The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1861-01-30
President5s special message.

Presidents Special Message.
To the Senate and House Of Representatives.
Of the u s.:
I deem it my duty to submit to Congress
a series of resolutions adopted by the leg
islAGure of Virginia on the 18th inst. having
in view peaceful settlement of the exist
ing questions which now threaten the Union.
| They were delivered TO me on Thursday the
| oath inst, by Ex-President Tyler, who
has left dignified and honored retirement
in the hope that he may render service to
| his country in this hour of peril. These
resolutions, it will be perceived, extend an
invitation to all States whether slavehold-
ing or non-slaveholding as are willing to
unite with Virginia in an earnest effort to
adjust the present unhappycontroversy in the
| spirit in which the Constitution was origin
ally formed and consistently with its prin-
! cipies, SO as to afford to the people of the
! slave holding States adequate guarantees for
the security of their rights, to appoint COM
missioners to meet on the 14th day of Feb
! ruary in the city of Washington to con-
| slider and, if practicable, agree upon some
| suitable adjustment. / confess | hail this
movement on the part of Virginia with
! great satisfaction. From the past history
| of this ancient and renowned common
! wealth we have the fullest assurance that
what she has undertaken she will accom-
| plish if it can be done by able, enlightened
| and persevering efforts. 1t is highly graft
| flying to know that other patriotic states
have appointed and are appointing COM
missioners to meet those of Virginia in coun-
| sci. When assembled they will constitute a
body entitled in an eminent degree to the
confidence of the country. The General
| Assembly of Virginia has also resolved
that Ex-President John Tyler is hereby aP-
pointed blythe concurrent vote of each branch
of the General Assembly commissioner to
the President of the United States, and
Judge John Robertson is hereby appointed
by like vote a commissioner to the state
of South Carolina and the other states that
have seeded or shall secede, with. instruc-
tions respectfully to request the President
of the United States and the authorities OF
such states to agree to abstain, pending the
proceedings contemplated by the action OF
this General Assembly, from any and all
acts calculated to produce a collision of arms
between the states and the government OF
the United States. However strong may
be the desire to enter into such an agree
ment | am convinced that I do not pos
sess the power, and Congress alone, under
the war making power, can exercise a dis
cretion of agreeing to abstain from any and
all acts calculated to produce a col
lision of arms between this and
any other government. 1t would therefore
be usurpation for the President to attempt
TO restrain their hands by an agreement in
regard to matters over which he has no con.
stitutional control. If he were thus to act
they might pass laws which he should bt
bound to obey, though in conflict with
= his agreement. Under existing circumstan
ces, my present actual power is confiHet
within very narrow limits. 1t is my duty