Year: 1859

and alarming difficulties in our progress but on each
successive occasion the impending cloud has been dss
pated at the moment appeared ready to burst upon
head, and the danger to institutions has passed
away. May ever be under the Divine guidance and
protection


Whilst it is the duty of the President "from time to
time to give to Congress information of the state of the
Unionn shall refer in detail to the sad and
bloody at Harper's Ferry STILL it is proper
to observe that these events however bad and cruel in
hcnson that they are but symptoms of an ncurabe dis
IN the public mind, which may break out in still
more dangerous outrages and terminate at last in
open by the North to abolish slavery in the South.
Whilst, for myself, entertain such apprehension,
they ought to afford solemn warning to US all to beware
OF the approach OF danger Our Union is stake OF such
nestimabe value to demand constant and watch
full vigilance for its preservation In this view, let me
implore my countrymen North and South to cultivate
the ancient feelings of mutual forbearance and will
towards each other and strive to alay the demon spirit
| of sectional hatred and strife now alive in the land
This advice proceeds from the heart Of old public
funconary whose service commenced in the last genera
ton among the wise and conservative statesmen of that
day, nearly all passed away, and whose first and
dearest earthly wish is to leave his country tranquil
prosperous, united ana powerful


We ought reflect that in this age and especially in
this country there is ncessant ux and reux of pub
lie opinion. Questions which in their day assumed a
most threatening aspect have now nearly gone from the
memory of men. They VOLCANOES out, and
the lava and ashes and squad sco of old eruptons
grow the peaceful olive the cheering vine, and the sus
tanning corn" Such, my opinion, will prove to be
the fate of the sectional excitement should those
confne their efforts within the pale Constitution
If this be pursued the existing agitation the





have its day and give place to other and less threatening
controversies. Public opinion in this country is allpow
erfu and when it reaches dangerous upon any
question, the good Of the people will furnish the
corrective and bring back within safe limits STILL to
hasten this auspcous result at the present crisis
ought to remember that every rational creature be
presumed to intend the natural consequences of his
teachings. Those who announce abstract doctrines sub
Verslye OF the and the Unon must not be
surprised should their heated parsans advance step
further and attempt by violence to these doctrines
into practical effect


In this view the subject ought forgotten
mat however great may have been the political adVan
tages resulting from the Union to every portion of
common country these would all prove be nothing
should the time ever arrive when they cannot be enjoyed
without serious danger the safety of the people
of fifteen members of the Conederacy If the peace the
domestic resde throughout these States should be
nVaded-t the mothers OF families within this extensive
region should not be able to retire to rest at night with
suffering dreadful apprehensons of what may be their
fate and that of their children before the monng
would be vain to recount such people the political
benefits which result to them from the Union. Selfpre
servaton is the first instinct of nature and therefore
any state of society in which the sword is all the time
suspended the heads of the people must at last be
come intolerabe But indulge in no such gloomy fore
bodings. On the contrary, | firmly believe that the
at Harpers Ferry by causing the people to pause
ana reecl upon te posslDe peru 10 thei chershe1 IN
stuOns, will be the means under Providence of aay
ing the existing excitement and preventing future out
breaks of similar character They will resolve that the
Constitution and the Union shall not be endangered by
rash counsels, knowing that should he silver cord be
Ioosed or the golden bowl be broken at the foun
tain' human power could reunie the scattered
and hostile fragments.


cordially congratulate you upon the final settlement





ton of slavery in the Territories which had presented
aspect truly formidable at the commencement of
my administration The right has been established of
citizen TO take his property of kind including
slaves into the common Territories belonging equally to
all the States of the Confederacy and have protected
there under the Federal Constitution Neither Congress-
Territorial Legislature, any human power has
any authority to annul impair this vested right The
supreme judicial tribunal of the country, which is
ordinate branch of the Government has sanctioned and
affirmed these principles of constitutional law, mani
testify Just in themselves and so well calculated pro
harmony q
striking proof of the of justice which is inherent in
people that the slaves has never dis
turbed TO knowledge in any of the Territories Even
throughout the late troubles in Kansas there has
been any ATTEMPT "a am credib formed To interfere
in single instance with the right of the master. Had
such attempt been made the judiciary would doubt
less have afforded adequate remedy Should they fail
to do this hereafter it will then be time enough to
strengthen their hands by further legislation Had been
decided that either Congress the Territorial Legislature
the power TO annu impair the right property
in slaves the evil would be intoerable In the latter
event, there would he struggle for a majority of the
members OF Tho Legislature each successive election
and the sacred rights property held under the Federal
Constitution would depend for the time being the
sIIt Inc aglatigh would thus oe rendered lhScssahi
whilst the territorial condition remained and its banetu
influence would keep alive dangerous excitement among
the people of the several States.


Thus has the of Territory, during the nterme-
dfae period from its first settlement until it shall become
State, been irrevocably fixed by the final decision of
the Supreme Court Fortunate has this been for the |
prosperity OF the Territories, well the tranquility of
the States Now, emigrants from the North and the
South, the East and the West will meet in the Terrific
ries common platform, having brought with them
that species of property best adapted in their opin
ion to promote their welfare From natural causes the
slavery question will in each virtually settle
ITSELF and before the Territory prepared for admission
State into the Union this decision way or the
other, win have a forgone conclusion. Meanwhile
the settlement of the new Territory will proceed without
serious interruption and its progress and prosperity will
not be endangered retarded by violent political srug
giles.
When in the progress of events the Inhabitants of any
Territory shall have reached the number required form
State, they will then proceed in regular and
in the exercise of the rights of popular sovereignty to





Union After this has been DONE employ the language
of the Kansas Nebraska act they 'sha be received into
the Union with without slavery their constitution
may prescribe at the time OF their admission. This
sound principle has happily been recognized, in
form other, by almost unanimous vote of both
houses of the last Congress.
All lawfnl means at my command have been employ |
ed, and shall continue to be employed, TO the
laws against the African savetrade. After most care
full and rigorous examination of coasts and thor
ough investigation of the subject have not been able
to discover that any slaves have been imported into the
United States except the cargo by the Wanderer, nam
berng between three and four hundred Those engaged
in this unlawful enterprise have been vigorously prose
cuted; but with much success their crimes
have deserved number of them still under prose
cution.
our history proves that the Fathers of the Republic
in advance of all ohSr nations condemned the African
savetrade 1t was notwithstanding, deemed eXpedient
by the trainers of the Constitution deprive Congress of
the power to prohibit 1.-THE migration importation of
such persons any OF the States now existing shall think
proper to admit prior to the year one thousand eight
| hundred and eight
1t will be that this restriction the power of Con
gress confined such States only might think
proper to admit the importation of slaves 1t did not
other States trade carried on abroad
Accordingly find that early the 22d March, 1894
Congress passed imposing penalties and pun
shments upon citizens and residents the United States
who should engage this trade between foreign nations
The provisions of this act extended and enforced by
| the act OF 10th May, 1900.
Again: The States themselves had a clear right to
waive the constitutional privilege intended for their ben
fit and to prohibit by their own laws this trade any
time they thought proper previous to l8Os Several of
them exercised this right before that period and among
them containing the greatest number of slaves
This to Congress the immediate to act in
gard to all such States because they themselves had
moved the constitutional barrier Congress accordingly
passed 2Sth February, SO3 ito prevent the i'm
poratou certain persons into certain States where by
the laws thereof their admission prohibited" In this
manner the importation Of African slaves into the United
States was great extent prohibited some years in ed
As the year 1908 approached, Congress determined not
to suffer this trade to exist for single day after
they had the power abolish it. On the % Of March
1907 they passed act to take effect from and after the
st day OF January ioOS prohibiting the importation OF
African slaves into the United States This followed
by subsequent acts of similar character to which need
not specially refer. Such were the principles and such
the practice of our ancestors than fifty in
regard to the African slave trade


1t did not occur to the revered patriots who had been
delegates to the convention, and afterwards became
bers Congress- that in passing these laws they had vo
lated the Constitution which they had framed with so
much care and deberation They supposed that to pro
hbit Congress, in express terms from exercising speci
fed power before an appointed day. necessarily involved
the right 10 exercise this power after that day had
| rived


Ifths the case the trainers of the Constitu





agined that Congress would possess power prohibit
the trade either before after 1903 they would
have taken much to protect the States against
the exercise Of this before that period Nav
they would not have attached such vast importance
this provision have excluded il from possibility
of future repeal amendment to which other portions
of the Constitution exposed. 1t would, then have
been wholly unnecessary to engraft the fifth article
the Constitution prescribing the mode of it's fut
amendment the proviso, that amendment which
may be made prior the year thousand eight hun.
dred and eight shall in any manner Affect the provision
in the Constitution securing the the right
NIT the importation of African slaves previous that
period.


According to the adverse construction clause itself
on which much and discussion had been employ
ed by the members of the convention, absolute
nuty from the beginning, and all that has since been
done under il usurpation.


It well d wise to confer this power Congress-
because had it been left to the States efficient
else would have been impossible In that any one


State could have eecualy continued the trade only
itself but all the other slave States, though
so much against their will And why? Because
slaves when once brought within the limits any one
State in accordance with its laws practically be
excluded any other State where slavery exists.
And if all the States had separately passed laws
prohibiting the importation of slaves these laws would
have failed effect for want of naval force to capture
the sayers and to guard the coasts. Such force no
State employ in time Of peace without the consent OF
Congress


These of Congress it is believed have with very
rare and insignificant exceptions, accomplished erpur-
pose For period Of more than half century there
has been perceptble addition to the number of our
in civilization has surpassed that of any other portion
Epht nd he