The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1865-12-13

PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
FslloU citizens of the Senate and House Of
Representatives /:
To express gratitude to God, in the name
of the People, for the preservation Of the
United States, is my first duty in address
ing you. Our thoughts next revert to the
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 entering
on the renewal term Of the Chief Magis.
tracy, to which he had been elected; that
he brought the civil war substantially to a
close; that his loss was deplored to all
parts of the Union; and that foreign ma
tons have rendered justice to his memory,
His removal cast upon me heavier weight
Of cares than ever devolved upon any one
Of his predecessors To fulfill my trust |
need the support and confidence of all who
are associated with me in the various de-
partments of Government, and the support
and confidence Of the people. There is but
one way in which can hope to gain their
necessary aid; it is, TO state with frankness
the principles which guide my conduct, and
their application to the present state Of af.
fairs, we'll aware that the efficiency of my
labors will, in great measure, depend on
your and their undivided appreciation.
The Union of the United States Of Amer.
ica was intended by its authors to last as
long as the States themselves shall last.
"THE UNION SHALL BE PRESERVED" are
the words of the Confederation. "To
FORM A MORE PERFECT UNION" by an or.
dinance of the people Of the United States,
is the declared purpose of the Constitution.
The hand Of Divine Providence was never
more plainly visible in the affairs Of men
than in the framing and the adopting OF
that instrument. 1t is, beyond compari'
son, the greatest event in American his
tory; and indeed is it MT, of all events in
modern times, the most pregnant with con.
sequences for every people of the earth !
The members of the Convention which
prepared it, brought to their work the ex
perience of the Confederation, Of their sew.
eral States, and Of other Republican Gov
ernmcnts, old and new; but they needed
and they obtained wisdom superior to
experience. And when for it's validity i,
required the approval OF people that oc
cupied large part Of a continent and act.
ed separately in many distinct conventions,
what is more wonderful than that, after
earnest contention and long discussion, al
feelings and all opinions wers ultimately
drawn in one wav to it's support
The Constitution to which life was thus
impaired contains within itself ample re
sources for its own preservation. 1t has
power to enforce the laws, punish treason
and ensure domestic tranquility. In case
Of the usurpation Of the Government OF a
State by one man, or an oligharchy, it be
comes duty Of the United States to make
good the guarantee to that State of r..
publican form Of GovernmSnt, and So to
maintain the homog, nuene IS Of ali.
Does the lapse of time reveal defects? A
simple mode Of amendment is provided in
the Constitution itself, SO that rs condi-
tons can always be made to conform to
the requirements Of advancing civ ,lization.
No room is allowed even for the thsushl
of . possibility of its coming 10 an end
And these powers Of self preservation have
always been ass .rted in their complete IL
tegrity by every Patriotic Chief Magistrate
by Washington and Madison. The part
ing advice of the Father of his Country
while yet President, to the psople OF tn,
United States, was, that "the free Constl.
tuition. which vas the work Of their hands
might be sacredly maintained;" and tn.
inaugural words of President Jefferson
held up "the preservation of the Genera
Government in it's constitutional v,gor, as
he sheet anchor OF our peace at home and
safety abroad" The Constitution il the
work Of ",he people Of the United States,
and it should be as indestructibls a. the
people.
1t is not strange that the trainers of the
Constitution, which had no model in the
past, should not have fully comprehended
the excellence Of their own work FRESH
from struggle against arbitrary power
many patriots suffered from hara ,sine
fears Of an absorption of the State Gov
ernments by the General Government, ano
maRy from dread that the States woulc
break away from their orbits. But tn,
very greatness Of our country should allay
the apprehension Of encroschments by tn,
General Government. The subjects tina
come unQuestionably within its jursdlc
ton are SO numerous, that it must ever nat
urally refuse to be embarrassed by Ques
tons that lie beyond it. Were it other
| wise, the Executive would sink beneatt
the burden; the channels of justice woule
he chukei /; legislation would be obstruct
ed by excess; so that there is = create
temp,a ion to exercise some of the func
TONS Of the General Government through
the States than to trespass on their right
full sphere. 1.-The absolute acquiesence il
the decisions of the majority" was, at the
beginning Of the century, enforced by jeff
erson Gas the vital principle Of republics,
and the events Of the last four years hav,
established, we will hope forever, tba
there lies no appeal to force.
The maintansnce Of the Union bring
with it "the support Of the State Govern
ments in oil their rights" but it is lot on,
of the rights Of any State Government Il
renounce its own place IN the Union, or Il
nullity the laws Of tie Union. The largss
liberty is to be maintained in the discussion
of the acts of the Federal Government
but there is no appeal from its laws, cxcep
to the various branches of that Govern
ment itself, or to the people, who grant Il
the members of the legislative and of tn
! Exc ecutivc Departments no tenure but
limited one, and in that manner always re
tain the powers Of redress.
1.-The sovereignty Of the States," is tn
language Of the Confederacy, and not tn
language of the Constitution. The latte
contains the emphatic words: "The Con
sutution, and the laws Of the United State
which shall lie made in pursuance thereof
and all treaties made or which shall b
made under the authority Of the Unite'
States, shall be the supreme law Of tn
land; and tue Judges in every State sha
be bound thereby, anything in the COnsti
tuition or laws of any State to the contrar,
Notwithstanding"
Certainly the Government Of the Unite
States is limited Government; and so i
every State Government limited Govern
,nent. With us, this idea OF Limitation
spreads through every form Of admin'strs
L.. StNAn nj