0 (SLonbcnstr 
which ifi attempting to withdraw, or has actually 
withdrawn from the Confederacy? If answered 
in the affirmative, it must be on the principle that 
the power haa been conferred upon Congress to 
declare and to make war again*t a State. After 
much serious reflection i have arrived at the enn- 
clnalon that no such power has been delegated to 
Congress or to any other department of the fede¬ 
ral government 1 It is manifest, upon an inspec¬ 
tion of the constitution, that this is not among 
the specific and enumerated powers granted to 
Congress; and it is eqaally apparent that its ex¬ 
ercise is not “ necessary and proper for carrying 
into execution” any one of these powers. So far 
from this power having been delegated to 
Congress, it was expressly refused by the Con¬ 
vention which framed the Constitution. 
Constitutional Amendments.— The President 
recommends “explanatory amendments to the 
Constitution on the subject of Slavery.” These 
are as follows: 
"], An express recognition of the right of 
property in slaves in the states where it now ex¬ 
ists or moy hereafter exist. 
2. The duty of protecting this right in all the 
common Territoiies throughout their territorial 
existence, and until they shall be admitted as 
Siates-into the Union, with or without slavery. 
3. A like recognition of the right of the master 
to have his slave, who has escaped from one State 
to another, restored and " delivered up ” to him, 
and of the validity of the Fugitive Slave Law, en¬ 
acted for this purpose, together with a declaration 
that ali State lawa impairing or defeatingthisright 
are violations of the Constitution, and conse¬ 
quently null and void.” 
not yet prepared to decide on the proper method 
of relieving the embarrassment of the Treasury. 
The Speaker will not announce the Special 
Committee on thatpartof the President’s Message 
referring to secession troubles, until Monday, de¬ 
siring meanwhile to consult with the members of 
the different State delegations, in order to make 
the best selections. Adjourned. 
high seas, in time of peace, by the armed vessels 
of any other power; and should a vessel of the 
U. 8. falsely assume the flag of any other nation, 
it would constitute no protection. 
Among the documents from the State Depart¬ 
ment is a note from Lord John Russell to Lord 
Lyons, which the latter read to Secretary Cass.— 
It Is dated February last Lord John Russell says 
that it is his painful duty to call attention to the 
increasing activity and success of the slave trade 
carried on on the coast of Africa and Cuba, and 
that it appears that the number of negroes intro¬ 
duced in Cuba last year was from 22,000 to 30,000. 
Also, that United States cspital has been more or 
less employed in thiB traffic, by parties Hailing 
under the American flag. 
Mr. Cass plainly says that the President has 
read with surprise and dissatisfaction, certain 
British official representations, which, in the 
judgment of the Executive, arc not supported by 
the ijicts advanced, nor are they compatible with 
the respect due from one independent nation to 
another. It further appears from these documents 
that the Biitish government has frequently com¬ 
plained to our own about the increase of the Slave 
trade. So Secretary Cass wrote to Minister Dal¬ 
las, in October last, to assure Lord John Russell 
that the foreign cilice has been assured more than 
once before that certain diplomatic suggestions 
are aB unnecessary as they are unacceptable, and 
to express the hope that similar appeals will not 
he repeated, for this government needs not such 
representations to stimulate its action or to teach 
its duty._ 
Congressional Proceedings. 
Senate. —Mr. Halo moved that a number of 
volumes be published in relation to the Pacific 
Railroad, for the use of the Senate. 
Mr. Powell moved the reference of the Presi¬ 
dent’s Message, so far as it relates to the present 
political affairs of the country, to a special com¬ 
mittee. 
Mr. Green offered a resolution for inquiring 
into the expediency of establishing an armed 
police force in the border States, Slave and FreP, 
for maintaining the general peace, and efficient 
execution of the Fugitive Slave Law. 
The credentials of Senator Baker, of Oregon, 
were presented. 
Mr. Hale moved to reconsider the vote to print 
the President’s Message, and made a speech at¬ 
tacking it as failing to meet the secession move¬ 
ment in the face. 
Mr. Brown said—If yon of the North go to the 
light., we will go to the left, and vice versa. 
Mr. Iverson said the States withdrawing, dis¬ 
claim any farther allegiance. We intend to go 
out of the Union before the 4th of March, peace¬ 
ably if wo can, forcibly if we must Five States 
will go out and Arkansas and Louisiana will call 
conventions pretty soon. 
Mr. Wigfall thought the President would pre¬ 
cipitate the measure he intends to avoid. 
Mr. Salisbury, of Del., said his State having been 
the first to adopt the Constitution, would bo the 
last to do any act, or countenance any, calculated, 
or having the tendency, to lead to a separation of 
the States. 
Mr. Powell introduced a resolution that so much 
of tho President’s Message as relates to the present 
agitated and distracted state of the country, and 
the grievance of the slaveholding and non-slave- 
holding States, be referred to a special committee 
of thirteen members, and that said committee bo 
instructed to inquire whether any additional legis¬ 
lation than already exists within the sphere of 
federal authority, will be necessary for the pro¬ 
tection and security of the property of the United 
States; if so, to report by bill; and that the Baid 
committee he also instructed to consider and re¬ 
port whether it is deemed expedient to proposo 
an amendment or amendments to the Constitution 
of tho United States, so fur as to insure a prompt 
and full protection of the right of property of 
citizens of every State and Territory, and insure 
the equality of the States, and insure the equal 
rights of the citizens aforesaid, under the Federal 
Constitution. Laid over for the present. Adj. 
IIorsK,—The House, by 68 to 125, refused to lay 
on the table Mr. Crow’s motion to reconsider the 
vote by which committee of Agricultures’ Home¬ 
stead bill was last session referred to the commit¬ 
tee of tho whole on the state of the Union. 
The House then reconsidered the vote. 
The hill was then brought up for action. 
Mr. Grow did not desire to discuss this measure, 
the principle involved having been familiar to the 
country the past ten years. This bill, however, 
avoids the prominent objections in President 
Buchanan’s veto message. It doeB not propose 
to donate lands, hut requires a payment of $10 
for 100 acrcB. He might, if necessary, quote Jack- 
son against Buchanan, to show that the former 
was of tho opinion that the public lands should 
not be a source of federal revenue. He moved 
the previous question, under the operation of 
which the bill passed—133 to 76. 
After some debate on other matters, the Houso 
went into committee of the whole, and considered 
the Military Academy bill, which, as well as the 
Pension bill was passed. 
The Speaker appointed the following special 
commitee under Mr. Boteler’s resolution, to con¬ 
sider questions connected with the perilous con¬ 
dition of the country:—Chairman—Corwin, Ohio; 
Millson, Virginia; Adams, Mass.; Winslow,N. C.; 
Humphrey, N. Y.$ Boyce, S. C.; Campbell, Pa.; 
Love, Ga ; Ferry, Ct.; Davis, Md,; Robinson, R. 
I.; Whiteley, Del.; Tappan, N. H.; Stratton, N. J. 
Bristow, K.; Morrow, Vt.; Nelson, Tenn.; Dunn, 
la.; Taylor,La.; Davis,Mi.; Kellogg,Ill.;HonatoD, 
Ala,; Morse, Me.; Phelps, Mo.; Rust, Ark.; How¬ 
ard, Mich.; Hawkins, Florida; Hamilton, Texas; 
Washburn, Wis.; Curtis, Iowa; Burch,California; 
Windom, Minn.; Stout, Oregon. 
With a view to relieve the present financial 
embarrassment of the Government Mr. Phelps 
made a proposition in the Committee of Ways 
and Means, to issue $10,000,000 in the form of 
Treasury Notes. The consideration of this propo¬ 
sition was postponed for a short time, as the Secre¬ 
tary of Treasury report on the finances is not 
printed, and the members of the committee are 
CONTENTS OF THIS NUMBER 
AGRICULTURAL Pag*. 
Improve the Mind anil the Soil,.307 
Inquiries and Notes,. 
Quitch Grass, [Illustrated,]. ^ 
Potatoes Mixing in the Hill. 887 
Booling Materials,. 887 
The American Terr&cultor, [Illustrated,J.307 
The time fur Breeding Cattle,.39H 
Wheat GrOwi'g, Sterility, &e.3S* 
The Bee-Keeper - Facts about Bees.308 
Rural Spirit uf the Press - Caution to Dairymen; 
About Ice House*; Water Ciatorns,.398 
Agricultural Miscellany—O ut “ Rnral” Letters from 
the People; Honorable to Women—Invention and Pro¬ 
duction; The Season and Crops in England; The Wheat 
and Corn Crop* of the Weal.........398 
HORTICULTURAL. 
Dwarf Pears • Self-Praise,.399 
Mew Native Fruits,.399 
Benwood Seedling Apple, [Illustrated,].399 
Horticultural Holes .—Grapes and Wine; Keep Bouse 
Plants Clean; Colored Fruit Plates; Illinois Horticul¬ 
tural Society,.3-9 
Inquiries and Ansmers. Grapo Culture ; Transplant¬ 
ing Rhubarb,.899 
DOMESTIC ECONOMY. 
To Veueer Picture Frames with Straw; Coffee Cake; 
To make Bard Soap from Soft; Cove for Weeping 
Sinew; Cleaning Oil Cloths,...... ..399 
LADIES' OLIO. 
“YoungBride,"|Poetical;! An Old Woman’s School 
Days; Home Attractions; Double, .400 
CHOICE MISCELLANY. 
M usings, [Poetical;] Our Holiday*; Home; Growing 
Old; The Language of Nature; Intercourse with Supe¬ 
rior Person*,...4C0 
SABBATn MUSINGS. 
Shadows, [Poetical;] " We'll Meet again;” The Cross; 
Nature uml Revelation; Pulpit Controversy.490 
THE TRAVELER. 
A Trip to California—Letter XIX,.401 
USEFUL OLIO. 
London Dust TTcaps: Civilisation under Water; Colds; 
Jloulded amt Pressed Glass; Primitive! Institutions,-401 
YOUNG RURALI8T. 
Employment of Time; Thoughts for Young Men; . 
Idleness not Happiness: LUtle Act* Great; Bantam 
Fowls; A Man, ortho Higher Pleasures of the lntellcct,401 
THE STORY TELLER. 
The Land of Dreams, [Poetical;] Up and Down,.404 
— The hog cholera is working fearful ravages in Ma¬ 
coupin Co., HI, 
— The cold snap of the 24th ult. closed the navigation 
of the Upper Mississippi. 
— The number of offices in the gift of Ihe National 
Executive is about 60,000. 
— An organised gang ef incendiaries has been discov¬ 
ered at Manchester, Ohio. 
— The Grand .Inry of Montgomery, Ala., have present¬ 
ed the Union as a nuisance. 
— The “ fintt shad of the season ” was served up at 
Savannah, Ga., Thursday week. 
— A case in chancery begun in England, in 1791, was 
decided in London last October. 
— Lord Brougham being childless, his patent of peer¬ 
age is transferred to his brother. 
— The grain harvest of Oregon is bountiful, and there 
it a large surplus for exportation. 
— A practicable and easy railroad route has been dis¬ 
covered across the Siena Nevada. 
— Garibaldi has a son pursuing his studies in a Protes¬ 
tant college near Davenport, Eng. 
— Marlborough House, London, is being converted into 
a residence for the Prince of Wales. 
— The small pox Is raging violently among the poor 
in the Western part of Philadelphia. 
— The Irish papers Fay that the potato crop is turning 
out much better than was anticipated. 
— Every new bride in Greenfield, Mass,, Is entitled to 
$50 from a fund raised for that purpose. 
— The receipts of grain of all kind* In Chicago, since 
January lBt, amount to 34 875,000 bushels. 
— So bad is tho prospect of affairs in Syria, that the 
Christians are advised to leave the country. 
— The Texans are luxuriating upon second and third 
crops of figs, and second crops of mulberries, 
— The number of emigrants that have arrived at the 
port of New York, since January 1, is 100,000. 
— A hippopotamus, the first ever brought to America, 
has arrived in New York. It is two yearB old. 
— Many of the clergymen of New Orleaus preached, 
on Thanksgiving, warmly In favor of secession. 
— Ladies are now seen in the streets of Norfolk, with 
a blue cockade pinned to the bo*om of their dress. 
— The State or Georgia, by the new census, has a pop- 
lation of 1,075,977—an Increase of 61,659 since I860. 
— There have been, during the past year, in Steuben¬ 
ville, Ohio, nearly two hundred deaths from putrid sore 
throat. 
— In Oswego, Sunday night week, a fire destroyed the 
Washington Block and three other buildings. Loss, 
$40,000. 
—.The newspapers in Maine are reviving the project 
of removing the seat of Government from Augusta to 
Portland. 
— Forty-two pairs of twins have been born in eight 
towns in Cass county, Mich., during the year ending June 
1st, 1860. 
— Dr. Oberdorf died in Cincinnati a few days since. 
He was one of the few surviving soldiers of the Great 
Napoleon. 
— A hornet’s nest, five feet in circumference, has 
been presented to the New Jersey State Agricultural 
Collection. 
— Randall Clark was fined, at the term of the Circuit 
Court of Lowndes Co., Ala., $1,000 for not feeding his 
slaves well. 
— The Upper Mississippi froze over on the night of 
Nov. 23d. The mail now goes in stages from La Crosse 
to St, Paul. 
— The N. Y. Times' correspondent of Havana says the 
slave trade was never brisker on the island than at the 
present time. 
— A cun of fluid hurst and killed a little boy while he 
was playing with it and lighted paper, at Willimantic, on 
Tuesday week. 
— The largest hotel in the world is the Lindell House, 
now nearly completed in St. Louis. Its cost, unfurnished, 
will be $600,000. 
— Mrs. Bailey, of Lexington, Mass., 84 years of age, 
Tho President'* Message. 
Tnis document was presented to Congress on 
the 4th inst, and though we would be glad to 
present it entire to our readers, want of space 
forbids. Passing over for the present that por¬ 
tion relating to Foreign affairs, etc, we give a 
condensation of the President's views relative lo 
the peculiarly exciting topics now engaging the 
attention of the country: 
Secession.— It is alleged br one cause for im¬ 
mediate secession that the Southern States are 
denied equal lighta with the other States in the 
common Territories. But by what authority are 
these denied? Not by Congress, which has never 
passed, and 1 believe never will puss, any act to 
exclude slavery from these Territories; and cer¬ 
tainly not by the Supreme Court, which ha* sol- 
eninly decided that slaves are property, and, like 
all other property, their owners nave a right to 
take them into the common Territories, and hold 
them there under the protection of the Consti¬ 
tution. 
So far then as Congress is concerned, the objec¬ 
tion is not lo anything they have already done, 
but to what they may do hereafter. It will surely 
be admitted that this apprehension of future dan 
ger is no good reason for an immediate dissolu¬ 
tion of tho Union. It is true that the Territorial 
Legislature of Kansas, on the 23d of February, 
I860, passed in great haste an act, over the veto 
of the Governor, declaring that slavcrv “is, and 
shall be, forever prohibited in this Territory.” 
Such an act, however, plainly violating the rights 
of property secured by the Constitution, will 
sorely be declared void by the judiciary whenever 
it shall be presented in a legal form. 
Only three days after my inauguration the Su¬ 
preme Court of the United States solemnly ad¬ 
judged that this power did not exist in a territo¬ 
rial 'legislature. Yet, such has been the factious 
temper of the times that the correctness of this 
decision haa been extensively impugned before 
the people, tmd the quention has given rise to 
angry political conflicts throughout tbc country. 
Those who have appealed from this judgment of 
our highest constitutional irihunal to popular as¬ 
semblies would, if they could, invest a territorial 
legislature with power to annul tho sacred rights 
of properly. This power Congress is expressly 
forbidden by the Federal Constitution to exercise. 
Every State Legislature In the Union is forbidden 
by its own constitution to exerc.iBc it It cannot 
be exorcised in any State except by the people in 
their highest sovereign capacity when forming 
or (unending their State Constitution. 
State Enactments. —The most palpable viola¬ 
tions of constitutional duty which have yet. been 
committed, consist In the acta of different State 
Legislatures to defeat the execution of the Fugi¬ 
tive Slave Law. It ought to he remembered, 
however, that for these acts neither Congress nor 
any President can justly he held responsible. 
II uving been passed in violation of the Federal 
Constitution, they are, therefore, null and void. 
All the courts, both State and National, before 
whom the question has arisen, have from the be¬ 
ginning declared the Fugitive Slave Law to be 
constitutional. The single exception is that of a 
Stato Court in WDcomin, and this has not only 
been reversed by the proper appellate tribunal, 
but has met with such universal reprobation that 
there can be no danger from it as a precedent. 
The validity of this law has been established over 
and over again by the Supreme Court, of the Uni¬ 
ted States with, perfect impunity. It is founded 
upon an express provision of the Constitution, 
requiring that, fugitive slaves who escape from 
service in one State to another shall be “delivered 
up” to their musters. Without this provision it 
is a well known historical fact that the constitu¬ 
tion itself could never have been adopted by the 
Convention. 
■In order to jns- 
Horace L. White, who was appointed Census 
Marshall, writes us that in the course of hia 
travels ho “found one old lady 104 years old last 
February. She lives in North East, and was a 
married woman, and living in Boston, when the 
tea was thrown overboard. I have seen women 
of seventy years, who were apparently much older 
than she seems to be.” 
FOREIGN NEWS 
NEW ADVERTISEMENTS, 
The People’s Orent, Book* -John E. Potter. 
The Satunlny Evening Post-1)< neon & Peterson. 
ImpOilHOt in S' tori. Growers- AG. 1 latch, Gen. Agent. 
Refer,teil Illinois Banks Emery A'.Co- 
J). Leary'* Steam Fancy I 'Winn Eelablishinent. 
Valuable Farm for Sale 1;. Wrighl Hall. 
Cheater While Pig* —Seth A. Burlmell. 
Pear Seed for Sale— G. O. Maurer. 
60 Agents Wanted—F. Beech. 
SI’KCIAI. NOTICKS. 
Brown's Brouchia.1 Troches. 
.vill/AU*- 
ROCHESTER, N. Y., DECEMBER 15, I860. 
DOMESTIC NEWS 
Washington Matters. 
Tnx President, on the 7th inst, explicitly 
expressed hia determination to send no more 
troopB to the forts near Charleston, and said 
everything would he done on his part to avoid a 
collision. Major Alexander has made no request 
for reinforcements, and it is represented that the 
best of feeling exists between the garrison of Foil 
Moultrie and the citizens of Charleston. 
The U. S. Supreme Court met in their new 
chamber at noon, on tho 5th inst. Chief Justice 
Taney and all the associate judges were present, 
except Judge Wayne. The court shortly after¬ 
wards adjourned, and the Judges proceeded to 
the White House, personally, and afterwards left 
their cards for the Vice President. After the 
adjournment of the Court, the members of the 
bar practicing in that Court, held a meeting to 
express their regret at the death of associate J as- 
tice Daniel, which occurred during the vacation. 
A dispatch from Fort Scott to the Interior De¬ 
partment, dated Nov. 25th, says:—Business offices 
are not interrupted, or likely to be. The Mont¬ 
gomery raid amounts to nothing. 
The correspondence of the N. Y. Times sayB 
that reliable information from Texas represents 
the people on the eve of a revolution against the 
State government. Gov. Houston refnses to con¬ 
vene the Legislature for the purpose of calling a 
convention. 
The special Pacific R. R. Committee, to whom 
was referred that portion of the President’s Mes¬ 
sage relating to the Pacific R. R., will meet Boon. 
They will undoubtedly adhere to the old bill 
recommended last year. This action will depend 
much upon the course of the Southern States. 
Should a general secession of the cotton States 
take place, no favor will be shown the southern 
route. It is considered an important matter by 
the Republicans. The Republican members of 
the Committee are in 3 majority, and will insist 
upon the central route if no other is agreed to. 
Should secession take place, the hill will pass, and 
the incorporators stand ready to commence at 
once. 
The President sent to the House, on the 5th 
inst, a very large mass of documents in response 
to the former session. From a cursory examina¬ 
tion of their contents, it is shown that the cost 
per annum of the African Squadron from the year 
1843 to 1S49, was $384,000. The cost for the pres¬ 
ent year is estimated at about $800,000, owing to 
the majority of the vessels employed being war 
steamers. In the instructions of the flag officers 
of tho African Squadron, the Secretary of the 
Navy says: The United States does not claim the 
mere hoisting of our flag should give immunity 
to those who have the right to war. Such a pre- 
tence would subject it to degredation and dis¬ 
honor, for it wonld thus be made a cover for 
piracy and other crimes of similar atrocity. 
What her own citizens, who rightfully display it, 
are entitled to is absolute immunity and protec¬ 
tion. Yon will, therefore, he prompt to prevent 
the Bearch or detention of U. S. vessels on the 
Tub Fkdkrai, Government. 
tify secession as a constitutional remedy it must 
be on the principle that the federal government 
is a mere voluntary association of Statep, to he 
dissolved at pleasure by any one of the contract¬ 
ing parties. If thiB be so, the confederacy is a 
rope of sand, to be penelrated and dissolved by 
the first adverse wave of public opinion in any of 
the States. Jn this manner our thirty-three States 
may resolve themselves into as many petty, jar¬ 
ring arid hostile republics, each one retiring from 
the Union, without responsibility, whenever any 
sudden excitement may impel them to such a 
course. By this process a Union might be en¬ 
tirely broken into fragments in a few weeks 
which cost our forefathers many years of toil, pri¬ 
vation and blood, to establish. 
Such a principle is wholly inconsistent with 
the history as well ns the character of the federal 
constitution. The truth is, that it was not until 
many years after the origin of the federal govern¬ 
ment that such a proposition was first advanced. 
It was then met and refuted by the conclusive ar¬ 
guments o( Gen. Jackson, who, in his message of 
16th January, 1833, transmitting the nullifying 
ordinance of South Carolina to Congress, employs 
the following language: “The right of the people 
of a single State to absolve themselves at will, 
and without tho consent of the other States, from 
their most solemn obligations, and hazard the lib¬ 
erty and happiness of millions composing this 
Union, cannot he acknowledged. Such authority 
iB believed to be utterly repugnant both to the 
principle on which the federal government is con¬ 
stituted and to the objects which it was expressly 
formed to attain.” 
Intended to de |Pkrt’ett"ai. —It was intended 
to be perpetual, and not to be annulled at the 
pleasure of any one of tho contracting parties. 
The old articles of confederation were entitled 
“ Articles of Confederation aud Perpetual Union 
between the States;” and by the 13th article it is 
expressly declared that “ the articles of this con¬ 
federation shall be inviolably observed by every 
State, and the Union shall be perpetual.” The 
preamble to the Constitution of the United States, 
having express reference, to the article of con¬ 
federation, recites that it was established “in 
order to form a more perfect union.” 
Redress.— It may he asked, then, are the peo¬ 
ple of the States without redress against the 
tyranny and oppression of the Federal Govern¬ 
ment? By no means. The right of resistance on 
the part of the governed against the oppression 
of their governments cannot be denied. It exiBts 
independently of all constitutions, and has been 
exercised at all periods of the world’s history. 
Under it old governments have been destroyed, 
and new ones have taken their place. It is em¬ 
bodied in strong and expressed language in oar 
own Declaration of Independence. But the dis¬ 
tinction must be observed, that this is revolution 
agaiDst au established government, and not a vol¬ 
untary secession from it by virtue of inherent 
constitutional right In short let us look the 
danger fairly in the face; secession is neither 
more nor less than revolution. It may or it may 
not be a justifiable revolution, but still it is revo¬ 
lution. 
Power to Cobrce. —The question fairly stated 
is: Has the constitution delegated to Congress 
the power to coerce a State into submission 
