The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1865-12-13
RENE necessity I should be- willing |,

y ~ ~ sSH = Soui" hOSoij unieoS W UCUh
sions Of great emergency, consent to ge1
tercise. The wilful use Of such powers, 4
I, continued through a period Of years
would have endangered the purity Of the
general administration aud the liberties
'tDf the States which remained loyal. i9i'f
IT. Besides, the policy Of military rule
II over . conquered territory would have
finpiied that the State whose inha5itstIti
may have taken part in the rebellion had
by che act Of those inhabitants, ceased to
. exist. But. the etrue theory is, that all
pretended acts Of secession were, from the
beginning, null and void. The States
cannot commit treason, nor screen tile
/ individual citizens who may have commit
ted treason, any more than they can make
valid treatise or engage in lawful com
mcrce with any foreign power. The
States attempting to secede placed them.
selves in condition where their vitality
was impaired, but not extingulshed |;
their functions suspended, but not de-
slroyod. il u HAl4'-.1a 6fr F-'t.4
| But if any State neglects or refuses to
| perform its Offices, there is the more need
that the General Government should
maintain all its authority, and as soon as
practicable, resumethe exercise Of all its
functions, On this principle l have act
ed, and have gradually aud quietly, and
by almost iInperceptlble steps, sought to
restore the fightful energy Of the Gencr-
al Government and .cf the States. To
that end Provisional Governors have been
appointed for the States, Conventions
called, Governors elected, Legislatures rs.
sembled, and Senators and Ret resenta.
tives chosen 10 the Congress Of the Uni.
ted States. AT the same time, the
Courts oil the United States, as far as
could be done, have been reopened, SO
that the laws Of the United States may
be enforced through their agency. The
blockade had been removed and the Gus !.
tom.houses re.established in ports Of en-.
TRY, SO that the revenue of the United
States may be collected. The Post Office
Department renews its ceaseless activity,
and the General Government is thereby
enabled to communicate promptly with
Its officers and agents The courts bring
security to persons and property; the
opening of heports invites the restoIa.
tion Of industry and commerce; und post
efice rehews the facilities Of social inter.
course and business. And is it not hap
| py for us all, that the restoration of each
one Of these functions OF the General
Government brings with tia blessing to
the States over which they are extended?
1t is not a sure promise of harmony and
renewed attachment totbe Union that,
after all that has happened, the return of
the General Government is known only
as q bene6cence? 'iaJ ne ..Il "iri D
| ! know very well that this policy is at
tended with some risk that for its sue
cess 1t requires at least the .acquieselice
Of the States which it concerns; that it
implies an invitation to those States, by
renewing their allegiance to the United
States to resume their functions as States
Of the Union. But it is risk that must
be taken; in the choice of difficulties, it
is the smallest risk and to diminish, and, d,
if possible, to remove all danger, | have
felt il incumbent on me to assert one 9TH
er power of the Government-the power
Of PARDON. AS no State can throw a de.
fence over the crime Of treason, the pow
or pardon is exclusiely vested in the Ex-
ecutive Government Of the United States
In exercising that power, / have taken
every precaution to connect IL with the
clearest recognition Of the binding force
of the laws Of the United States, and an
unqualified acknowledgement Of the great
social change Of conditions in regard to
slavery which has grown out of tie war.
The next step which | have taken to
restore the constitutional relations Of the
States, has been an invitation to them to
participate in the high Office Of amend.
ling the Constitution. Every patriot must
wish for general amnesty at the earliest
epoch consistent with public safety For
this great end there is need Of recur.
renee of all opinions, and the spirit Of
mutual Cancellation. All parties in the
late terrible conflict must work together
in harmony. 1t is not too much to ask,
| in the name OF the whole people, that,
on the one side, the plan of restoration
shall proceed in conformity with will
!inguess to cast the disorders of the past
into oblivion and that, on the other, the
evidence of sincerity in the future main.
terauce Of the Union shall be put be-
yopd any doubt by the ratification Of the
proposed amendment to the Constitution,
which provides for the abolition Of slav.
Icry forever within the limits Of our
country. So long astbe adoption Of this
amendment is delayed, so long will doubt,
and jealousy, and uncertainty prevail. -
This il the measure winch will efiace the
sad. memory of the past; this ID The meas
uro which will most ce.tainly call popu.
iation, and capital and security TO those
parts Of the Union lthat need them most.
lndeed, il is not too much to ask Of the
States which are now resumipg their
lpl4ces IN the family Of the Q hioblto give
fthBp pledge Of perpetual nloyalty and
peace. Untilitis done, the past how
ever much We may desire it, will not be
forgotten The adoption Of the iaatebd.'
ment reunites us beyond all power Of
disruption. ut heals the wound shat oisi
still imperfectly elcsed IL removes slav-
cry, the element which has SO long per
picked and divided the country itmakes
| Of us once more a united people, renewed