The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1865-12-13
Presidents Message.


4 u. d. 10 fheT Houses Of Con
ii Dress az the Go COmmencementO o
Ji the First Session of the Thirty
ila Ninth Congress alod bua Eo7
~ I'D ,sgsxjii9.WorTT III. fndi os .ablofa
bFellep Cstixens, of the Senate ar al, +,
4 .slqoaad House Of iRsprespsSnqtSqtigvess sprespsSnqtSq tigvess;o
IN To express gratituds toi Coo, !, in 0 tn,
name Of the People, for the preservation
Of the United States, lis myifrst dutyIil
addressing yod,o Our thoughts next re
i vertato the death loof the late Pres
tIident iby au sact Of lparricidal .trca
son. The grief Of the nation is still
fresh, it,fDds! some rsolace in the oopsid
Grafton that he livedto enjoy the highes
pioof Of it's confidence by entering on the
}, renewed term,of the Chief Magistracy, tC
which be had been elected that he bro't
the civil war substantially to close /; thai
This loss was deplored in all parts of the
| Union and that foreign nations have
rendered justicet to his memory. His ie
moval cast upon me heavier weight OIL
cares than ever deyolved upon one Of his
predecessors. To fulfill my trust | need
the support and confidence of all who are
associa.ed with me in the various depart.
ments of Government and the support
and confidence of the people. There is
but one way in which | can hope to gain
their necessary aid ii Isl to state with
frankness the principles which guide my
conduct, and theirapplication tothe pres
eDt state of affairs, well aware that the
efficiency aOf my labcrs will, in o great
measure, depend upon your3and their un-
divided apprObatiOpas7 Cd % 1dgh r.
| The Union of the United States Of
America was intended by its authors to
last as long as the States shall last. "7he
4 Union shall be perpetual" are the words
LOT the Confederation. "To form a more
perfect Cnion," by an ordinance of the
people of the United States, zig the de.
Eclared pprpose1of, the Constitution. The
lhhnd Of Divine Providence was never
| more plainly visible in the affairs of men
than in the framing and the adopting Of
tbat instrument II is, beyond icpmpari7
son, the greatest event in American his
tory;, aud indeed is it not, at all events
10 modern times, the most pregnant with
consequences itr every people of the
earth I p The members Of the Convention
which prepared it, brought TO their work
tle experience Of the Confederation, Of
their several States, and of other Repub-
licau Governments, old and new; but
they needed and they obtained a wisdom
superior to experience. And when for
| itS validity it required the approval of
eorle that occupied large part of con-
tineut and acted separately in many dis.
tinct conventions, what is more wonder
fdl ihOn that, after earnest contention and
long discussion, all feelings and all sopinr
idns we're ultimately drawn in one way to
its supportl oaiess 4sno,y tfr.
| The Constitution TO which, lie vas thus
impaired contains within itself ample re-
sources for its own preservation, 1t has
power to enforce the laws, punish trea-
son, and ensure domestic tranquility, In
case of the usurpation of the Government
of State by one man.. or an oligarcliy, it
becomes a duty of the United States to
make GOOD the guarantee to that State Of
| o Republican form of government, and so
! 10 mai ,in the bompgeneousness of all
Does the lapse of tiuie reveal defects p
la simple mode of amendment is provi.
! ded in the Constitution itself, 80 that its
! conditions can always be, mado to conform
| to the requirements of advancing civiliza.
ton No room is allowed even for the
tbouaht of a possibility Of lis coming to
an end. And these powers Of self.prescr,
yation have always been asserted in their
complete integrity BY every patriotic
Chief Maristrate.py Jefferson and Jack.
son, not less than by Washington and
Madison. The parting advice Of the Fa.
| ther of his Coustry, while yet President,
10 the people of the United States, was
that "the free Constitution, which was
The work of their hands, might be sacred
ly maintained" and the Inauguration
words of President Jefferson held up "the
preservation of the General Government,
ID its constitutional vigor, as the sheet
anchor of our peace at home and safety
abroad" The Constitution is the work
Of .sthe People of the United States" and
| it should be as indestructible as tho peo.
pie. sirfs.fs-,st .f.r1f'ss .g-.al
1t is not strange that the fram,rs of the
Constitution, which had no model IN the
past, should not have fully comprehend.
ed the excellence of their own work.