Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1865-12-08
NJ X s S A O 4


"e''s~''N"r+
To express gratitude to God In the name q The Peo.
ple for the preservation Of the United Sites my 6rs
duty In addressing you Our next revert to the
death q the late President by act Of psrcids rea
ION The grief 81 the nation is still ffesh II hrd,
tome solace In the consideration that he lived enjoy
the highest proof OF is confidence by entering The
renewed Of the Chief Msfisrscy 10 which he had
been elected that he brought the civil saniia
y TO close that his loss dep oTed in all parts Of
the Union that foreign nations have dered just
ice TO his memory. His removal east upon heavier
weight Of cares than devovsd upon any Of his
predecessors. To fulfil my trust need the support and
confidence OF ali who with me In the various
de artmsnts Of Government, and tn support and conf
dtnce OF the people. There is but way In which can
hope TO gain their Necessary aid Is TO state with
hsnkness The principles which guide my conduct and
their app icaton to the present state Of al irs well
aware that the efficiency 81 ny labois sill. In great
measure depend on your and their undivided ap roba
The Union Of the United States Of America was in
tended BY s authors 20 last AZ lorg ss the taies thcm
selves shall last " Tue UNION SHALL BR PERPETUAL
the words Of the Confederation. To PORN HORg
PBRF.cT UNION" by ordinance OF the people q the
United States. lie the declared purpose Of the Consu
tuition The hand Of Divine Providence was never m re
plainly visible 10 the sfars Of than in the framing
and the adopting Of that instrument Its beyond com
psrtoD, the greatest event in American history and
indeed s not Of all events in modern tines he
pregnant With consequences for every tple " the
earth The members OF the Convention which prepared
brought to their work the experience n the Coheder
ation,tf their sesefa States and Of other Repub
Governments, old and new but they needed and uey
obtained wisdom superior to experience And when
for It's validity required the approval Of people that
occupied large part q continent and acted sspaae-
ly in many sisnct conventions Whist is wonderful
Il that after carr eat eonouton and long dscu son
all feelings and all opinions were ultimately drawn In
way 10 its support
The Constitution to which life thus impaired con-
tain within itself ample for its own preserve
ton. 1t has Iower to enforce the laws, punish
and ensure domestic tranquility In Of the uiu'p
ton Of the Government Of State BY one man OF an
oigarchy. 1t becomes duty Of the United St,tes TO
make good the guaranty to th't State Of Republican
form OF government and 10 maintain the homoYepe
ousness Of all. Does the lapse Of time reveal de
fecsi A simple mode Of amendment is provided in the
Constitution itself that its conditions can always be
made conform The requirements Of advancing CIV
izston No room is allowed even fCr the thought Of
possibility OF its coming 10 an end Aud these powe
OF sefpreservtton have always been asserted Ia thei
complete integrity BY every patriotic Chief Magsrat
by Js6ereon and Jackson, OF Less than by Wahn,
and Madison. The parting advice Of the father u his
country while yet President the people OF the United
States WAS that the fee Constitut n. which was ~
work Of their hands night be sacred mantai ed :"
ind the inasgra words Of President Jefferson held
the preservation Of the General Governu en, in its
constitutional vsor as the sheet anchor Of our peace
home and safety abroad" The Constitution Is the
Of the People Of the United s,.es and Il should be
A. indestructble as the pee Pile
is not strange that The trainers Of the Cons tuition
which had no model In the past should fully
copmIehended the excellence Of their work Ffeh
from struggle against arbitrary power man, A,'ots
State Governments by the General Government and
many from DIE ad that the States would break away
from theii orbits But the very greatness OF our
the General Government. The subj scs that come I'M
questionsbly within It's jurisdiction are numerous
that must ever naturally refube to be Embarrassed by
questions that lie beyond it. Were II oiherwe, the
Executive would sink beneath the burden the Oh eli.
Of justice would be choked legis alton would be OBJ
suucted by exctss that there temp taion
to exercise of the functions Of the General Govern
mtnt through the States than TO resPas their right
full sphere The absolute acquiescen in the d, csions
OF the majority was at the beginning Of the ~
enforced by Jefferson, as the vital principle Of pub
es and the events OF the last four jesrs have esab
i,hed, ~e will hope forever that there lies appeal
force
The mAntenaIc OF the Union brings with II the
suppoit Of the State Governments In all their righ -;
but 1t is VI IN. rights Of any State GoveInmei
70 rtnounce its Iaee IN the Union nullfy the
laws Of the Union The lars, at liberty il 10 be main
tainea in the discussion Of the Of the Fede al Gov
eInment but there appeal from its laws eAc.pt
the various branches Of tina, Government itself the
people, who rant 10 members Of the Legislative and
Of the III, eutive Departments no tenure but limited
one and in that manner slsays retain the powers OF
redress.
The sovereignty Of the States Is the language Of
the Confedeiac and the lar guage Of the Constu
ton. The latter con- aims the emphatic woi ds "The
Constitution. and the laws Of the United States which
shall be made in pursuance hereof and all treaties
made which shall be made der The authority OF the
United States, shall be the supreme Law Of the land
and the Judges In every State shall be bound theI
any hing in the Constitution laws Of any State the
contrary Notwithstanding Z"
Certainly the G0vsTnm,n Of States I'm T.
government and so every State Government With
U.S. III idea Of limitation spreads through every form Of
administration General, State, and municipal and
on tbe great distinguishing principle Of the milton Of
the rights OF man The cient Iepub abs rbed the
dvoual IN the State prescribed his religion aud control
ed his activity The Amsrit ysten on the asser
ton OF the equal right Of every to life liberty, and
81 s"sp'ns.., 70 NE feedom Of conscience,
sequence, the State Government is limited, to IN.
General Government In the interest OF the Union as
the individual citizen in the interest Of freed, m.
States, with proper limitations Of power, essential
10 the existence Of the Constitution Of the United States
At the very commencement when We sssum,d a place
among the Powers Of the earth the Declaration Of indie
pendencs was adopted by States; also were Aru
clet OF Confederation; and when the People Of the
United States ordained and abshed the Constitu-
ton, was the asient Of the States, by QUE which
gave 1t vitality In the too Of any to
the Constitution, the proposition Of Congress needs the
continuation Of States Without States, ore great
branch OF the legislative government would be wanting.
And II we lcok beyond the letter Of the Constitution 10
the character Of our county its capacity for
bending within its Jurisdiction vast continental empire
due 10 the system Of Sta,ss The best security for
the perpetual existence Of the States 10 the supreme
authority" OF the Constitution Of the Ultsd sstatA
The perpetuty OF the Constitution brings with 1t the
prpetuiy ofthe states their mutual relation make
what We are and In political stem their
10 indissoiube, The whole cannot exist with ut The
paris the parts without the whole So long as The
Constitution Of the United States endures, the State.
u endure the destruction Of one the dsstru sou Of
ue otheri the prtBrNsuon OF tho is ,hs
Of the other
have thus explained my views ofthe mutual relations
Of the Constitution AVID the States because they unfold
the principles which have sought 10 solve the mo-
men Gus questions and overcome the appalling dfcu-
ministraton 1t has been stsadfas OBJECT eseape
from the sway ofmomentary passions, and to derive a
healing policy from the fundamental and unehar gng
principles VI the Constitution.
found the states suffering from the effects OF civ 1
kesisianee 10 the General Govern appeared
TO have exhausted itself The United States had =,
cred possession Of their forts and arsenals aud their
armies in the occupation Of every State which had
atem pied TO secede. Whether the territory within the
hmlts OF those Stat should be held err-
tory, under military au hori ting foln Pres
ident as the head Of the army the hrs quesn that
presented itself for decision.
Now, military governments, established for lndef
mite period would have offered security for the AIRY sup
preston 81 diseontent would have divided 'he people
into the vanqusners and the vAnquished; and would
have enyenomed hatred, rather than r aee-
ton. Once established precise limit to their contin
uanee conceivable They would occasion ed an
tneAcuabe and exhaustng expense. Peaceful tmgI a.
non 10 and from that portion OF the county il Of he
beat means that can be thought Of for the ion
harmony and that emg' alton would have been revsn-
tea Tor what emisrant from abroad, what Industrious
einsen Al home, would place himself willingly under
mihtsy rulei The chief pertons who would have fol-
lowed IN the uan Of The army would have b-tn dspen
oents on the uenefa pJvernment, who expected
poht fom the niseFies of their srng fellow citizens
The powers OF patronage and rule when have be
exercised, under the PTesidtn, over vast and pouu-
lous. and naturally wealthy region are greater tA I'M
lsss under necessity should Re wiling 10 en-
trust 70 any one man they are such az for uy,slf
could never, unless On occasions OF great .uefgency
consent to exercise The wilul OF such pos,Is Ii
continued through period Of years, would have enasn
gsIsd the purity Of the general administration and III,