Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1864-04-07

! The House beng IN committee OF the
/ Whole on the State Of the Union
Mr. BLISS said
Mr.. CHAIRMAN propose, according
to custom of this House in Committee of
the Whole House on the state of the Union
to submit some few remarks upon the
message and proclamation of the President
which were communicated to Congress at
the commencement of the present session,
and to briefly consider some topics presented
! therein, which are Of vast importance to the
| millions OF people who are represented upon
| this floor The message and proclamation,
communicated together, and involving the
same subjects, are substantially one doc
ument - and in my remarks will be
so treated The subjects therein presented
are such as given rise to the widest differ
cnce Of political opinion possible among our
! pcoplc-a portion of whom, and probably a
majority of this body, profess to receive the
present and future policy declared by the
President with satisfaction, and some with
admiration; while all rational men, who have
not been indoctrnatcd with the revolution
airy views of the so-callcd Republican party,
contemplate them with amazcment and fear
and well may they tremblc in view Of such
enormous assumptions of ungrantcd power.
The Constitution Of the United Statcs,
which in better times was admittcdto be the
paramount law of this land, in defining the
powers and duties Of the President, proyi-
dcd that
.'Ifc shall from time to time give to the Con-
grcss Information of the state of the Union, and
recommend to their consideration such meas
urcs as he shall Judge necessary and cXpcdi-
Cnt."
In accordance with this provision Of the
Constitution many statcsmanIlkc papers,
under the title Of message, were by former
Presidents communicated to Congress, and
thence to the people at large. They cxhib-
tied the onward march Of an exceedingly
happy and pros porous people toward the at
tainmcnt of uncXamplcd dignity and power.
. In times Of peace and in tunes Of war they
u showed the admirable working OF our wise
and benefcient Government. The well adj
ustcd powers Of the Constitution were found
n to be sufficient for every national cmcrgen
cy. The Chief Magistrate had no occasion
: for the exercise Of even doubtful powers
1t is refreshing to withdraw as far as posi-
. BILE, for Il brief space, our contemplation
from the present condition to read ancy
those glowing descriptions Of the country
:, prosperity. But those halcyon days Of the
Republic are past, and amcssagc Of a differ
cnt type now claims our deepest considera
, ton
!. The President is not required to inform
Congress OF the facts as 10 the condition o
integrity Of what was, once the Cnion-it
broken fragments are as visible to us as tt
him--butthe duty Of his office is, by the ap
pication of the wisdom and statcsrnanslIiI
which his position guarantee That he shall
, possess, to advise the Legislative department
and the people Of the best and surcst
means Of rcscuing the country from terri
bic dilemma in which it has no aid Of past
experiences 90 snow tnc means, !! such
there be, by which that onion to which the
Constitution calls ms attention, ana when
has crumblei under ms g'ardlahsiip' may
be restored. 90 not call upon the fresi
dent to give history ol the concatcnateo
circumstances which led to the dissolution
do not think that 1t would be plcaaan
task ior hlm to write the narrative, nor d'
think 1t would be sufficiently authentic
when written.
1t would be prohtable, however, Tor Us al
to pause ana cohHiucr 'he causes Which nav
Drought our country 10 lts present uhlortu
nate condition, and to arise from the reiir'
ton with solemn purPosc 10 recoHn'"e III III
n instructive 'ru!h" ol our c history, ahu' Wl.l
- out party passion OF Soi'SlincsS, "iich
cannot hiloId TO indulge III lheHe 'llhoS' 10 =
ourselves p{ common consch. "pon' y!
W4'h VI icliaoi''s Wy 'oG Gu'n'ac.'' .I IlI'" II
I, old louhdatl"l's, W thcei 'i'a' i'S o'o pro-
perry may reNlEe,. =,
Z, lhcre Is no ullhculty III determining IN
Sonrce"l th1 oN' 1T 's one success III III
conhrIiS OF 'iie nation ol prihcll,cs anu po
lry Whlc'i are III 'r'cI3hcl'"lIc al'nSo'l'''!'
lho Government, ,pon ''in' H','so''l''
'he present ouhln's'fa'lol' c'''le Ii''o 'o"'
y. ANA mus II may DC seen WHAT ioicc llo? ~
S4'lth purpose TO rha'ge eilc piln'llln,'
ol !ilc 'oNpln'lo"C i'i'o c""'"'"'''H W VI
notions ana HuNnin'aSo' oi HuecHS'iui pa
y, ~ II an lh'cIlEchl stranger 1e5ireI
discover the root OF our ''a'lohal H'l'icul''c
ne would naturally inquire lh'3 tne hlS'oi'
.c. character ana ncuon oi inc ponliIal par'''
INTO Whirh our people nave nrrn u,Nlueu' -
1, ne Wonlu readily. ascertain Una! 'he par
enilcd penhocra!ic hau ouli'i''ns'ercu u
noNell'hchi WIN grchl success iloi'' l,s GU
~ years, ana WIN ','l. i''llc interruption
ana had on al occasions auher,4 ''re'Y.
the lcl'er ana Spllt ol ihe 'onSu'utio
ana Secnfeu 10 'h' h"!ioh 'he pleS'l''eS Wh,'
lal'hiuliy fuPpoft3u' 1t was 'nh'pe'en, ion to-,
STOW. oh liic othet manu-, hc "oulu 10"
= tnc history Oh PnnIrE vi nerpct"a' oppo'
tloli, constantly E'l!iylhS t,'c au'i''n,S'ra'i'
ol JenerSoh, Maui,nl' monroe, oackSo
ana OF the latter democratic iresldSh'
Chamcleohlzihg ltHeil as oiteh aS i's 'lHcN
bic purpose 9l opposition required, a.,
would learn hiHo now all oppos,ioh 70 'h