Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-01-09
CONGREGATIONAL
wrpuxsnav I,nuary O


SENAIE.-A message from the President Of the
United States was received and ordered to be laid
on the table for the present
Chamber Of Commerce Of New York pravinr
additional mail facilities 10 Mexico and New
Mr.. Hunter took the floor on the Pres,d.nt,.
message for Friday next, and Mr. Seward for Sat
urday next
Mr.. Slidell, Of La introduced resolution. "a
9uesting the President of the United States to in
form the senate who was acting Sec etary of
War; whether J B. Floyd was now acting DC !:
laid over under the rule
Mr.. Clark Introduced resolution, favoring the
enforcement Of the laws, and the perpetuation Of
Mr.. Lane called up a bin In relation 10 certain
military roads In New Mexico, which was amend.
ed and passed.
Or motion Friday next was set apart for the
consideration Of private business
Mr.. Mason desired to call up his resolution of
inquiry as to the orders given army officers In the
After debate as to the parliamentary practice In
regard to the reading of the Presidents Message
The Chair decided that the reading of the Pres
idents Message was the only thing In order, and
1t 1.-THE message) states that at the opening of the
session the President had called the attention Of
Congress TO the state Of the country and had asked
them to take proper measures to remedy the tend
ency Of affairs. He would not now repeat what
he had then said in this connection, but re-
iterated his call for Congressional action. He de-
scribes the resent increased deplorable condition
OF the country insglowing language, and says that
when Congress met, strong hope existed that peace
might be restored. But, since, that hope had
gradually faded. He instanced the result Of the
bidding for the loan showing how disastrous
all thin has been upon the public interests
He had, In the annual message, while denying
the lawful right OF secession, explained his pur-
P pose OF executing the laws and protecting the
public property without making aggressive war
on any State, and he now proposes 70 carry out
that policy as far as the means at his command
will admit: The danger has, however, gone
above and beyond the executive control, and he
commends the subject to Congress, as the only
human power capable Of arresting the current
tendency Of affairs. They alone can preserve the
peace now.
1t describes at length the glorious state of free
dom and prosperity to which the country had at
tanned at the opening of the present difficulty; and
predicts calamities upon all inconceivable now,
from the destruction Of the Union which is threat
ened. 1t alleges that the trouble at the South
arises from INTERPRETATION there of the purposes
OF the great mass Of the northern people, and
urges that the question should promptly be re-
United to the people at the ballot box by Con-
gress.
II also urges that Congress should at once turn
Its attention to maturing plan of settlement,
and recommends, under existing circumstances
the Crittenden plan as one on which the matter
may be fairly and promptly settled.
calls attention to the fact of the seizure Of the
public property In states not pretending to have
seeded, holding that to be the most alarming
symptom Of the times. He had RETAINED from
reinforcing Major Andersen as long as posi- bic,
In order to afford pretext to South Carolina to
commence hostilities, and recounts the history of
his correspondence with the South Carolina Com
missloners, and Of the information received by
the Government from Major Anderson, to show
that the latter's retirement TO Fort Sumter was
called for by the circumstances by which he was
surrounded, and was in conformity under the
circumstances, with the spirit Of his orders
Ii declares his purpose of protecting the public
peace and the authority Of the Government In this
District (of Columba) at all hazards while saving
that ne entertains no serious approximations that
any attempt to interfere with the Governments
authority here will be essayed
MIR. Davis, at the conclusion Of the reading of
the Message, called for the reading of the papers
accompanying 1t; and the correspondence be-
tween the South Carolina Commissioners and
the President was being read by the Clerk as the
stars reporter left the chamber
HoUsE.-After some routine business, on motion
OF MI. Grow, the territorial business was post
poned to Wednesday next
Mr. Bingham reported, from the Committee on
Military Affairs, statement from the Secretary
printed.
special Message from the President was then
received and read, [see our Senate report to-dayl
ana was referred to the special Committee OF
Thirsy-three by a vote Of I33 yeas, IS nays