The Mountaineer. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1859-1861, 1860-12-15
SYNOPSIS OF THE PRESIDENTS
MESSAGE. 5s


Ticullnral and other material ptospefities OF
the country, the President asks why Is il then.
that discoutent now SO extensively prevails,
and the union 81 the States, which is the source
IF All these blessings, Is threatened with des-
trnetionf 4 he long continued and intempeTate
intetfetence Of the Northern people with the:
question: Of slavery IN the southern States has,
at length produced its natural elect! The DIFF
1erent sections of the: Union are now arrAyed
against eaoh ether, and the time has arrived,
much dreaded by the Father Of his Country.
when hostile geographical parties have been
formed u s:.-.,, 5 4. .- W. 1 ;=
Z This docs not proceed solely from tho claim.
on the part OF Congress or the Territorial lcgis-
latHres taexclude slavery from the Territories,
NOT irian the efforts Of the different States 10
defeat tiie executionof the Fugitive Slave Law;
but the Immediate peril arises ff0In ilcessdni.
aud violent agitation Of the slavery question
Throughout the &ofthior the last quarter Of q
century. IL has produced liz rIIaligIi influence
on the slaves, and inspired them with vague
noiions Cf. freedom Heacea sense Of security no.
longer exists around the family altar ThisfGei-
Ing Of peace Mt bone, has given place to appTe-
:hensions 81 sefEiie ins1rTetii0n Many n mat,
ron throughout the South rctirCs at night IN
dread Of what may befall herself and children,
by the morning.. Should tliis apprehension of
domestic 1RBser extend and intensity Itself
gFa people, then aisuatoa Will become. incsita,
lie. r.. 1. .:ss. !. e. ' .,=.: 4
/, SELF preservation Is the fist law of MIXTURE,
mud no political uHiot, however frNiisht with
bfeSs ftias and benefit mud in all other respects
can l0gis; continue IL The necessary consequence
be 20 Teiitfet the homes aud fJesidea Of Hearly
half the PARTIES 10 il balitnally and hapelessly
insecure Saohef or later the bond 81 such a
union must bGs1evsrsd. TITS my conviction
that this fatal period has Iat yet arrived, AZ.
tor referring 60 tile ilIcessaRt agitation against
slayetyat the North for tho last twcnty five
years both by the press md the people. and
asserting that the time of Congress is.oeepPied
with violent speeches ON this never ending sub
iect, he remarks how easy ID would be for ihe
Areriean people 70 settle the slavery question
forever, old restore peace and harmony 10 this
distracted country llttl cyln he done by let
ling tho siaHa States alone. and permitting
them 10 manage their own state Alfalfa, 10
they only are responsible bsfyfa God for SLAVE.
cry existing sIn01g them, and with which the.
North has no Ilsre tight 70 interfere than
with the similar Institution 10 Russia or Bra.
zil. :.
|. The President relies on the good sense and
forbearance Of the people, alleging 1t IL out Of
the mower OF any President 50 accomplish Gut
little, which Leads him 10 obseryet that the elec-
ton Of any one ofouT feliuM citizens TO the OF:
fice Of President does not Of itself afford just
cause for dissOlving the Union. The late cleo
tion having been held instruct conformity with
the Constitution, does not justify resolution
10 destroy this very Constitution. Reason,
Justice, and a regard for the Constitution. all
require that ws shall wait for some overt and
dangerous act ON the part OF the President elect,
before resorting TO such remedy ,ts$s.
Mr.. Buchanan refers to the fact that the Pres
ident' province Is not TO make but to execute
the laws, .fs. q; .z.ss
fits alleged as one cause for immediate Sc
eessfan that the Southern States are denied
equal ghts with the other States in the COM
mon Territory But by what authority are
these depiedi Not, by Congress, which bus
neyerpassed, and ! believe never VIII pass any
act 10 exclude slavery from these IeTritoTies,
and certainly not by the Supreme Court. which
has soleInnIy asserted that slaves are property,
and ike ali other property, their owners have
A right to take them intothe common Terrific
ries and hold them there under the protection
Of the Constitution. The anticipation that Con
gress may pass some law obnoxious, is no
good reason for asdiss0lution, Fin
The President Ie-asserts the power OF Con-
gress over property in the Territories and the
sacred rights Of property guaranteed By the
Constitution. The most palRable violations
/ Of constitutional duty which 'hava been com,
mitted consist in the acts Of the diIcIeBt State
EIegislatufts 10 defeat the. execution Of the
Fugitive Slave law. 1t ought to be Tefhemr
bcred, however, that for these acts neither
Congress nor any President can justly be held
Responsible, having been passed IN violation
az The federal Constitution, Theyare, there
fore; null and void. 1t will be the duty Of the
next President, asit has been my awn, 10 act
With vigof In executing tho Fugitive Slave
law against contehdiDg: enactments Of stats
Iegislatures We are not TO presume In adj
vance that he: will yiulate his duty, which
would be at war with every principle OF jus
tiCa. Let US wait foE tile overt act. ~ -.
The Fugitive Slave law has been carried in-
To execution Ia etetytcoAtoBted case since thG
coumencanis Of the present Administration.
Let us trust lhat the State Legislatures will
REPEAL their upc5Bstitutionat aud obnoxious
enaetments Unless this shall be done With
out unnecessary delay IL is impossible for any
human toweF 10 SAKE the BniOn; and that the
Southern States hayeH right ~. demand this
act Of Justice from the Northern States Should
this be refused, the injntah States, httsF hay
ing first used all psacSiIII means Is obtain 10.
dress, would be justified in revolutionary re,
6istancs 20 tho GoSotnment Of the linton.
The alleged principle that as each State be
came a party 70 the Union by the vote Of lie
own people. Assem- hled IN convention. so any
ons OF them may retire from the Union In a
similar manner by the vote Of such eonVsn-
ZION. Ii wholly Inconsistent wish the history
| y well as the chsrastef Of tho Federal COnsti-
futon. lie then rehearEed q potion Of JacS
son s mesEage Of 1888 relating 70 The nallify,
| ing ordinance Of South Carolina, md says this
IGayeTnm6nt was INTENDED BY 10 founders TO
\ be peTPstual and not 20 be apnulied at the
pleasure Of any one Of the contracting parties