West-Jersey pioneer., 1866-12-07
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

OuiEu oOdeeo W COuSieSS Wac W
Gated to that body upon its assembling on
Monday last. The message itself is
moderate in tore and gentlemanly in ex-
preston, and for opse ut least the Presi-
dent has scared far his dignity" fact
which we trust will be both appreciated
and acted upon by the Congress in its
consideration of the document. The
message is long and we have thought that
the wishes ofour readers would be best
regarded BY careful and condensed
report Of its contents rather than the
simple printing Of the document itself,
cod so we present. them with its digest
rather than its entire length:
The message asserts in the beginning
that "Peace, order and tranquility exist
throughout the entire United States"
that, Gin all the States the civil authority
is maintained by the people," that, "the
enforcement of the laws is no longer
obstructed, and that the animosities en-
gendered by the war are rapidly passing
away under the bene6cent workings Of
our free institutions and unrestricted
social and commercial intercourse" He
next recapitulates what he had done in
the way Of reconstructing the Southern
States previously to the last session of
Congress, by appointing provisional gov
eInors, calling conventions, inducing the
election of governors and Legislatures,
and the choosing of Senators and Rep
resentatiyes to the Congress of the United
States; Courts have been opened, the
blockade removed, Custom houses re-
established, and Revenue officers appoint
ed, and these States invited to take part
in the enactment of the Constitutional
Amendment which abolishes African
slavery. Here he asserts the executive
power ceased and the one thing more
which only remained to be done was the
admission to Congress Of proper Senators
and Representatives from these States
"Congress," the President says, "pro-
posed no plan at all and, therefore, the
Executive could only go forward and
perfect the plan which was already in
operation. In accordance with this
course Of procedure the Constitutional
Amendment on the subject was ratified
by the requisite number of States and
became a law-the insurrectionary States
amended their Constitutions SO as to con-
form to the change and proceeded to the
enactment Of laws for the protection and
amelioration Of the colored race"
He alludes to the admission of Ten
nessee as occurring only after eight
months of wrongful delay, and expresses
his profound regret that congress has so
far failed to admit the loyal representa-
tives from the ten other states lately in
rebellion, by which act more than one
fourth of the states remain without rep
resentation, not by their own consent,
but by the refusal of congress to accept
their credentials. He thinks their ad-
mission would have done much to restore
the good feeling between the states and
removed the serious cause for discomfort
now entertained by them and accorded
also with the great principle of American
government, that there should be no tax
alton without representation. He also
quotes the Constitution "that no state
shall be deprived without its own consent
to equal suffrage in the senate" and
implies that congress has thus violated
the constitution by its denial. He insists
that the Executive and Judicial depart
ments of government have constantly
recognized their status as States, and
that the recent Legislation of Congress as
we'll as that of the entire period of the'war
can be explained only upon that basis.
He alludes also to the fact that, during the
war, Senators and Representatives from.
some of the seeded States were admitted
to Congress and assisted in the national
Legislation, and asserts from tnfs that the
functions Of these States were not destroy
ed, but only suspended by the war. The
action of the executive, he says, has been
clear and uniform from the time of the
accession of Mr.. Lincoln until now, and
that the Judicial Department in its action
has concurred in the views Of the execu-
tive. He assures the congress that his
views upon the reconstruction question
have undergone no change, but that on
the contrary, time has deepened his con-
victions of their truth and value, and
that as the constitution makes it his duty
to recommend to the consideration of
congress ''such measures as he shall judge
necessary or expedient." In accordance
with this he urges as the most important
measure of all others, the immediate ad-
mission of loyal southern representatives,
without which he does not think it pos
sible that the work of restoration can be
completed or harmony and fraternal feel
ing restored and the world convinced of
the inherent recuperative power of our
free institutions. He quotes from Wash
ington, Jefferson and jackson in refer
ence to the danger of consolidating power
in the general government, and impairing
the rights of the states, and cautions the
congress against the tendency of central
ization now manifest in legislation, and
expresses his fears of a despotism in con-
sequence, and concludes this portion of
his subject with class Of ideas express
sive Of patriotism usually employed by
all presidential writer's upon similar oc-
casions. He shows from the report of
the Secretary of the Treasury, that
the national debt has been reduced
in the last fourteen months by over
$500, 900, 900, leaving the entire debt of
the country now at a little over $780,
600, 900. The receipts of the govern
ment have been far larger and the ex-
penditures much less than the estimates
and thus this great reduction of the debt
has been accomplished. The estimates
for the fiscal year, ending next June,
have margin of surplus of over $685.
600, 900, which it is proposed to apply to
the further reduction of the debt. He
thinks that under the most unfavorable
the receipts of the govern
ment will be in advance of its disburse-
ments, and that large reduction of tax
alton can be made and the country still
pay its debt in the lapse of quarter of a
century. From the renort of the secre