Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1865-12-08
PRESIDENTS MEssAGE.
Fellov Citizens cfths Senate
and House of Representatives:

49, @@~e@e~ " @se r. SoSfet~seeCo.
To express gratitude to God, in the
name of the People, for the preservation
of the United States, is my first duty in
addressing you. Our thought next revert
TO death Of the late President by an act
of parricidal treason. The grief of the
nation is still fresh; it finds some solace in
the consideration that he lived to enjoy
the highest proof of its confidence by en-
tsring on the renewed term of the Chief
Nagistracy, to which he had been elected
that be brought the civil war substantially
TO q close; that his loss was deplored in
all parts of the Union; and that foreign
nations have rendered justice to his mem
ory. His removal cast upon me henv-
Ter weight of cares than ever devolved up
on any one of his predecessors. To fulfil
my trust need the esupport and confidence
of all who are associated with me in the
vvrious departments of Government, and
the support and confidence of the people.
There is but one way in which / can hope
10 gain their necessary aid; it is, to state
with frankness the principles which guide
my conduct and their application to the
present state of affairs, well aware that the
efficiency of my labors will, in a great
measure, depend upon your and their un-
divided appreciation.
The Union of the United States ofAmer-
lea was intended by its authors to last as
the States themselves shall last CHE
UEIoH SHALL BE PERPETUAL" are the
words Of the Confederation. 'To FORM A
MORE PERFECT UNION" by an ordinance
of the people of the United States, is the
declared purpose of the Constitution. The
hand Of Divine Providence was nevermore
plainly visible in the affairs of men than
in the farming and the adopting that in
strument It is, beyond comparison, the
greatest event in American history, and
indeed is it not of all events in modern
times, the most pregnant with consequence
es for every people of the earth I? The
members of the Convention which prepar-
ed it. brought to their work the expert
ence of thr Confederation, of their several
States, and ofother Republic Governments,
old and new; but they needed and they
obtained wisdom superior to experience.
And when for its validity it required the
approval of people that occupied large
part of continent and acted separately in
many distinct conventions, what is more
wonderful than that, after earnest conten-
ton and long discussion, all feelings and
all opinions were ultimately drawn in one
way to its supports
The Constitution 30 which life was thus
aparted contains within itself ample re-
rces for its own preservation. 1t has
er to enforce the laws, punish treason,
insure domestic tranquility. In case
,he usurpation of the Government of a
ste by one man, or an oEgarchy, it be-
mes duty of the United States to make
good the guarantee to that State Of a re-
publican form of government and so to
maintain the homogeneousness of ALL
Does the lapse of time reveal defects! A
simple mode of amendment is provided in
the Constitution itself, so that its condi-
tons can always be made to conform to
the requirements of advancing civilization.
No room is allowed even for the thought
ofa possibility of It's coming to an end
And these powers of fself-preservstion have
always been arrested in their complete in
tegrity by every patriotic Chief Magis-
trate-by Jefferson and jackson, not less
than by Washington and Madison. The
parting advice af the Father of his coun-
try, while yet President to the people of
the United States, was, that 'the free
Constitution, which was the work of their
hands, might be sacredly maintained; :"
and the inaugurrl words of the President
Jefferson held up 'fhe Preservation of the
General Government, in its constitutional
vigor, as the sheet anchor of our peace at
home and safety abroad" The Constitu-
ton is the work of ''tne People ofthe Uni
ted States" and it should be as indes-
tructible as the people.
It is not strange that the farmers of the
Constitution, which had no model in the
past, should not have fully comprehended
the excellence oftheir own work. Fresh
from struggle against arbitrary power,
many patriots suffered from harassing
fears of an absorption of the State Govern
ments by the General Government and
many from q dread that the States would
break away from their orbits. But the
very greatness of our country should allay
the apprehension of enroachments by the
General Government The subjects that
come unquestionably within its jurisdic-
ton are so numerous, that it must ever
naturally refuse to be embarrassed by
questions that lie beyond ii. We're it 9TH
erwise, the Executive would sink beneath
the burden; the channel of justice would
be choaked; Legislation would be obstruct-
ed by excess; so that there is a greater
temptation to exercise some of the func-
tons of the General Government through
the States than to traspass on their right
full sphere. sThe absolute adquiescence
in the decisions of the majority" was, at
the beginning of the century, enforced by
Jefferson .'as the vital principle of repub-
lies" and the events of the last four years
have established, we will hope forever,
that there lies no appeal to force.
The maintenance of the Union brings
with it ''the support ofthe State Govern
ments in all their rights" but it is not
one of the rigets of any State Government
10 renounce its own place in the Union,
or to nullity the laws of the Union. The
largest liberty is to be maintained in the
discussion of the acts of the Federal Gov
ernment; bnt there is no appeal from its
laws, except ia the various branches of
that Government itsels, or TO the people,
-ho grant to the members ofthe Legisla-
tive and of the Executive Departments no
tenure but limited one, and in that man
ner always retain the power of redress.
"Tbe sovereignty of the States" is the
language of the Confederacy, and not the
language'of the Constitution. The latter
contains the emphatic words; ''The Con-
.sritntion, and the laws fthe United States
which shall be made in pursuance thereof,
and all treaties made or which shall be
made under the authority of the United
States, shall be tn supreme law of the
land: and the judges in every State shall
be bound thereby, anything in the con-