The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-12-06

NORFOLK POST DESPA IUIYE.S.
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

| WASHINGTON, Dec. 5.-The President
in his message to Congress, to-day, says
resistance to the general Government
having exhausted ITSELF the first ques-
ton was, whether the territory within
the limits of the States which attempted
secession, should be held as conquered
territory under military authority,
eminating from the President, but he
considered that military government,
established for an indefinite period.
would have offered no security for the
suppression of discomfort, and would
have divided the people into vanquish-
ers and vanquished, and envroned
hatred rather than restored affection.
The theory is that all the pretended acts
of secession We're, from beginning, null
and void. States cannot commit treason
nor securet the individual clizenwho may
have committed treason. The States that
attempted to secede, placed themselves
in condition where their functions
were suspended, but not destroyed; but
if any state neglects or refuses toperform
its offices, there is the more need that
general government should maintain its
authority, and NJ soon as practicable,
resume the exercise of all its functions.
On this principleh he acted, and gradually
and quietly, by almost impreciptable
steps, sought to restore rightful energy
to the general government and of states.
To that end, provisional governors had
been appointed. All parties in the late
terrible conflict must work together in
harmony. 1t Is not too much to ask
that ON the one side, the plan of resto-
ration shall proceed in conformity with
Willingness to cast the disorders of the
past into oblivion and that oh the other
side, the evidence of security in future
maintanance Of the Union shall be put
beyond any doubt by the gratti of
the proposed Anti-Slavery amendment
to the Constitution. This amendment
being adopted it would remain for states
to resume their places in the two
branches of Congress and thereby com
plete the work of restoration.
The President says he has no auth orr |
ty to make freedmen electors-that re-
mains with the states. They can decide |
whether it is to be adopted at once, or
introduced radually--introduced with
conditions. Good faith, however, re.
quires the security of the freedmen in
their liberty, property, and right to
labor, and to claim just return for their
labor.
1t will be his constant aid to promote
peace andunity with ali foreign nations,
md he believes all of them are ami
mated by the same disposition. The ac-
'ordance of belligerent rights to insur-
rent states was unjustiliable, but Great
britain was an exception. She built
hips, furnished men and material of {
var to the insurgents. Justification for
{, cannot be sustained before the tri-
unal of the world. AT the same time,
e does not advise any present attempt
redress by act of legislation. For the
lture, friendship between the two !
must rest on the basis of mu- |
lal justice. We have wisely forborne, :
ecome propagandsts of republicanism; :
ut it would be cause of great calamity a
} ourselves and the cause of good gov o
should any foreign power e
hallenge the American people to its de- =
nee against foreign Inference. He r,
lies on the wisdom and justice of these
overs to respect the policy of non-in- Ia
rference, which has so long been sane O
Oned by time. ii