The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1865-12-21
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LATEST NEWS BY NAIL,
PRESIDENT. Message General Grants Report.

n
President. Message General Grants Report.
In our Geographic columns of yesterday was
. worry brief synopsis of President Johnson
,n.sssge 10 the Senate, and General Grants
,,,r,,. 70 the PRECEDENT, both relative to the
,.,n;it,ou of the southern States. III view of
III, great importance attached 10 these docu-
men,s. we publish them this morning in full
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
r,Hs St.,ate Of The United Siotes:
r. reply TO the resolution adopted by the
.N.aate on the i2th instant. favr the honor
estate that the rebellion waged by portion
*pi lie people against the properly constituted
kuthcyi,y of the Government OF the United
States has been suppressed: that the United
States are in possession OF every State in
which the insurrection existed, and that, as
l,ras il could be done, the courts of the
United States have been restored, post offices
re.established. and steps taken TO put into
effective operation the revenue laws OF the
country.
A, the reeul. of the measures instituted by
Tie Executive. with the view of inducing re-
sumption of the functions of the States CON-
pretended in the inquiry of the Senate, the
reople of North Carolina. South Carolina,
Georgia. Alabama, Mississippi. Louisiana.
Arkansas and Tennessee have reorganized their
respective State governments. and @ are yield
ing obedience 10 the laws and Government of
the United States with more Willingness and
greater prompiitude than under the circnm
stances could reasonably have been antici-
mated The proposed amendment of the Con.
stitution providing for the abolition of slavery
forever within the limits of the country, has
been ratified by each one of those States, with
the exception of Mississippi from which no
official information has been received, and i'll
nearly all of them mea sures Ia We been adopted,
or are now pending, to confer upon freedmen
the privileges which are essential to their COM
fort. protection and security. In Florida and
Texas the people are making commendable pro-
gress in restoring their State governments. and
no doubt is entertained that they will, 1T IN
early period. be in 4 condition TO resume all of
their practical relations with the General
Government.
In that portion of the Union lately in re-
helliOn,' the aspect of affairs is more l,romi-
sing than. in view of all the circumS tances,
could well have been expected. The people
throughout the entire South evince laudable
desire TO renew their allegiance to the Govern
ment. and TO repair the devastations of war by
prompt and cheerful return to peaceful pur-
suits. and abiding faith is entertained that
their actions will conform TO their professions,
and that i'll acknowledging the supremacy of
the Constitution and laws of the United States
their loyalty Will be unreservedly given to the
Government whose leniency they cannot fail
to appreciate and whose fostering care Will
soon res tore them TO Il condition of prosperity.
II is true that in some of the States the demo-
rlHZing effects of the war are to be seen in
casional disorders but these are local in cha
ractcr not frequent i'll occurrence. and are IA
pidly disappearing rs the authority of civil law
j. extended and sustained. PcrpleXing qups-
tons naturally TO be expected from the
great and sudden change i'll the relations be-
tween the two races but systems are gradu
ally developing themselves under which the
freedman Will receive the projection TO which
he is Justly entitled and by means of his labor,
make himself Il useful and independent mem
Der of the community in which he has a
home.
From All the information in my possession,
and from all that which have recently de-
rived from the most reliable authority, / am
iunU n
luminosity is surely and rapidly merging itself
into spirit of nationality and that reprcsen
ration, connected with properly adjusted
system of taxation will result in a harmOAi
restoration of the re!a' OF the States to
the National Union.
The report of Carl Schurz is herewith trans
mitted. as requested by the Senate. No re-
ports from the Hon. John Covode have been
received by the President The attention of
the Senate is invited; to the accompanying re-
port from Lieutenant -General Grant, who
recently made n tour of inspection through
several OF the States whose inhabitants partl-
cipated iii the rebellion.
ANDREW JOHNSON.
Washington. December Is, 1855.
GENERAL GRANTS REPORT.
HEADQUARTERS !
ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
WA,HlNGroN. ID. C., December Is, lo6' )
His Erctiiency H. J.nhason.
President Of the United States:
Sir.--In reply TO your note of the 10th in
slant requesting report from me, giving Such
information rs / may be possessed OF. coming
within the scope of the inquiries made by the
Senate of the United States in their rfsolu ton
Of the 18th instant, have the honor 10 submit
the following:
With Your approval and also that of the hon
or;be Secretary OF War, l left Washington
city on the 9th of last month for the purpose
of making II tour OF inspection through some
of the Southern States, or States lately in re-
bcllion. and to see what changes were necessary
10 be made i'll the disposition of the military
forces of the country, how these forces could
be reduced, and expenses curtailed, etc. and
10 learn as far as possible the feelings and in
1entions of the citizens of those States towards
the General Government. The State OF r.
sinia being SO accessible to Washington city,
ana information from this quarter, therefore,
being readily obtained, fastened through the
State without conversing or meeting with any
of its citizens In Raleigh, North Carolina, 1
spent one day: in Charleston, South Carolina,
TWO days: Savannah and Augusta, Georgia.
each day Both in travelling and whilst
stopping, l saw much and cOnHersed freely
with the citizens of these States, as well as
with officers Of the army who have been sta
toned among them. The following are the
conclusions come 10 by me
/ am satisfied that the mass OF thinking men
of the South accept the present sltiatlon OF III
fairs in good faith, The questions when nave
heretofore divided the sentiments OF the PEG
pie Of the two sectiOns-slaVery ana Stau
rights. or the right of State TO secede from
The Union-they regard as having been settled
forever by the highest NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
man can resort to. l was pleased to learn from
The leading men whom met that they not Only
accepted the decision arrived III as hnal, b't'
that now the smoke of battle has cleared away
and time has been given for reflection, tha'
this decision has been fortunate one ior IN
whole country, they receiving the IKE penenis
from it with those who opposed them III INT
field aud in the cause"
Four years of war, during which law was
executed only at the point OF the Dayone
throughout the States in rebellion, have !ei,
the people, possibly, in II condition not TO yitlt
that ready obedience TO civil authority I'M
American people have generally been Ill tht
habit of yielding. This would render the pre-
sence of small garrisOns throughout those
States necessary until such time as Labor re
turns to it's proper channel and Civil authority
is fully established. i did not meet any one
either those holding places under the Govern
mcnt or citizens of the Southern States, Wht
think it practicable TO withdraw the mllitar,
from the South a present The white and M
black mutually require the protection Of the
General Government.
There is such universal acquiescence IN thu
authority of thee eneral Government through
out the portions of the country visited by me
that the mere presence OF n military force
without regard TO numbers. is stinclent u