The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1866-12-13
The Presidents Message.

contain recommendations for startling and
dangerous amendments of the Federal
4 Constitution, and'offers Of concessions and
compromises to the triumphant enemies
4 of his administration, will find that they
have been deceived.
AS a state paper it is singularly free
from those multitudinous recommends
tions which not unfrequently disfgure
and weaken the effect of such produc-
tions. The message is able, concise, clear
and exceedingly well written. Its tone
is at once temperate and firm. If itcon-
cedes nothing to the demands of the
"wild beasts of Ephesus," J" neither does it
exasperate them by untimely denuncia-
ton. Indeed, the Presidents messages
are as free from exasperating expletives
as his speeches are full Of them. There
is not q word, phrase, sentence or para
graph in the message to offend the most
fastidious. And yet, that portion of it
which is devoted to the question of recon-
struction is, from the force and clcarness
of it's statements and logic, one of the
most crushing exposures of the inconsis-
tencies and tergiversations OF the Radl-
calls which has yet appeared. 1t demon
strates that the policy of Congress is at
this time the only obstacle in the way of
the complete restoration of the Union.
1t shows that everything for which the
North went to war has been accomplish
ed In the very incipicncy of the con-
test, before the first great foot-race at
"Bull Rum" Congress declared that the
war was waged, not to deprive the Gre
bellious States" of their rights, but pure,
ly and simply to restore the authority OF
| the Constitution and laws of tho United
States.
That result has been achieved. In the
Southern States, nobody now disputes
the authority of the Federal laws and
Constitution. Although denied represen-
tation, we nevertheless pay the tax gath,
er his dues. Although we arc pinched
by poverty and hunger, yet unguarded
Post-ofices, Custom houses, Federal
Courts, Treasury agencies, Internal Rev
enue Offices everywhere illustrate the su-
prcmacy of the law. The whole ma
chinery of the Government is in peacea-
BILE operation in the Southern States.
Order and peace everywhere exist
although military rule has long since been
replaced by civil authority. No people,
as the President shows with crushing
force, ever accepted the result of the ar
bitrament of battle more quietly than we
have done, and never was there less ex-
cuse fer lawless outrages upon people
than for those Of which we have been
made the victims. All OF this is set forth
with extraordinary force by the Presi-
dent, and although it may make no
impression upon the insensate revolution
lists to whom his message is addressed,
the presentation of the case is neverthe-
less powerful and convincing
1t will be perceived by the readers of
the message that after twelve months OF
bittor and mcrciless denunciation the
President is found, so far as the question
of reconstruction is concerned, standing
precisely where he was in December last.
He still atfirms that the admission into
Congress of representatives from the
Southern States is the onl y thing which
is now essential for the complete restora-
tion of the Union, and that when Con-
rress ceases to be faithless to its duty,
The work of reunion will be complete.
AS this is the sincere and honest convlc-
ton of tho President, and as he believes
that this, and only this, will, accomplish,
the desired result, he refrains from all
suggestions of compromises which fall
short of the true duty of Congress.
AS long as representation is denied he
holds Congress responsible for all thu ills,
/ nar;ls and misfortunes which environ the
country.
10 the "amendments" to the Constitu-
ton passed by Congress he comedies no
merit, leaving the advocacy of all such
ouack nostrums to that class Of time
serving ingrates who hayo neither sense,
gratitude nor sectional pride. From the
tenor of the Presidents message it is OBJ.
vious that so monstrous and fagitious an
outrage and violation Of the Constitution
does he regard this denial of representa-.
ton to ten States, that it presents good
ground for the refusal of the unrepresent-
cd section 70 pay any portion OF the the !, IN
ternal revenue tax, which is oniy issaliy
collected in the represented States. ana
it is sincerely TO be hoped thaS a case
may very speedily bo made for the aecis,
ion Of the Supreme Court, which will test
tie ,a question in it's mostimportant aspect
In IN some respects the message OF the
, president d. conveys very gratifying infor.
nation 70 the nation. Although, through
3adisal extravaganza, the expenditure
~ the Government in time of peace ex.
ceed s300,000,000, yet the National debt
!, has been considerably diminished. The
foreign complications and diplomatic is
sues, which are referred to in the Message
are important, but they do not threaten
as was anticipated, any rupture of our
pacific relations with either France or
England.-BfeRaead Zfass