The daily clarion. [volume] (Meridian, Miss.) 1863-1866, 1865-12-31
SPECIAL MESSAGE. GI
TIE PRESIDENT.
Gen. Grants official Report {
his Tour of Inspection.
Ills Views on I'econstructi0n-
Sentiments of the Northern
People.
>umner calls the President
" " hitcwasher y

Sc On the 10Th inst, the President sent Il
d following important message to Congress
Senator Cowan called for the reading of it
10 the Senate Of the Uaitda STATES:
In reply to the resolution adopted bv IN
Senate en the 18th, have the honor to stas
5Iat the rebellion waged by portion Of tn
s. people against the properly constituted al
tnoritieS of the United States, has been SUI
7 pressed; that the United States are in posse
sion of every State in which the insurrectior
a existed, and that, rs far as could be done, tn
o courts OF the UniteI States have been re
q | stored, pOst-otfices Te-established and step
taken to put into effective operation the rev
e1ue laws of the country, as the result Of tht
t measures instituted by the Executive with I
D F4ew OF inducInga a resumption of the tiInc
IONS the State com pretended i'll the inqui
~ of the Senate.
Tne people Of North Carolina, South Caro-
lima, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Lousi.
ana, Arkansas and Tennessee, have recogniz
| 81 tuair respective State Governments, and
! are yielding obedience to the laws and gov.
| arnment Of the United States with more vii.
Engness and greater promptitude than under
he circumstances could have been reasOna-
oily anticipated The proposed amendment
90 the Constitution providing for the aboli-
ION OF slavery forever within the limits of
| pur country, has been ratified by each one OF
| -lese States with the exception of MiSSissip-
| ii, from which 10 official information has
| oeen received; and in nearly all Of them meas
| dres have been adopted, or are now pending,
30 confer upon the freedmen the privileges
! which are essential to their comfort protec-
! ion and security. In Florida and Texas the
! people are making considerable progress in
| testoring their State Governments, and no
! iGubt is entertained that they will, at an
| arly period, be ii . condition to resume all
.ileir practical relations with the Federal
| government.
| In that portion of the Union lately in re-
| betliOn, the aspect of affairs is more prom
lslng than, in view of all the circumstances,
could well have been expected The people
throughout the entire South eVince a lauda-
Ole desire to renew their allegiance to the
government and to repair the devastation of
war by a prompt and cheerful return to
peaceful pursuits. An abiding faith is en-
Certained that their actions will conform to
their professions, and that in acknowledging
the supremacy of the Constitution and the
laws OF the United States their loyalty will
De unreservedly given to the government
whose leniaAoS- +l4eJ .essaA44vt fail 70 appre-
tlate and whose fostering care Will soon re-
store them to a condition of prosperity
1t is true that in some of the States de-
inoralizlng efacts of the war are to be SEEN |
III occasional disorders, but these are local in |
character, not frequent in occurrence, and |
Ire rapidly disappearing as the authority of |
che civil power is extended and sustained. |
Perplexing questions were naturally to |
De expected from the great and sudden |
;hange in the relations between the races |
.'ut systems are gradually developing them
elves, under which the freedman will re-
celve the protection to which he is justly
entitled, and, by means of his labor make
himself a useful and independent member of
the community in which he has his home
From all the information in my possession,
md from that which have recently derived
rom the most reliable authority, | am in.
duced to cherish the belief that personal an
mostly is surely and rapidly merging itself
alto spirit OF nationality, and that repre-
,ontation, connected with properly ad-
iusted system of taxation. will result in a
harmonious restoration OF the relations of
tle States to the National Union.
lie report of General Karl Schurz Is here
Nljn transmitted a requested by the Senate
No report from, the Hon. john COyode has
Jeen received by the President.
The attention of the Senate is invited to
'e accompanying report of Lieutenant
General Grant, who gently ma lie tour of
lspectlon t.rougn several OF the States !
vnose inhabitants participated i'll the rebel
lOn /
(signed) ANDREW JOHNSON. I
Washington, Dec. l6, 1865. /
GEN. GRANTS REPORT.
HEAD-QE's Army OF THE u. s.
Dec lS, 1865. IN
T. Erce'leacy 4ndrew johnson, President of {
ths Ca.tei Stat
SIR In ply to your note of the 10th in y
lnt, requesting a report from me giving D
ilch information may be possessed of, COM
lg within the scope of the inquiries made S
s tie Senate of the United States in their t
solution of tae 18th inst. have the honor
submit the following, with your approval, d
a also that of the Honorable Secretary OF II
Var. o.
l left Washington City on the 9th of last d
l1ntn, for the purpose of making tour of II
lspeetlon throughout some of the Southern
uates lately IN rebellion and to see what II
langes were necessary in the disposition of r.
Il military forces of the country; how
iese forces could be reduced and expenses tC
lrtalled, &c, and to learn as far as possible, W
he feelings and intentions of the citizens of W
lese States toward the General Government. +.
le State of Virginia being so accessible TO
ashington City and information from this al
larter, therefore, being readily obtained. |
tstened through the State without conveTs-
Z or meeting with its citizens sil
In Raleigh, n. c., spent one day: in an
larleston,. 5. c., two days, in Savannah and .is
lgasIa, Ca, each one day. Both in travel J,
Z and whist stopping, saw much anG 4,
nVerSed freely with the citizens of those AZ
afes' as well as with officers of the army e
40 had been stationed there sil
The following are the conclusions come Ia sb
me; l am satisfied that the mass of think MI
= men nt the South accept. the present sit ,e1
ton OF affairs in good faith The ques- W
= = 49, llssse intaeTto divided tie Sell {,
dents OF the people of the two St It gi4s ~
very and States rights, or the ri. 1T II q | Is
ave 70 sece0e 1rom the Union, they regard OF