friendly character.
The President recommended to Congress
hat an appropriation be made to meet the
,laims of those who suffered by the ArlsSStead
'tihir. The settlement of these cAKai IA
President thinks, would render orr, feljgtsns
With Spain more cordial, and facilitate the
of Cuba by fair purchasc-his op,in-
on upon which subject remained unchanged
He, therefore, again invites the serious attcn-
ion Of Congress 10 this important subject.
The President says that there was good rca-
son, until quite recently, to believe that in his
present message to Congress he would be able
70 announce that all our difficulties with Great
Britain, arising from the Clayton Bulwer
reaty, had been finally adjusted in n manner
honorable and satisfactory to both parties
From ca,tses, however, which Great Britain
lad not anticipated, she had not been able to
complete her treaty arrangements with Hon
lnras and Nicaragua in pursuance to previous
between Great Britain and the
.wo Governments.
The President, nevertheless, confidently ex-
poets that this would shortly be accomplished,
and that all matters ofsdispute between the
British Government aud our own in relation to
the Clayton-Bulwer treaty, would soon be
happily settled
In relation to the San Juan affair." the Prcsi-
dent en.ertaiEs to doubt of the validity Of
our title to the Island, and announces that he
Is happy 10 state that what he left to General
Scott's discretion could not have been placed
in better bands.
lie states that there ia no further reason to
,pprehend. o collision among the respective
orces.
The President enters now upon Mexican
affairs. He says, during The tendency of the
negotiations with Mexico, he regrets to say
hat the Mcxicans' affairs have long been un-
improved. He speaks at length upon that
subject, and treats vigorously upon the numer-
Gus outragcs of the worst description commit
ted upon person AND property, aud Of every
form OF injury suffered by our citizens during
The past few years. lie says that we have been
nominally in peace with Mexico, but as far as