Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1861-01-17
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE ON SECES-
SION,
Sent to Congress on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 1861.

TO Tie Senate and House Of Representatives.:
At the opening of your present session. /
called your attention to the dangers which threat
ened the existence of the Union. | expressed
my opinion freely concerning the original causes
of these dangers, and recommended such meas
urcs as believed would have the effect of iran
QUILTING the country, saving it from the peril
in which it had been needlessly and most um-
fortunately thrown.
Those opinions and recommendations | do
not propose now TO defeat NV own convic
tions upon the whole subject remain unchanged.
The fact that a great calamity was impending
over the nation was even at that time acknOw-
edged by every intelligent citizen. 1t had al
ready made itself felt throughout the length
and breadth of the land. The necessary con-
sequences of the alarm thus produced were
most deplorabe. The imports fell off with
rapidity never known before, except in time of
war, in the history of our foreign commerce.
The Treasury was unexpectedly left without
means, which it had reasonably counted upon,
to meet its public engagements. Trade was
parayzed, manufactures were stopped, the best
public securities suddenly sunk in the market
every species OF property deprecated more or
less, and thousands of poor men who depended
upon their daily labor for their daily bread
were turned out of employment | deeply re-
gret that am not able to give you any infor-
nation upon the state of the Union, which is
more satisfactory than what was then obliged
to communicate. On the contrary, matters are
still worse at present than they then we're
When Congress met a strong hope pervaded
the whole public mind that some amcable ad-
iustment of the subject would be speedily made
by the representatives of the States. which
might restore peace between tn conflicting sec
tions of the country. That hope has been di'
mnished by every hour of dslay, and as the
prospect of blood"ss settlement fades away,
the pu lie distress becomes more and more ag-
gravated. As an evidence of this, it is only
necessary to say the Treasury notes authorized
bv the act of the l1th of December last, were
advertised according to law, and that no respon-
sible bidder offered to take any considerable
sum at par at a lower rate of interest than II
per cent. From these facts it appears that in Q
Government, organized like ours, domestic
strife, or even a well-gounded fear of civil hos
tilties, is more destructive of our public ant
private interests than the most formidable for
eign war.
In my annual message expressed the con
viction, which have long deliberately held, ant
which recent reflection has only tended TO deep
en- and confirm, that no State has the right b,
its own act TO secede from the Union, or throw
off its Federal Obligations at pleasure. | alsc
existed, and should be exercised by any Stat
of the Confederacy the Executive Department
of this Government had no authority, under thu
Constitution, to recognise its validity, by ac
know!edging the independence of such State
This left me no alternative, as the chief execu
tive officer under the Constitution of the uniet
States, but to collect the public revenues AM
protect the public property, so far as this NIGH
be practicable under existing laws. This is still
my purpose. My proyince1s 10 execute, not t
make the laws, Ii belongs to Congress exclu
sively to repeal modify or enlarge their pro,is
ions to meet exigencies as they may occur
possess no dispensing power. | certainly ha
no,right to make aggressive war upon any State
and | am perfectly satisfied that the Constititu
ton has wisely withheld that power, even tror
Congress.
But the right and the duty TO use mitar
= force defensvely against those who resist tn
Federal officers in the execution of their legt
functions, and against those who assail the pror
erty of the Federal Government is clear an
undeniable. But the dangerous and hostile a,
2 tltude OF the States towards each other has a
T. ready far transcribed aud cast into the shad
= the ordinary Executive duties already provide
i for by law, and has as iumed such vast an
. alarming proportions as to place the sub ect er
= tirely above and beyond Executive CONTROL
r The fact cannot be disguised that we are in ii
l. midst OF great revolution, Therefore, l re
ommend the question to Congress as the on