The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-08-21
Address to tne People OF tho dated
YAJwk0.

- .all the States ana Territories of the Union
to consult upon, the condition and the
! to you this declaration Of our principles and
- or political purposes we seek to promote.
=. Z Since the mssting Of the last Natiuna
1 IT. 3 oceprred which hate changed the charac
s-s Ter o. our internal politics and given the
hons Of the earth Our Government has
passed through tho .v,cissitudes and the
b saIniy a ssstaS siE Nar Nss which though
y from this very beginning of tho Goyern-
IA InenE had Threatened tho unity Of our na:
-. saonsi existence. and has left it's impress
deep and meHaccable, upon all the inte-
n Il e afests, sentiments and tie destiny OF the
Hepnbfic. While it has indicted upon the
property. and has nposed burdens Which
" must weign on its resources for genera
tfons to come, it has developed degree of
'S' = national courage In the presence of ma
1909 tiopsA dangers seapacity for military or
:,,, Eanization and achievement and a devo-
i,SS tienon The part Of the people to the FORM
and to the principles of liberty which that
-, Goyernment was designed to promote,
- ~ which Iaust coaf1rn sthe>confidcnce of the
=. - nation IN the psrpetuity of it's republican
institutions, and command the respect OF
the civilized world Like all great con-
tests which rouse the passions and test the
III, new scope to the ambition Of political par
ties, and fresh impulse to plans of innova-
an;s.ia elon can reform: Amidst tho chaos of
= such an era, while the public heart is
- keeniy alive to all the passion that can
ia sTsy the sc|;uD. RuDlo judsmsnt s and .st the
t1'F are still fresh and bleeding on either side.
- and fears for the future take unjust pro,
portions from tho memories aud resent
. : nents OF the past, 1t is difficult bat al,
Imperative duty which, on Your behalf we
who are here assemblede1ave undertaken
ahenation and OF conflict; We have come to-
-, gether from every State and every section
OF our land as citizens Of a common coun-
try, under that dag, tlle.symbol again of a
- common glory, to consult together how
: oeSt 20 cement AID perpetnatc that Union
Yoae Mmcn IS as again am the object of our common
love- and thus secure the blessings of
liberty to ourselves andc pes,ority
= - In the hrst place, we. .oke yoa to re-
memoer mr e aH aiways and eve, yhere that the
Peace. The shock OF contentliny arms no
logger assails the shuddering heart of tho
r Repubic. The insurrectinn against the
:. supreme authority Of ..Ie nation has been
: suppressed, and that authority has been
again acknowledged by word and act in
every state, aud by every citizen within
( :. lta jorisdiction We no longer required
> = or permitted to regard or treat each other
ns enemiss. Not only have the acts of
= war peen hsfontinued, and the weapons-of
war laid aside, but tho state of war no
Longer exists, and the sentiments, tho
passions, the relations of war, have NO
throus ushout opr broad domatn. We are
again people OF the United States fellow
eltszens OF one country, bound by tho duties
:; s sand having neither rights nor interests
-. apart from common destiny. The duties
: snat devolve upon us now are again the
~ dnaes o. peace, and no longer the duties of
war. We have assembled here to take
counsel concerning the interests of peace:
20 declde how we may most.wsely and cs-
Ieotiveiy heal the wounds the war has
.l,,
benefits it has secured, and the bic ssin %
- wh,ch, under wise and benign Provi-
qs1oo %s; have ave spruns s up in its fiery track;
hs cstmiand sober Judgment; not of resent |
~ nent for past offences, prolonged beyond
serba es is bus wh9a nf justice and
which ,tolerates what it cannot prevent,
and builds it's plans and its hopes for.the
dusnre as rather upon community of inter
sest and ambition than upon distrust and |
- tine weapons OF force. In the next place |!
we caii upon you to recognize, in their full !
slgn!ncance, and to accept vita all their
'leg!blnlate consequences tho political re- |
suits OF the war just closed. In two most .
important particulars, the victory achieved /
ey the National Government has been
lnai and decisive. First, it has established, |
beyond all further controversy, and by the !
highest of all human sanctions, the ;lbso- |
Lutte supremacy OF the National Govern |
ment, as defined aud limited by the Con |
seiSutlon of the United States and the !
permanent integrity and indissoubity of
tHo L eoeIaI Union as q necessary cOnsc- !
quence. And second, it has put an end,
fiaally and forever, to the existence Of
slavery upon the soil or within the iuris
diction Of the United States Both these
points became directly involved in the
contest, and controversy upon both was
ended absolutely and finally by the result !
In the third place, we deem it of the ut |
most Importance that the real character of |
the war, and the victory by which it was
closed, should be accurately understood |
The war was carried on by the Govern
ment OF the United States in maintenance |
OF its own authority and in defence of its
own existence, both of which. were me-
to suppress. The suppression of that in. /
surrection accomplished that result. The !
Government Of the United States main
tanned by force of arms the supreme ;u
thorlty over all the territory, and over nil |
the States and people within its juris,l:c-
tlon, which tho Constitution confcrs mon |
1t. But it acquired thereby no new power:
no enlarged jurisdiction; no rights either
OF territorial possession or of civil auth !
ty, which it did not POSSESSES before the ro /
bellion broke out. All the rightful power
IT can ever possess is that which is con- |
ferred upon it, either in express terms or