Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-12-21

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The Message of the President and The Report oi
General Grant OF thc COndltion oil the S0"'"e'"
States--Read in the Senate Tuesday
To the Senate IF the Uaiied Stetes;
In rsplv to IN. resolution adopted by the Senate on
The l9th instant have the honor TO state That the
rebellion waged by portion Of the people against
the properly constituted authority ot the GeVeThe' en-
OF the United States has been suppressed that tne
United States are in possession oil every S'ate ia
which the insurn.tiou listed aud that as lar as II
could be done, the courts OF the nted states nave
I.n restored po.tnilires re-cstabliShcd aud steps
taken 10 put into effective operation the revenue laws
of the country. .,...,., h,, ,bo
Executive with the view Of inducing resuinP'iVn
of the functions oi the states comptGhehdeu III In'
cnuury of the Senate the people O' NOr'u ;
South Carolina, Georgia., Al'n'l"'1' - IL,
I. .ouisiana Arkansas aud Tennessee nave Is
,izr,l their respective State governments anu alI
v.,lIiur obedience To the laws ana |oNerhU'ehV V'
II ~ tniiad States with more Willingness anu SII
cr prompttude than, under the clic ~ ]
,,,itson,blv have been anticipated Inc PtoPoseu
o,nandnent of the Constitution, prOVldns lot tnc
obnIition of slavery forever within the limits OF Tue
rountry has been ratified by each one OI thoSe
States with the exception oi hiSsss'ppI from M"Gn
M onici;L information has been received, ana III
nearly all Of them measureS have been adOpleu' OF
er, now pcndug, To confer upon freedmen the prNl-
eocs which are essential TO their comfort protection
and security In Florida aud Texas tue people are
making commendabc progress IN restoring the'r
State Governments and no doubt Is entertainer that
tbev viii. mt an early period, he in condition 10
resume all of their practical relations win the "e"e
In :. that pnrlion of The Union lately in rebellion
the aspect ol affairs il more promising than III we"
- III tLe circumstances could well have been eX-
,.actcI The people throughout the entire SOuth
eyince a laudablo desire To renew their allegiance 10
the Government and 10 repair the deNasIatlEns . VI
war by prompt and cheerful return 10 peaceiu Pui-
snits and abiding faith is entertained that thelr ac-
tinnq will conform To their professions, and that III
acknowledging the supremacy of the Constitution
and laws Ot the United States their Loyalty VIII DE
unreseryedly given to the Government, whose zen
anrv they cannot fail to appreciate, and whose los
,;,,s, cere will soon restore them TO condition OF
nroslerty 1t is true that in some OF the states the
demoraZng effects of the war are TO be seen III oc-
casonal disorders but these are local IN characIof'
not frequent in occurrence, ana are raPuIy u'sSP
nearing as the authority Of civil law Is eNtehueu
and sustained Perplexng questions are naturally
IN be expected from the great and sudden chh6e Ill
the relations between the two races but systems an
gradually developing themselves under wmch tne
freedman will receive the proteeu0h to Mhlun ~
Justly entitled, and, by means OF his LABOR make
| himself n useful and independent member III the
| community in which lie has home.
From all the information in my possesslon' ana
| from that which | have recently derived lroni tIS
most reliable authority am induced 10 cherisl iII
MERGING itself into spirit OF nationality, ana tha
| renresentation connec ted with properly adjusted
system of taxation, will result IN harmonious re-
soration of the relation Of the States TO the Natoha
| Union. -, ,..;.,, !,
| os requested by the Senate. No reports from The
Hon. John Covode have been received by the tresl
dent The attention of the Senate ~ invited 10 tnt
accompanying report from Lieutenant ueneiS nt.n'
| Grant who recently made tour oil Inspector
through several of the States whose inhabitants par
''''p'''N - - ANDREW JOHNSON.
WAsHINGToS, December 49, 1866.
Mr. Cowan then called for the reading of iepoI
made to the President by General Grant concerning
his late visit TO the South.
HHApOuARTERs ARMIES UNITED STATES,
| WASHINGTON, ID. c., December Is, 1860
His EreeHencT A. Johnson, President ~ IN
| URited States:
Sr-In reply to your note of the 10th instant re
| uuesting n report of me, giving such information
| / NAV be possessed OF, coming wlthln the scope
the induries made by the Senate ofthe United State
IN their resolution OF the l2tL instant, nave th
honor to submit the following; -
With your approval, and also that of the hOnOra
bile Secretary OF war; left Washington city on tn,
9th of last month for the purpose OF making tou
of inspection through some OF the Southern States,
estates lately in rebellion, and to see what changes
wee necessary 10 be made in the disposition OF tht
military forces of the country, how these tOTce
rould be reduced, and expenses curtailed etc., anC
10 learn rs far possible the feelings aud intentions
uf the citizens OF those States toward the Genera
Government The State OF Virginia being so acces
/ sibe 10 Washington city, aud information from thi
uuartec therefore, being readily obtained, hasten
ed through the State without c0nverslnS oi iIeo't
with any of its citizens In Raleigh n. C.' SpeI
| nuo d,v. Charleston, :. C., two days Savannah
,iJ S9susta, Georgia, each one day. Both il
travelling and whilst stopping, saw much ana cou
versed freely with the cIh2enS OF those states a
well as with officers OF the army VINO nave Deeh st''
toned among them Ihe lohowihg are 'ne eone'u
/ sinns come TO by mei
| | am satisfied that the mass of thinking men o
the South accept the present situation OF ahalrs
| GOOD faith The questions which have heretoiOn
divided the sentiments OF the people OIL the TWO sec
| tiops-savefy and State rights-or the right OF
| State to seccde from the Union-they regard a
having been settled forever by the highest tribunal
! aims-that man can resort to. l was pleased Il
| learn from the leading men whom met that the.
mat only accepted the decision arrived at as final
Int that now the smoke nr battle has cleared AVA
and time has been given for reelection, that this de
q sion has been fortunate one Tor the whole coun
| try they receiving the like benefits from 1t will
! those who opposed them IN the field and in tn
| cause.
Four years of war, during which law was execute,
only ut the point of the bayOnet throughout tn
st ties in rebellion have left the people, possibly il
Il condition not to yield that ready obedience to civ
| authority the American people nave BcueIdHy Decl
| in the habit of yielding. This would render tn
presence of small garrisOns throughout those State
necessary until such time rs labor returns TO II
proper channel and civil authority is fully esta
blished ! did not meet any one, either those hold
ing placeS under the Government citizens OF tn
southern States, who think it practicable to with
draw the military from the South at present. Thl
white and the black mutually require the protection
OF the General Government.
There il such universal acquiescence in the author
,lpattf
tiOns of the country visited by me- that the pre-
| sence of military force. without regard 10 numbers
is sufficient to maintain order. The good OF the cOun
try and economy require that the force keft IN the
Interior, where there many freedmen, (elSewhep
in the Southern States than at forts upon the sea
coast no force is necessarily should all be white
| troops. The reasons for this are obvious, without
mentioning any OF them. The presence OF black
troops lately slaves, demuraZes labor both by then
advice and by furnishing in their camps ret Ort fol
tie freedmen for long distances around. White
troops generally excite opposition and therefore
| a small number of them can maintain order in q
given district. COlured troops must be kept in bodies
sufficient To defend Themselves Ii is not the think.
| ing men who would use violence towards any class
of troops sent among them by the General Govern.
ment, but the Ignorant in some places might; and
the late slave TO be mbued with the idea that
the property of his late master should by right be.
long to him-at least should have no protection from
the cOlored soldiers. There is danger of collisions
being brought on by such causes.
Ny observations lead ME to the conclusion that
the citizens OF the Southern States are anxious to
return to sellgoyernment within the Union as soon
IA possible; that whilst reconstucting, they want
and require protection from the Government; that
they are in earnest in wishing to do what they think
is required by the GOyernment-nOt humiliating TO
them as Gitizens--and that if such course was
pointed out they would pursue it in good lath II
Is to be regretted that there cannot be greater
commnglng at this time between the citizens of the
two sections and particularly OF those entrusted
with the law-making power.
did not give the operations of the Freedmen's
Bureau that attention would have done if more
time had been at my disposal. Conversations on
The subject, however, with officers connected with
The Bureau, lead me to think that in some of the
States lts Affairs have not been conducted with good
judgment or economy, and that the belief widely
spread among the freedmen of the Southern States
'hat the lands Of their former will at least in
part be divided among them, has come from the
agents ol this bureau This bel seriously intar
ierlhg with the willingness of the freedmen to make
contracts Tor the coming year. In some form the
freedmehs Bureau is an absolute necessity until
clVll law II established and enforced securing 10
the freedmen their rights and full protection. At
present, however, it is independent Of the mil.
itliy establishment Of the country and seems