Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1866-12-12
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE,
Full Text of the Annual Mes.
sage for 1866.
Special Dispatch to the Sentinel.

Special DlspatCn 10 inc Scntlncls
WASHINGTON, Dee. 8.
Fello,o Citizen. of the Senate asd House of Rep
resensatires
After . brief interval the Congress Of the
United States resumes its acuual legislative Ia
bors.
An aI-wi.e and merciful Providence has aba
ted the pestilence which visited our shores, leav
ing its calamitous traces upon some portions Of
our country. Peace, order, tranquility and civil
authority have been formally declared to exist
throughout the whole Of the United States. In
all the states civil authority has superseded the
coercion Of arms, and the people, by their volun
tary action, are maintaining the government in
full activity and complete operation. The on
forcement Of the laws is no longer obstructed in
any state by combinations too powerful to be
suppressed by the ordinary course or Judicial
proceedings, and the animosities engendered by
the rapidly yielding to the benefcent in
, fuences of our free institutions, and to the
kngly effects of unrestricted social and CONNER
cial intercourse. An entire restoration of fra
ternal feeling must be the earnest wish of every
patriotic heart. And We will have accomplished
our grandest national achievement when, forget
ting the sad events of the past and remembering
only their instructive lessons, we resume our ca
reer a free, prosperous and united people
RESTORATION THE STATES.
In my message of the l4th of August,
1868 Congress was informed Of the measures
which had been instituted by the Executive, with
view to the gradual restoration of the states In
which the insurrection occurred to their rela-
tons with the general government. Provisional
Governors had been appointed; conventions
called; governors elected; legislatures assembled
and senator's and representatives elected to the
L. s. Congress; courts had been opened for the
enforcement OF the laws long In abeyancei the
blockade had been removed; custom houses es-
tablished, and the Internal revenue laws put IN
forces in order that the people might contribute
to the national income; postal operations had
been renewed, and efforts were being made to
restore them to their former condition and eff
CHENEY. The states themselves had been asked
to take part in the high function of amending
the constitution, and of thus sanctoning the ex
tinction of African slavery one OF the legltl-
mate results of our internecine struggle. Hav-
ing progressed thus far the executive depart
ment found that it had accomplished nearly all
that was within the scope of Its constitutional
authority. One thing, however, remained to be
done before the work of restoration could be
completed. and that was the admis-
sion to Congress of loyal senators and re-
representatives. from the states whose people
had rebelled against the lawful authority of the
general government. This question devolved
upon the respective houses, which, by the consti-
tuition, are made the judges of the election,
returns and qualifications of their members
and its consideration at once engaged the atten-
ton of Congress In the meantime, the execu
tive department, no other Plan having been
proposed by Congress, continued in its efforts to
perfect as far as practicable, the restoration
of the proper relations between the citizens of
the respective states, aud rhe states and the
federal government-extenGing from time to
time, as the public interests seemed to require,
the judicial revenue and postal systems of the
country and with the advice and consent of the
Senate the proper officers were appointed and
appropriations made by Congress for the pay
ment of their salaries.
The proposition to amend the federal constitu-
tion to prevent the existence of slavery
within the United States, or any place subject to
their jurisdiction, was ratified by the requisite
number of states, and on the 18th day of Deem
Der, 1865 it officially declared to have be-
come valid part of the constitution of the
United States. All of the states in which the
insurrection had existed promptly amended their
constitutions so TO make them conform TO the
great change thus effected in the organic law f
the land, declared null and void all ordinances
ana laws of SECESSION repudiated all preten ded
debts and obligations created for the
revolutionary purposes of the instruction,
and proceeded In good faith to the enactment
OF measures for the protection and amelioration
of the condition of the colored race. Congress,
however, yet hesitated to admit any Of these
ward the close of the eighth month of the ses-
sivn that exception was made IN favor of en-
nessee by the admission OF her senator's and rep
reSentatives. In the exclusion of loyal south
ern senator's and representatives / deem it sub
ject of profound regret that Congress has thu:
far failed to admit TO seats the loyal senators
and representatives from the other states whose
inhabitants with those OF Tennessee had engaged
in the rebellion. Ten states-m0re THAI one
fourth of the whole mum ber-ren12in without
representation; the seats of fifty members In the
House of Representatives and Of twenty mem
bers IN the Senate are yet vacant. Not 10y theli
own consent not by .ailgre OF
electiou-but by the refusal of Congress:
TO accept their credentials. Their admission, il
Is believed, would have accomplished much TO-
wards the -enewal and streng thening of cur rela-
tiors as one people, aud removed serious cause
for discomfort on the part OF the inhabitants oil
those states. It would have accorded with tht
great principle enunciated IN the declaration OF
American independence, that no people ought
20 bear the burden OF taxation and yet be denied
the right of representation. 1t would have beer
in cousonance with the express provisions of thu
constitution, that sach state shall have at leaS
one representative, and that no state, without
its consent shall be deprived OF Its equal suffrage
in the Senate. These provisions were intended
TO secure TO every state, and to the people o.
every state, the right Of representation IN eact
House of Congress, and so important was i
deemed by the trainers Of the constitution, thu
the equality of the states in the Senate SHOULD
be preserved, that not even by al amendment OF
the constitution can any state, without ITS cen
sent be denied voice IN that branch OF the IA
tional Legislature. 1t Is true
II has been assumed that the existence o
the states was terminated by the reoelIious act
of their inhabitants, and that the instruction
having been suppressed they were theUcafor
ward 10 be considered merely as conquered terri
tories The legislative srd judicial department
of the government have, however, Will
great distiuetness and uniform consistency, re
fnssa 20 sanction aSs1u ptIon 50 incompatible
with the nature OF our republican system an
the profesSed objects OF the war Ihroughou
the recent legislation OF Congress the undenia
hla fact makes itself apparent that the ten Pc
Gtiesl communities are nothing less than state
of this Union. 1t the very commencement G
this rebellion each House declared, with una
;n;,v as remarkable as il was signitie,ut, tina
,he war was not waged upon our part IN an
spirit of oppression, nor for any purpose OF cor
Quest or suhjugation, nor for the purpose {
nver,browiEg Interfering with the rights
.,abI;shsd institutions of those states; but
dSsn3 and maintain the supremacy Of the col
e,;tn,;on- and all laws made in pursuance thera
Of and to preserve the Union with a the a'
5yn,nair,d and that as soon as these objec
were accomplished, the war ought to cease
sn,ne Instances senators were permitted to col