Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1865-12-13
ANNUAL MESSAGE OF
ANDREW JOHN SON +,
Delivered, December 4th, 1865.
Fezlo,o Citizens Of the Senate and House of

TettOO J'tizeitS QJ Jfte tSell0te ana HOuse ~
Representatives.
To express gratitude to COP, in the name
of the People, for the preservation of the
United States, is my first duty in addressing
you. Our thoughts next revert to the death
of the late President by an act of parricdal
treason The grief of the nation Is still
fresh; it finds some solace in the consldera,
ton that he lived to enjoy the highest proof
OF its confidence by entering on the renewed
term of the Chief Magistracy, to which he
had been elected that he brought the civil
war substantially to close; that his loss
was deplored in all parts of the Union and
that foreign nations have rendered justice
20 his memory. His removal cast upon me
heavier weight of cares than ever deyov-
ed upon any one OF his predecessors. To
fulfill my trust / need the support of Gov
ernment, and the support and confidence OF
the people. There is but one way in which
[ can hope to gain their necessary aid 1t Is,
to state with frankness the principles which
guide my conduct, and their application to
tie present state of affairs, well aware that
the efficiency ofm labor will, in great
measure, depend on your and their undlvid-
ed appreciation.
The Union of the United States of Ameri-
ca was intended by Its authors to last as long
as the States themselves shall last. THE
| UNION SHALL BE PERPETUAL, are the
words of the Confederation. TO form a
more perfect Union, by an ordnance OF the
people of the United States, is the declared
purpose of the Constitution, The hand Of
| Divine Providence was never more plainly
visible in the affairs of men than IN the
framing and the adopting ofthat instrument.
| 1t is, beyond comparison, the greatest event
in American history and indeed it is not,
of all events in modern times, the most preg-
nant of consequences for every people of the
earth? The members of the Convention
which prepared it, brought to their work
| the experience of the Confederation, of their
several States. and other Republican Gov
ernments, old and new; but they needed
and obtained wisdom superior to expert
| ence And when for its validity 1t required
the approval of people that occupied a
large part of continent and acted separate
lily In many distinct conventions, what Is
more wonderful than that, after earnest con-
tentien and long discussion, all feelings and
all opinions were ultimately drawn in one
way to its support?
The Constitution to which life was thus
impaired contains within itself ample resour-
ces for its own preservation. 1t has power
to enforce the laws, punish treason, and IN
! sure domestic tranquility. In case of the
usurpation of the Government OF a State by
one man, or an oligarchy, it becomes duty
Of the United States to make good the guar
antee to that State of Republican form
Of government and so to maintain the hJ-
mogeneousness OF all Does the lapse of
time reveal defects? A simple mode Of a
mendment is provided in the Constitution
! itself, so that its conditions can always be
made to conform 10 the requirements of ad-
vanciug civilization. No room Is allowed
| T., II ,Io,,obt % ,DnS-Tbilitv- pf -,
coming to an end And these powers OF
| self preservation have always been asserted
in their complete integrity by every patriot
| ic Chief Magistrate Jefferson and Jack
son, no. less than by Washington aud by
Madison. The parting advice of the Faith
er Of his Country, while yet President. to
the people of the United States, was that
| the free Constitution, which was the work
of their hand, might be sacredly maintain
| ed, and the inaugural words of President
Jefferson held up ''the preservation of the
| General Government, in Its constitutional
| vigor as the sheet anchor of our peace at
/ home and safety abroad. The Constltu-
tion is the work of ''the People of the Uni
ted States, and it should be as indestruc-
+, tlble as the people.
! 1t is not strange that the trainers OF the
| Constitution, which had no model in the
| the excellence of their own work. Fresh
/ from struggle against arbitrary power,
many patriots suffered from harrasslng fears
| of an absorption of the State Governments
| by the General Government, and many from
| a dread that the States would break away
| from their orbits But the very greatness
of our country should allay the apprehen
sions of encroachments by the General Gov
ernment The subjects that come unques-
| tionably within its jurisdiction are so nu-
merous, that it must ever naturally refuse
to be embarrassed by questions that lie be-
| yond it. Were it otherwise, the Executive
would sink beneath the burden; the chan
| nels of justice would be choked; legislation
would be obstructed by excess; so that there
is greater temptation to exercise some OF
the functions of the General Government
through the States than to tresspass on
their rightful sphere. The absolute ac-
| quiescence in the decisions OF the maJorl-
ty," was, at the beginning of the century,
enforced by Jefferson ''as the vital princi-
pie of republics, and the events OF the last
| four wears have established, we Will hope
| forever, that their lies no appeal to force.
The maintainance of the Union brings
| with it 1.-THE support of the State Govern
ments in all their rights; - but 1t Is not one
of the rie hts of any State Government to
renounee its own place in the Union, or to
nullify the laws of the Union. The largest
| liberty is to be maintained in the discussion
of the acts of the Federal Government; but
there is no appeal from its laws, except to
the various branches of that Government
| itself. or to the people. who grant to the
members of the Legislative and of the IKE
Lcutive Departments no tenure but a limited
one and in that manner always retain the