The Placer herald., 1866-12-08
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

dents Message. 1t is explicit, and from it
our readers can gather the Presidents views
relative to reconstruction:
deem it subject Of profound regret that
Congress has thus far failed to admit to seats
loyal Senators ard Representatives from the
other States whose inhabitants. with those Of
Tennessee, had engaged in the rebellion.
Ten States, more than one fourth of the whole
number, remain without representation
The seats of fifty members in the house Of
Representatives and of twenty members in
the Senate are yet vacant, not by their own
con sent, not by failure of election, but by
the refusal OF Congress to accept their Gre
dentials Their admission, it is believed
would accomplish much toward the renew.
al and strengthening of our relations as one
people, and remove serious cause for dis
content on the part of,he inhabitants Of these
States. 1t would have accorded with the
great principal enuncialed in the Declaration
Of American Independence, that no people
ought to bear the burden of taxation and yet
be denied the right Of representation. 1t
would have been iu con.onance with the ex'
press provisions of the Constitution that
each State shall have at least one Represen.
.aiive and that" mo State without its consent
shall be deprived Of it's equal suffrage in the
Senate" Those provisions were intended to
secure to every State and to the people Of
every State the right of representation in
each house Of Congress, and so important
was it deemed by the trainers Of the Consti,
tuition that the equality of the States should
be preserved, that not even an by amendment
OF the Constitution can any State, without
its consent, be denied voice in that branch
of the national Legislature 1t is true it has
been assumed that the existence of States, was
terminated by rebellion and the act. of their
inhabitants, and the insurrection having been
suppressed they were thence forward to be
considered merely as conquered territories
The Legislative, executive and judicial depart
ment of the Government have, however, with
great d.tnctness, refused to sanction an as
sumption so Incompatible with the nature o!
our republican system and the professed oh
ject Of the war. Throughout the recent ses'
sion of Congress, the undeniable fact makes
itself apparent that the ten political commu-
nities are nothing less than States of this
Union. AT the very commencement of the
rebellion each House declared with unanm.
unity as remarkable as it was significant, that
"lhe war was not waged upon our side in
partisan spirit ofoppression, nor for any pur-
pose of conquest or subjugation, nor for the
purpose of overtbrowing or interfering with
the rights or established institutions of these
States. but TO defend and maintain the su,
pIemacy Of the Constitution, and all laws
made in pursuance thereof, and TO preseave
the Union with all the dignity, equality and
rights Of the several States unimpared, and
that as soon as these objects were accomplish
ed the war ought to cease. In some ns.an-
ces, Senators we're permitted TO continue their
legislative functions while in other instances
Representatives were elected and admitted
to seats after their States had formally de-
clared their right 10 withdraw from the Un
ion and were endeavoring to maintain that
right by force of arms. All Of the States
whose people were in insurrection, as States,
were included in the apportionment OF the
direct tax OF twenty millions of dollars annu.
ally laid upon the United States by the act
approved on the 5th of August, 1861. Con-
gress, by the Act of March 4th, 1862, and
by the apportionment Of representation
hereunder, also recognized their presence as
States of the Union. and they have for judi
cial purposes been divided into districts, as
States alone can be divided. The same re,
cognition appears in the recent legislation
in reference to Tennessee, which evidently
rests upon the fact that the functions of the
State were not destroyed by the rebellion,
but merely suspended; and that principle is Of
course as applicable to those States which
like Tennessee, attempted to renounce their
places in the Union. The action Of the exe
cutlve department of government upon this
subject has been equally definite and uniform,
and the purpose of the war was specifically
stated in The proclamation s.ned by my pre-,
decessor on The ed day of September, 1862.
1t was then solemnly proclaimed and decIar-
ed that hereafter, as heretofore, the war will
be prosecuted for the object of practiclIy re-.
storing the constitutional relation between
the United States and each Of the States
and the people thereof. in which States that
relation is or may be suspended or disturbed.
The judicial department of the Government
has also been clear and conclusive to all
proceedings affecting them as States. and in
the Supreme, Circuit and District Courts.
U. S. TRoops IN MExIco.-The report is
confirmed that Gen. Sedgwicks sent some of
his troops across the Rio Grande to Matamc-
ras. He has been removed for doing so, and
the troops brought back to the American
side of the river.
EyD d uting the late storm, few days
since, snow fell to the depth o four feet on
the summit of the Sierras east of Cisco In
some places it fell to the depth Of nine
feet.