Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1865-12-16
THE UNION INDISSOLUBLE.
PRESENT CONDITION OF THE COUNTRY.
A NASTERLY STATE PAPER.

Il MASTERLY STATE PAPER.
Fsllow citizens Of the Senate and House Of
Representatives.:
To express gratitude to God in the name
of the people, for the preservation of the
United States, is my first duty in addressing
you. Our thoughts next revert to the death
of the late President by an act of parricidal
treason. The grief of the nation is still
fresh; it finds some solaee in the considera-
tion that he lived to enjoy. the highest proof
of its confidence by entering On she renewed
term of the Chief Magistracy to which he
had been elected that he brought the civil
war substantially to close; that his loss
was deplored in all parts of the Union, and
that foreisn nations have rendered justice to
his memory. His removal cast upon me "A
heavier weight of cares than ever devefEe6
upon any one of his predecessors.
To fill my trust need the support and
confidence of all who are associated with me
| in the various departments of Government,
and the supper, and confidence of the peo-
pie There is but cne way in which can
| hope to gain their necessary aid; 1t is, to
state with frankness the principles which
guide my conduct, and their application to
the efficiency of my labors will, in a great
measure, depend on your labor and uEdivi-
ded appreciation.
The Union of the United States of Ameri-
CO was intended by its authors to last as long
as the States themselves shall last. The
Union shall be perpetual are the words OF
the Confederation. "TO form more perfect
Union" by an ordinance of the people OF
the United States, is the declared purpose
of the Constitution. The hand of Divine
Providence was never more plainly visible
in the affairs of men than in the framing and
the adopting of that instrument. 1t is, be-
yond comparison, the greatest event in
American history and indeed is it not, OF
all events in modern times, the most prcg-
nant with consequences for every part Of the
earth
The members Of the convention which
prepared it, brought to their work the ex.
perience of the confederation, of their seve-
raj States, and of other republican govern.
ments, old and new but they needed and
they ubt lined a wisdom superior to expe-
rience. And when for its validity it re-
quired the approval of people that occu-
pied large part of continent, and acted
separately in many distinct conventions,
what is more wonderful than that, after
earnest contention and long discussion, all
| feelings and all opinions were ultimately
drawn in one way to its support.
| The Constitution to which life was thus
impaired contains within itself ample re-
sources for its own preservation. 1t has
power to enforce the laws, punish treason,
and ensure domestic tranquility. In case
of the usurpation of the Government of &
State by one man, or an oligarchy, it be-
comes duty of the United States to make
good the guarantee to that State of q re-
publican form of government, aud SO to
maintain the homogeneousness of all. Docs
the lapse Of time reveal defectsl
A simple mode of amendment is provided
in the Constitution itself, SO that its condi-
tions can always be made to conform to the
requirements of advancing civilization. No
room is allowed even for the thought Of a
possibility of ITS coming to an end. And
these powers of seif.preservation have al
ways been asserted in their complete integ-
rity by patriotic Chief Magistrates-by JET
ierson and jackson, not less than by Wash
ington and Madison. The parting advice
of the Father of his Country, while yet
President to the people of the United States,
was, that "the Constitution. which was the
work of their hands, might be sacredly
maintained" and the inaugural words Of
President Jefferson held up "the preserva-
tion of the General Government, in its con-
stitutional vigor, as the sheet anchor of our
peace at home and safety abroad" The
Constitution is the work of "the People of
the United States" and it should bc as in
destructible rs the people.
1t is not strange that the trainers of the
Constitution which had no model in the
past, should not have fully comprehended
| the excellence of their own work. Fresh
from a struggle against arbitrary power,
many patriots suffered from harrassing fears
of an absorption of the State Governments
| by the General Government, and many from
dread that the StateE would bEesk away
from their orbits. But the very greatness
of our countSy should allsy the spprehen-
sion of encroachmeEts by the General Gov
ernment. The subjects that come unques-
tionably within its jurisdiction are SO nu-
merous, that it must ever naturally refuse
to be embarrassed by questions that lie be-
yond IL.
Were it otherwise, the Executive would
sink beneath the burden; the channels OF
Justice would he choked legislation would
be obstructed by, excess so that there is a
greater temptation to exercise some of the
functions of the Geueral Government
through the States than to trespass on theh
| rightfnl sphere. "The absolute acquiesccnce
in the decisions of the majority" was, at the
beginning of the century, enforced by JEFF
ferson las the vital principle of republics,
and the events of the last -four years have
established, We will hope forever, that there
lies no appeal to force. The mainte
nance Of the Union brings with it the
support of "the State Governments in al
their right; !" but it is not one of the rights
-af any State Government to renounce its
own place in the Union, or to nullify the
laws OF the Union.
The largest liberty is 10 he maintained "a
the discussion of tie Federal Government
but there is no appeal from its laws, except
to the various branches of that Government
itself, or to the people, lHho grant to ht
members of :he Legislative and of the Exeeu
tive Departments no tenure but limited
one, and.in that manner always retain th'
power of.redress.
J 'The sovereignty of the States" is thu
language of the Confederacy, and not th'
language of the Constitution. The latte
contains the emphatic words: .TkstConsti