Smyrna times., 1865-12-13
The President's Message.

done so ere this. Besides, it would occupy
more space than we have to spare in our crowd
ed columns. We will therefore give the points
in condensed and comprehensive shape. for
our readers to refresh their memories with.
We have adopted the Lelger's synopsis:
After the opening passages, in which he ex-
presses gratitude tu God for the preservation
OF the United States, and pays u tribute to the
memory Of his predecessor, he claims for him.
sell the generous support and confidence Of the
people and OF those who are associated with
him in the coordinate branches of the Gov
ernment. Contrary to the usual custom. he
then, very properly, gives his first attention to
our domestic affairs, and leaves our foreign
relations Tor after consideration In the first
place, he proceeds TO give his views of the re-
lationS OF the General Government to the
States and OF the States to the Government.
The Cnion he regards as indestructible. I'm
der the Confederation it was declared to be
perpetual, and the Constitution was de-
signed to make that perpetual Union more
perfect. The Constitution contains within it.
sell ample resources for its own preservation,
and there is no need to go outside of it, 1t is
the work OF the people" ofthe United States.
and should be as indestructibIe as the nc"nIc
themselves Yet the maintenance of the Union
brings with it the support of the State govern
ments, with all their rights. 1t, however, is
not one OF these rights for State to rcnounce
It's place III the Union, or to attempt to nulIify
its laws. Appeal must be made to the tribu-
nails within the Union provided by the Consti-
tuition itself. The Sovereignty Of the States
was the language of the Confcderacy, but the
language OF the Constitution is, that it and the
laws made IN pursuance of it are the supreme
law OF the land But States, with proper
limitations OF power, are, nevertheless, essen
tlal parts OF our system. Without them one
branch of the National Legislature would have
no existence, and without their agency, also,
there would be no means for the extension of
our system over the Territories which have
been and are yet to be Incorporated into the
CMon. The perpetuity of the Constitution
demands the perpetuity of the States. They
are mutually dependent on each other. The
whole cannot exist without the parts nor the
parts without the whole
Ihls development Of the Presidents views
is made in order to unfold the principles on
winch he tried to solve the great questions and
appalling difficulties that he met at the close
OF the war Whether the States could be held
entirely BY military authority as conquered
territories was the first of these dilhculties.-
TO do this would be to admit that they had
ceased to exist as States, and to cOncede also
the important principle that secession"
could be successfully carried out But the
true theory is that all the pretended acts of
secession were from the beginning null and
VOID. Military governments, moreover, when
established for indefinite periods, would have
offered no encouragement to the conquered
people; they occasion exhauSting expense :;
they check immigration and enterprise; thcy
vest dangerous powers in the hands of one man
powers that might endanger the purity of
st tr.tIo nd b., - u,
loyal States. Such powers he would be un-
willing to trust to one man, and he would new
er, except In cases of the last necessity con
sent to exercise himself. Hence he acted on
the principle that the States which ATTEMPTED
to secede only had their functions SUSPENDED,
but not destroyed, and endcavored to re-organ-
lze them as States. Quietly and gradually he
has sought to restore the righttul energy of the
Government and the States by appointing Pro-
ylsonal Governors, having conventions called,
Legislatures elected and assembled, and Scna-
tors and Representatives chosen to the Con-
gress of the United States At the same time.
the Courts, as far as possible, have been open
ed. Is 1t not a sure promise of harmony and
renewed attachment to the Union that, after
all that has happened, the return of the do
mlnlOn OF the General Government as manifes-
ted III these acts Is recognized as bcncfcence? :?
In what we have above written the public
will find brief statement of the President S
views on the great subject of reconstruction.
The Message then passes to the Amendment
OF the Constitution prohibiting slavery, the
adoption OF which he urges upon all the States
as measure that will heal wounds, give
strength and wealth to the South, and remove
forever all further chance Of disruption. Then
comes a recital of the reasons why the Circuit
Courts of the United States cannot yet be re-
opened in some Of the States, and why the
subject should DC considered by Congress
The President hopes that early provision will
be made to reopen them, in order that persons
charged with treason may have impartial trials,
that the Constitution may be fully vindicated
that the truth that treason is a crime shall be
fully established, that traitors shall be punish
ed and the crime made infamous, and that it
may be judlcially settled forever that no State
can OF its own will renOunce its place in the
Union. The President then passes to the sub
Ject OF the voting franchise for the freedmen,
on which he took the Constitution for his
guide, and considered that it should be left
entirely to the States. Here follows a bright
picture of the future of the fertile States ofthc
south, now that slavery is at an end. Mono
poicS are next dealt with in general terms, but
with especial reference to the taxation Of trav-
el through any State, which he speaks of as
one OF the odlOuS forms of monopoly Rcfe
renee is then made to the Treasury, War, Ma
Wy, Post-ofhce and Interior Departments On
matters Of finance he strongly supports the
doctrines in the report Of the Secretary OF the
Treasury, and he puts them in such clear and
forcible style that every one should read them.
Foreign affairs come in towards the close =
There is nothing but what is satisfactory any
where except to our relations with England
and in reference to Mexico. The part which
relates to England closes with a rejection of
the British doctrine that her own interpreta-
ton of her municipal laws is the only measure
of her duty as a neutral, and does not believe
it will stand before the tribunal of nations. -
At the same time the President does not advise
any present attempt at redress by acts of legis-
lation, but he declares, however, that " for the
future, the friendship of the two countries
must rest on the basis of mutual Justice. -
Mexico is not mentioned by name, but the
next paragraph in tho Message clearly refers
to the interference of France in the affairs of
that country. The President refers TO the two
instances when his predecessors had occasion
to make known the views and feeling of the
country about such interference, and no then
says that it should be regarded as great ca.
lamlty to ourselves, to the cause of good gov.
ernment and to the peace of the world, should
any European power challenge the American
NJ ~