American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1866-08-29

for a speech.
In response to these calls Mr.. Cowau
rose and said
"Geutlemen of the convention, claim
to be the host of the convention. One
of my distinguished guests win now ad-
dress you by virtue OF authority unani.
mUusly derived from the Committee on
Resolutions and Address-The Hon. Mr.
Raymond" Applause, including cheers
for Raymond.
The Chair then announced that the
Hon. Henry j Raymond, of New York
would Icad the address, which had re
ceved the unanimous approval of the
Committee on Resolutions and Address.
Mr. Raymond stepped forward and read
the address, of which the following is a
synopsis
TIE ADDRESS
invokes the people of the United States
to remeh Der that the war has ended. aud
that the nation is again at peace, and to
accept with all their legitimate conse-
quences the political results of the war.
First it has established beyond all fur
ther controversy, and by the highest of
all human sanctions, the absolute su,
prcmacy of the national Government as
defined and limited by the Constitution,
and the permanent integrity and indisso-
lubility of the Federal Union as a ueces,
sary consequence. And, second, it has
put an end finally and forever to the ex-
istence of slavery upon the soil or within
the Jurisdiction of the United States -
The Government of the United States
maintained by force of arms the supreme
authority over all territory and over all
States and people within It's jurisdiction
which the Constitution conters upon it !;
but it acquired thereby no new power, no
cnlrged jurisdiction, no rights either of
territorial possession or Of civil authority
which it did not possess before the rebel
lion broke out. The Constitution is to
day precisely as it was before the war
the suprem" law of the iand-anything
in the constitution or laws of the States
notwithstanding; aud today, precisely as
before the war, all powers not conferred
by the Constitution upon the General
Government, nor prohibited by it to the
States, aic lescrvch to the several States
or to the people thereof. During the
war every Executive message and procla'
mati,n explicitly declared that the sole
purpo.t Of the war was to maintain the
authority OF the Coustitut on and pre-
serve the integrity of the Union, and Con
grcss ratified tins solemn declaration.
CoHgrcss has since proclaimed that the
Government has the right of conquerors
to subject the territory conquered and its
inhabitants to such penalties as the legis.
htive department may see fit to impose.
Under this claim the clause Of the Con
stlution declaring that no State without
its consent shall be dcniel equal suffrage
in the Senate has been annullcd, and 10
Sta es arc deprived Of representation, al
though The Federal courts are rcopenej
and taxes imposed This claim so en-
forced involves as fatal an overthrow of
the Constitution a that sought to be eff
,ected 10y the StdteS IN rebellion. The
right asserted is that Congress. in formal
p ssessiun Of utho ity, may exclude any
States from approximation until they
comply with such conditions as they die
tate After controyeriug radical doc
riues The address says: d" We do not
hesitate to affirm that there is no section
ot the country where the Const tuition
aud laws of the United States find more
prompt and entire obedience than in those
States and among those people who were
u'cIy in arms against them, or where
is less purpose or danger OF any future
attempt to overthrow their authority. y
In closing, the address alludes to the ap-
preaching congressional elections and
says; u call upon you IN every con.
gressional district OF every State to Sc
cure the election Of members who, what
ever other differences may characterize
their political action, will unite in rccog-
nizing the right of every State of the
Union tn representation in Congress-, and
who will admit to seats in either branch
every loyal representative from every
STATE N allegiance to the Government who
may be found by each house, in the exer-
else of the power conferred upon it by
the Constitution, to have been duly elect.
ed, returned, and quail fed for seat
therein. When this shall have been done
the Government will have been re estab
lished in its full supremacy, and the
American Union will have again become
what it was designed to be by those who
fjrmed it-a sovereign nation, composed
of separate States, each, like tself, NOV
ing in distincs and independent sphere
exercising powers defined and reserved by
a common CONSTITUTIONS, and resting upon
the assent, the confidence and eo-opera-
ton OF all the States and all the people
subject to its authority Thus reorgau
lied and restored to their constitutional
relations, the States and the General Gov
ernment can enter in fraternal spirit,
with common purpose and common
interest, upon whatever reforms security
of personal rights, enlargement Of popu-
ular liberty, aud the perfection of our
republican institutions may demand"
1T is stated on good authority that
cne of the Presidents organs in Wash
:.e .; abont 70 collansn for want ~