The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-12-09


difficulties that met me at the very com
mencem.nt of my administration. 1t has
been my s.eGdfast object to escape from the
sway of momentary pa .sions, and to terive
. healing policy from the fundamental aid
unchangIng principles of the Constitution.
| found the States suffering from the effects
of CIVIL war Resistance to the General
Government appeared to have exhausted
itself The United States had recovered
possession of their forts and arsensls, ard
their armies were in the occup.tion at every
State which had attempted to secede.-
Whether the territory within the limits Of
those States should be held as conquered
territory. under military authority emanatlng
from the President as the he.d of the army,
was the first question that presented itself for
decision.
Now. military governments, established
TOR an indefinite period, would have offered
no security for the early suppression of dis
content; would have divided the people into
the vanquishers and the vanquished; and
would have envenomed hatred, rather than
have restored affection. Once established,
No precise limit to their continuance was
conceivable They would have occasioned
An ircaculable and exhaustlng expense
Peaceful emigration TO a: d from that portion
of the country Is one of the best means that
can be thought of for the restoration OF har-
mony; and that emigration would have been
prevented: for what emigrant from abroad,
what industrious citizen at home, would place
himself willingly under military rule? The
chief persons who would have followed IN
the train of the army would have been
dependents on the General Government, o.
men who expecte to -roit from the miseries
OF their erring feiow-ctizea The powers
of patronage and rule which would have
been exercised. under the President. over 4
vast and populous, and naturally wealthy
region, are greater than, unless under ex>
treme necessity, | should be willing 10
entTnst to any one man; they are such as,
for myself, | could never, unless or occasions
of great emergency. consent 10 exercise
The wilful use Of such powers. if continued
through q period o. wears, would have
endangered the puay of the General Ad-
m;nislrstior and the liberties Of the States
which re NAMED loyal.
Beside, the policy of military rule over
IL CO tquered territory would have implied
/ that tie States who's inhabitants NAV have
tax n part in the rebellion had, by the act OF
| those inhabitants ceased to exist. Bat the
true theory is, that all pretended acts OF
secession were, from the beginning, null and
voil. The States Cannot commit treason.
nor screen the individual citizens who may
/ have committed treason, any more than they
/ can make valid treaties to engage in lawful
! commerce with any foreign power. The
! States attempting to secede placed themselves
/ in condition where their vitality was i'm
paired. but not extinguishcl their functions
/ SUSPENDED, but not destroyed
! Bat if any State peglectS refuses to
! If off Iar ID, need
/ that the General Government should main.
: tain all its authority, and. rs soon rs practica
/ bic. resume the exercise Of all ITS functions.
/ On this principle | have acted, and have
! gradually and quietly. and by almost lnper-
/ ceptIble steps. sought 10 restore the rIghttul
| energy Of the General Government and o.
the States. T that end, Provisional Gov
/ er.ors have been appointed for the Sites
. Conventions called, Governors c!ccte /. Le!i!
la.ures assembled, AMI Senators and Repre-
sentativ-s chosen to the & ngre,s of the
/ United Safes. At the same time. the Cour
of the United States. as far could be done
have been rcopeaed, so that the laws OF tbs
| United States NAV he enforced through their
agency The blockade has been removed
and the Custom Houses re~e>tablshei it
ports Of entry, 50 that the revenue OF the
United States ay be collected. The Pos
Office Department renews It's ceaseies:
acti,Itv and the General Government i
thereby enabled to communicate prompt,
with It's oiicers and agents. The Court
ope ing of The ports invites the restoration
of industry and commerce; the Post Dftic,
rene~s the facilities OF social interc urse anc
Of business An! is it not hapPv for Us all
that the restoration of each one Of thes'
functions af the General Government bring:
with it b'esstng 10 the Stat IS over which
they are exteu,ied Is it not SIRE prOmis,
of harmony AMI renewed attschmen: to til,
Union that after all that has happe ed, th'
return of the General Government is known
only IS /, beneicence?
know very we'll that this policy i
attended with some risk that for lis succes
it requires at lea., the acquieScence of tn
States which it concerns that 1t implies al
invitation 10 those States, BIZ renewing then
allegiance to the United States 10 reSu:n,
their functions u, States OF the Union. Bl
it is risk shat must be taken IN the chOic
OF dfllc ul,ies, it is the small st risk; aud t
diminish, and, if possible II remove all dan
ger have felt it incumbent on me to asser
one other power OF the General Government
: the power Of pardon AS no Safe cat
throw defense over the crime OF treason
the power of pardon IL exclusively vested il
the Executive Government of the Unite
States. In exercising that power. hav
taken every precau;Ioa to connect 1t with III
!, clearest recognition Of the binding force o
the laws of the United States, aud a.
unqualified ackaowled r,nent of the grea
SOCIAL change of c. rditiun in regard /,
slavery which has grown out of the war.
The next step which have taken to re
store the constitutional relations of tn
States as been an invitation 10 them t
participate in the high Office Of amendin!
the Constitution. Every patriot must wis
for general amnesty At the earliest epoCN
consistent with public safety For this grea
end there is need Of a concurrence of nj
opin ons. AMI the spirit of mutual conciiia
ton. All parties IN the late terrible cOnflic
must work together in harmony. 1t is NJ
too much 70 ask. in the name OF the Who'll
people. that. on the one side, the plan o
restoration shall proceed in conformity witt
i, a Willingness TO cast the disorders of the pas
, into oblivion; and that, OF the other. tn
evidence of sincerity in the future malnten
ance of the Union shall be put hey ond an
doubt BY the ratification of the propose
amendment to the Constitution, which pro
vides for the abolition of slavery foreve
within the limits of our country. So long a
the adoption of this amendment is delayed
so long will doubt. and jealousy, and uncer
tainty prevail This is the measure whIcl
will e!iace the sad memory of the past thi
is the measure which will most certainly cal
population. and capital, and security to thos
parts of the Union that need them most
Indeed. it is not too much to ask Of tn
= States which resuming their place
! in the family of the Union to give this pied .
of perpetual lovslty and peace. Until ii
done the st. however much We may desir
it. will not be forgotten. The adoption o
the a,n.nlm nj reunitcs rs be:ond all powe
of disruption. 1t heals the wound that
still iinperiectlv closed it removes sIaver'
the element which has so long perPIexed an