Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-01-25
Che Ohio 9tntesman
7 K Z n o
TIE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
To the Senate and
House af Representatives. -

To The Senate and
House a( Representatives -
At the opening or your present session, call.
ed your attention to the dangers which threaten
ed the existence of the Union. | expressed my
opinions freely concerning the original causes
Of these dangers, aud recommended such meas
ures as believed would have the effect of tran.
QUILTING the country--saving ii from the peril
in which it had been needlessIy and most untor
tunately thrown.
These opinions and recommendations do not
propose now to repeat. My own convictions up.
on the whole subject remain unchanged The
fact that great calamity was impending over
the nation was, even at that time, acknowledg
ed by every intelligent citizen. IL had already
made itself felt throughout the length and
breadth of the land. The necessary -eouseauen-
ces of the alarm thus produced we're most de-
plorable. Imports fell off withla rapidityInever
known before, except In time OF war, in the his
tory of our foreign commerce. The Treasury
was Unexpectedly left without means, which It
had reasonably counted upon, to meet the pub
lie engagements. Trade.wa paralyzed, manu-
factures stopped, the best public secuities sud-
denly sunk in the market, every species of
property deprecated more or less, and thousands
OF poor men, who depended upon their daily Ia.
ployment.
deeply regret that am not able to give you
any information upon the state of the Union,
which is more satisfactory that what was then
obliged to communicate. On the contrary mat.
ters are still worse at present than they then
were. When Congress met, strong hope per
vaded the whole public mind that some amicabe
adjustment Of the subject would be speedily
made by the representatives of the States,
which might restore peace between the conflict.
ing sections Of the country. That hope has
been diminished by every hour of delay, and as
the prospect of a bloodless settlement fades
away, the public distress becomes more and
more aggravated. As an evidence of this It Ia
only necessary to say the Treasury notes auth
orized by the act of the l7th of December last,
were advertised according to law, and that no
responsible bidder offered TO take any consider
able sum at par at lower rate Of interest than
twelve per cent.
From these facts it appears that, in gov
ernment organized like ours, domestic strife,
or even awell grounded fear of civil hostili-
ties, is more destructive of our public and pri-
vate interests than the most formidable foreign
war,
| In my annual Message expressed the con-
viction, which | have long deliberately held, and
which recent reflection has only tended to deep
EN- and confirm, that no State has the right of it's
own act to secede from the Union or throw off
its obligations at pleasure also declared nv
opinion to be that, even if that right existed, and
ehould be exercised by any State in the Confed
eracy, the Executive department. OF this Govern.
ment had no authority under the Constitution to
recognize its validity by acknowledging the in
dependence of such State. This lett me no al
Tentative as the chief ;utive officer under the
Constitution of the United States, but to collect
the public revenues and protect the public prop
erty, so far as this might be practicable under
existing laws. This is still my purpose. NV
province is to execute, not to make the laws -
II belongs to Congress exclusively to repeal,
modify, or enlarge their provisions to meet ex
igencies as they occur. possess no dispensing
power. certainly had no right to make ag-
gressive war on any State, and am perfectly
satisfied that the Constitution has wisely with
held that power even from Congress. Bu. the
right and duty Of using her military force de-
fensively against those who resist the Federal
officers in the exercise Of their legal functions,
and against those who assail the property of the
Federal Government, is clear and undeniable.
But the dangerous and hostile attitude of the
States towards each other has already transcend
ed and cast into the shade the ordinary execu-
live duties already provided for by law, and has
assumed such vast and alarming proportions az
to place the subject entirely above and beyond
executive control. The fact cannot be dis
guised that we are in the midst of a great
revolution. Therefore, | commend the oues.
ton to Congress, as the only human tribu.
nal, under Providence, possessing the power
to meet the existing emergency. To
them exclusively belongs the power to de.
clare war, 10 authorize the employment of mil.
ltar force in all cases contemplated by the Con-
stitution, and they alone possess the power to
remove all the grievances that might lead to
war, and to secure peace and union to this dis.
tracted country. On them, and on them alone,
rests the responsibility. The Uniou is sacred
trust left by our Revolutionary fathers to their
descendants, and never did any other people iu-
herit so rich legacy. 1t has rendered us pros
porous in peace and triumphant in war. The ma.
taional flag has foated in glory over every sea,
and under its shadow American citizens have
found protection aud respect in all lands beneath
the sun. If we descend to Considerations Of
pnrely material interest, when, in history of all
time, has confederacy been held together by
such strong ties of mutual interest? Each por-
ton of II Ia dependant upon all, and all upon
each portion, for prosperity and domestic secur.
ity. Free trade throughout the whole, supplies
the wants of one section with the productions Of
another, and scattels wealth everywhere. TIE
great planting and farming States require the
aid of the commercial and navigating States to
send their productions to domestic and foreign
markets, and furnish the naval power to render
their transportation secure against all hostile
attacks.
Should the Union perish in the midst of the
present excitement, we have already had sad
foretaste of the universal suffering which would
| result from it's destruction The calamity
would be severe in every portion Of the Union,
and would be quite as good, to sny the least,
in the Southern as in the Northern States.
The greatest aggrsvation Of the evil, end
that which would place US in the most un-
favorable light, both before the world and
posterity, is, as am firmly convinced that the
accession movement has been chiefly based
| upon misappreheDsion at the South, of the
| sentiments of the majority in several of the
| Northern States. Let the question be car
red from the political assemblies to the bal
| lot box, and the people themselves would speed.
lily redress the serious grievances which the
South have suffered. But, in Heavens name,
let the trial be made before we plunge
into an armed conflict upon the mere assump-
ton that there is no other alternative. Time
is great conservative power. Let us pause
at this momentous point, and afford the peo-
pie, both of the North and South, an oppor-
tunity for reflection. Would that South Caro-
lima had been convinced Of this truth before heI
. precipitate action. Therefore appeal through
you to the people of the country, to declare in
their might, that the Union must and shall bt
preserved by all constitutional means. mos,
earnestly recommend that you devote yourselves
:, to the question, how this can be accomplished
in peace. All other questions, when compared