Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-12-10
THE RESOLUTIONS.

Feeling the great weight of responsibility men,
bers of Congress, we have met in party spirit for
any party purpose but for the purpose of deberang and
consulting together how may best perform Con-
gressonal duties in the present great and perous
of countrys fate and have to the following
conclusions, namely:
l. Resolped That the Constitution and the Union and
the laws must be preserved and maintained in all their
proper ard ehtfu supremacy and that the rebellion
n against them be suppressed and put down.
and that it is duty to vote for all measures necessary
and proper to that end.
Resoioed, That the true interests of the country
well the dictates of humanity, require that
acts of war should be prosecuted or done than are
necessary and proper for the prompt and complete sup
precision of the rebellion.
g. Resolred, That the States component and
tal parts of the Union bound together nseparaby by the
Constitution of the United States that OF them
to exist such long that Constitution
vyes and that is the exclusive sphere aud duty of the
States to order and direct their own domestic affairs
While the rebellion, therefore, has not annuled de-
stroyed the constitutional relations OF the sCcaed Seced
ing States" to the Federal Government, neither has it
divesed those States Of any rights or powers municipal
otherwise properly belonging to them members Of
the Federal Union The actual exercise Of those rights
and powers may for time be interrupted or obsructed
by rebellion and some ilegtmate authority may be subs
tued In it's place but that rebellion suppress
ed these States will be entitled Of right, TO
the exercise Of all the rights aud powers, dgnes and
mmunites which properly belong to them as States of
this Union.
Resolped, That the present war, avowed by the
President and Congress, and understood by the people,
commenced aud prosecuted for the purpose Of sup
pressing the rebellion, and preserving and indicating the
Constitution the Union, and the lave aud Tor that purpose
only 1t was great and ncbe purpose high above any
mere sectional or party obect' and 1t once 1T inspired
and united n it's support all loyal men of every creed
party, and section At the call Of the Government
mighty army the most patriotic sprung at into the
field and bleeding and conquerng in the defence of its
Government Under these circumstances it would
opinion, be most unjust and ungenerous to give any
character direction to the war for the accomplishment
Of any other than it's great first purpose aud especially
for the accomplishment Of any mere party or sectional
scheme.
Resolped, That the many and great victories lately
achieved by armies and navies whilst they ought to
convince the world c the vast military power Of our Gov
ernmen give the pleasing that our depo
rabls civil will be brought to close should the
proper objects of the war; AZ herein before defined be
kept steadily in view. When that is DONE and when such
punishment is inf cted such of the guilty leaders as
will satisfy public Justice ard upon such Others as have
made Themselves conspicuous for crimes committed in the
prosecution of the rebellion it is opinion that our
Government should adopt such wise OF clemency
will tend to bring back cordial reconciliation and peace
to the whole country.
Resolstd That the doctnen of the secessionis,s and
Of the abotonist as the lster represented in
Congress alike false to the Constitution and rrecon
cabe with the unity and peace Of the country The first
have already involved in cruel civil war and the
(the aboonsts) win leave to the country bur little hope
Of the speedy restoration Of union peace the schemes
Of conscaton emancipation and other unconstitutional
measures which they have lately carried and attempted
carry through the House oi Representatives. shall be
enacted into the form Of laws and unrebuked by
the people
RESOLVED That Congress- has power to deprive any
person Of his property for any criminal offence unless that
person been fret duly convicted Of the offence by the
verdict Of jury And that all acts Of Congress like those
lately passed by the House of Representatives. which
forfeit the estates of men for offences
Of which they been convicted upon due trial by
jury are nnconstuiiona and lead to oppression aud
tyranny 1t il no Justification for such acts that the
crimes committed in the prosecution OF the rebellion are
OF uoexampied atrocty s there any such justification
State necessity" known to Government or laws
The foregoing resolutions in explanation and re-
affirmation Of the resolution passed at the extra sesson OF
the present Congress- known the Crittenden reeolu
ticn" and which declared that this war waged
psrt n any spirit Of oppression for any purpose
Of conquest suluga m nor for the purpose of over
throwing interfering with the rights established ia
sutions Of those States but to defend and maintain the
supremacy Of the Constitution aud to preserve the Union
with all the gnity, equality and rights Of the several
States unmpared and that as soon as these objects
accomplished the war ought to cease"