, 1865-12-06
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1855.
THE pKESlDENTsS MESSAGE.
The Presidential Measatc is nndcrate and

careful paper, temperate almost to con-
scrvatism, and cyinctng desire not to CON-
NIT himself unnecessarily 10 pa1tizan sup
port of any Of the measures on which public
opinion is seriously divided. Upon the sub
jcet OF reconstruction 1t clearly implies that
in the Presidents oplnlon the passacc of the
Constitutional Amendment by the seeded
States may fairly be claimed by Congress as
the condition TO their admission, and that on
their compliance with! these terms Congress
ought TO admit them forthwith. The fol.
lowing clause Of the Message states the
Presidents position: "Tle amendment to
''the Constitution being adopted, It would
"remain for the States, whose powers have
t'bccu 20 long in nbcyance, to resume their
"places in the two branches Of the National
Legislature. and thereby complete the work
OF restoration. But II Is tor you, fellow
"citizcns OF the Senate, mud for you, fellow
"ciiizcus Of the House OF Representatives,
"to Judge, cnch of you for yourselves, Of the
"clectiuns, rcturns and qualifications Of four
town members"
II will he seen that the President here Us.
sumcs thai II is for him alone to decide what
tic seeded States shall do to qualify them
to resume their places In the National Le.fs-
laturc and that the powers Of Congress arc
limited to Judging of The scturns and eualia-
cations Of The members individually. Though
moderately expressed, this Is m orerrcachine
and untcnablc position, Which does not prop
erly recognize the equality Of Congress with
the President as a distinct coordinate branch
Of the Government, having equal rights with
him 10 decide for itself what tho States shall
i t.. ~, o;n S.ne
as the exclusive right to determine whether
the individuals representing the States have
been properly elected.
What the President demands OF the seeded
Stntes is we'll 80 fur rs il goes, hut 1t will he
remembered tllat Mr.. Colfax, whose speech
expressed the sentiment Of the House Of Rep
rescn.a.ives, stated TINT Congress would do
mand more, On the suffrage question the
President argues in favor Of allowing the re-
constructing States to regulate It, In man.
ncr tllut shows q full appreciation by him OF
the powerful opposition which exists TO that
policy. His plea 1hnt had he given the suffrage
10 the freedmen Of the South, be must also
have given it to the negroes at the North, Is NO
more true thnn would hare been an arpument
that hc could not appoint Governor OF
ooo'n As1onaa "4tuoul a1so tAso1aAnS ~ ap-
point Govcfnof OF ILLINOIS, Ihe power that
could ny proclamation mokc q mnn Cover
nor couid mnSe another Sotef. lhere Is no
doubt TIM, the suffrage question will be fully
discussed In Congress, and should that body
agree upon some mode Of extending the SUI
fragc, nothing In tue Presidents alessag,
commits linn 10 oppose such q policy. though
be would prefer TINT the extension of sui
fraEc should come from tho reGel Stntes- Hc
expresses the hope, and seems to believe, that
the white people of the South will ultimately
extend the suffrage themselves. Subject /,
these deductions, II they are such, the tone
Of the messagc Is Kind toward the freedman,
in whose favor, In all repccts except the sur
irarc, he demands equal rights, and especially
lint they have the same rlcht to enforce