, 1866-12-14
pREsIbEST,s MESSAGE.
FsliOp Citizens Of the Senate
and House Of Representatives.

E,LlOn CitizenS Of the OeHdfe
and House Of Represenistires:
Aftera brief interval the Congress of the Uai-
.staiatss resnnaes its annual legislative htborS.
A. sllwise aud mrrciful providence has abated
m. pestllence which visited our shores, leaving
II. ealamitOus traces upon some portions of our
country Peace, order, tranquility and civil
snIbority have been formally declared to exist
throughout the whole Of the United States
Civil authority has superseded the coercion of
arms aud the people by voluntary action are
maintaining their government in tull activity
and complete operation The enforceme 1t Oft
lawis ion ger Opstrdcted IN any p zee ny nbI-
nations too powerful 10 be suppressed by the
ordinary course Of Judicial proceedings. Tue
aulmoslties engendered by the war are rapidly
Welding to the benehcent Influences of our free
institutions, and to the kindly fIrts of dnre.
srrcted social aud commercial intercourse. An
entire restoration OF irdternal- teeln must be
the earnest wish Of every patriotic heart, and
we will have accomplished our greatest national
achievement when, forgetting the SAD events uf
tbe past aud remembering ouly their instructive
lessons, we resume our onward career as d free
prosperous aud united people.
Ia my message OF the 4Lh of December, 1865,
Congress Informed of the measures which
bad Ueeu instituted by the executive with view
TO the gradual restoration of the States in
which the inSurrectiOn occurred, to their former
relations win lee General Government. Pro-
tislOual Governors appointed, creatures called
Governors elected, Legislatures assembled and
Senators aud Representatives chosen To the Con-
g,ess Of the United States, and Courts had been
upeued for the eHlUrcenie cut of laws long in
sbryance. The blockade had been rem wed ,
custom houses re-estabished, and the Internal
IerenGe laws put in force IN order that the ppo.
pie might Contribute 10 the internal income.
Postal operations mad been renewed aud eH ,rts
we've beng made to restore them II their fJr.nrr
condition aud efficiency. The States themselves
had been asked To TAX part in tue high iunciiOn
Of amending the Constitution aud thus sanction
iug the exuuctIou of African slavery as one of
tue legitimate results OF our ru sgle Having
progressed thus tar, the Executive Head fIund
That ii had ccJmptIshei ne tr.y all that was
within tue scope Of Its Constitutional auth0rI-
y. Oae thug however, yet renamed To be
done before the wJrk OF restoration could he
accomplished, aud that was the admission to
Congress Of loyal Senators aud Representatives
lrom the SrHtes wnere tie people had rchrlled
a-atuSt the IlwtIr authority OF the General Gov
ernmrut. TAtS question devuivrd up IN the re-
specuVe hUhSc> wdIcn, hy the Cbisututinn, are
wuie the judges Ui lHr election re,urns aud
Qualifications ut their ava ucnurrs tud t. c ,u-
s'derotl"n at Oucr eug '2ei The attention Of Goa
gre,>. la the mean time the Executive pl IN
having been proposed 10y Cungres, (?l cuuLirurd
restoration of The pro, cr relation brtNee tn cit
Lens OF the respective States aud the Federal
Government, eYtcalmg trOu-tlne To tim, wait
ue public interests seemed to req Dire 10 the iu
'cidl rrFeuue aud postal systems of the cuuI-
n.y. Nlth tue advice aud cUHseut of the Senaie
he necessary Odicers were appointed, ani appro-
prl'tons were made by Congress for the pay.
meuI OF their salaries. The proposition to amsDd
thc Federal Cnu Tuition so as to provide for the
at -,
any place subject to their jurisdiction was rati
ned Oy suhcl mt number of States, and on
t"e 'S'A day of November, 1865, 1t WIS officially
ueOl1Itd 10 udFe become valid aud IL part of the
Constitution OF the GATED States. All OF the
o'aes IN which the nsurrecIion had existed,
promptly amended their constitutions so as to
maze tuen conform to the great change this
"s''el III the org law of the land. They
ueeaFed null aud vJld all ordinances and laws
VI secession, repudIated all pretended d-bts
"ui o0igatons created for the revolutionary
purposes Ut the iasurrectiOn, aud proceeded la
so'1 Idlth 10 the endCImrnt of measures for the
i'Vetuon and amelIcratIon of the condition Of
.ne coI0red races. Congress, however, vet re
Iuseu lu admit any of these Stdtos to rrpresen-
'a''oh, aud it was not until towards the close
VI Tue eighth month of the session that an ex.
'.Plon was made in favor OF Tennessee by the
1lhSsI"n Of her Senators aud Representatives
congress has thus far failed TO admit t. seats
IVY" Senators and Representatives from the
.urF states whose iuhdbitints with those of
GvunrSsee, had engaged IN the rebellion. Ten
S'"eS, more than une-fpurrh of the wnnl, mum
'iremaIned without repre- >eutdtIon. Tue SEATS
VI my members in the House of Represen L ives,
""l vi twenty memOers III the S nate, are vet
"'"ht not 10y their own consent, mol by frdc
"ousness of electors, Uut by the refusal OF Con
accent Frtip ad,
sIOn, II Is believed, would hive accomplished
U'" toward tue renewal aul stren ItdeniuI OF
o 'e'A"ons rs Que people aud removed seri-
4s cause Tor discomfort on the part Of the in
1o,~nts of these States. 1t would have ac>
with the great principle enumerated in
declaration Of Amer lean independence, that
people ought TO bear the burden of taxation
!, YET oe denied the right of representation.
n,d "ou'd have been IN consouauce with the ex-
provisions OF the Constitution that each
suall have at least one representative, and
A.; 10 state without its consent shall. be de
eu 80 OF It's equal suffrage in tue Senats. Those
'Slons were Intended to secure to every
n aau 10 the people of every State, the right
representation in each House of Congress
nr important was it deemed by the trainers
So constitution that the equality of the
Ves should be preserved, that not even by AN
,. uument of the Constitution eau any State
bouI It's consent be denied voice in that
bs, b1ea OF the National Legislature. It is true
g. naS been assumed Ina. the existence oil
or rs was Terminated by reoeili aud the acIs
b" innaoItauIs, aud tuAI the iusurreetOu
w.,Ie oeen suppressed they were IlienerfOr-
,i,os De considered merely as conquered ter
Ss~a! lhe legislative, executive AMI judiciA
~ nehls Ut tue government have, however
81 great distIuctuess refused to sanction AG
opuon m, So Incompatible WITH the nature o
OF the war.
IL throughout the recent session Of Congress
a. uuuenlAole fact makes itself apparent tha
Nn political communities are nrthhIg les
M States Of this Uuion. At the very eJin
~ ss@ent OF the rebellion, each house declare,
e. uaanImity as remarkable as it vas sigui
rdH! tnAt the war was not waged upon o1
Iv ~ partisan spirit of oppression, nor fo
purpose of conquest or subjugaticn. nor 70