The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1866-08-21
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OF THE
PHILADELPHIA CONVENTION.

dress to you this declaration of our prinei- |
Piles, and of the political purposes we seek
to promote.
Since the meeting of the last National
Convention, in the year 1860, events have
occurred which have changed the character
of our internal politics, and given the United
States new place among the nations Of the
earth Our Government has passed through
the vicissitudes and perils of civil war-a
war which, though mainly sectional III its
character, has nevertheless decided political
influences that from the very beginning of
the government had threatened the unity OF
our national existence, and has left its i'm
press deep and ineffaceable upon all the IN
terests and sentiments and the destiny of the
Republic. While it has inflicted upon the
whole country severe losses in life and IN
property, and has imposed burdens which
must weigh on its resources for generations
to come, it has developed degree of ma
tional courage in the presence of national
dangers, a capacity for military OrganlZa-
ton and achievement. and n devotion on the
part of the people to the form of govern
ment which they have ordained, and 10 the
principles of liberty which that government
was designed to promote. which must con
firm the confidence of the nation IN the per
petuity of its republican institutions, and
command the respect Of the civilized world.
Like all great contests which rouse the pas
sions and test the endurance Of nations, this
war has given new scope to the ambition OF
political parties, and fresh impulse to plans
of innovation and reform.
Amid the chaos of conflicting sentiments
inseparable from such an era while the
public heart is keenly alive to all the pas
sions that can sway the public Judgment and
affect the public action; while the wounds
of war are still fresh and bleeding on either
side and fears for the future take unjust
proportions from the memories and resent
ments of the past it is a difficult but an inn
peratiye duty which, on your behalf, We,
who are here assembled, have undertaken to
perform.
For the first time, after six long years of
alienation and of conflict, we have come to-
gether from every State and every section Of
our land as citizens of common country
under that flag the symbol again of COM
mon glory, to consult together how best to
cement and perpetuate that Union which is
again the object of our common love, and
thus secure the blessings of liberty to our
selves and our party.
In the first place we invoke you to reInen-
Der, always and everywhere, that the war IS
| ended, and the nation is again at peace Inc
shock of cOntending arms no longer assalls
the shuddering heart of the Republic. Inc
instruction against the supreme authority
of the nation has been suppressed, ana that
authority has been again Acknowledged
by word and act, in every State, and by
|
| are no longer required or permitted to regard
or treat each other as enemies. Not only
| have the acts of war been discontinued, and
the weapons of war laid aside, but the state
| of war no longer exists, and the sentiments,
the passions the relations of war have no
| longer lawful or rightful place anywhere
| throughout our broad domain.
| We are again people of the United States,
| fellow-citiZens of one country, bound by
the duties and obligations of n common
patriotism, and having neither rights non
| interests apart from n common destiny. The
| duties that deyOlve upon us now are again
| the duties of peace and no longer the duties
of war We have assembled here to take
counsel concerning the interests Of peace, to
| decide how we may most wisely and effect
| ually heal the wounds the war has made
| and to perfect and perpetuate the benefits II
| has secured, and the blessings which, under
| a wise and benign Providence, have sprung
| up in its track. This is the work, not of pas
| sion, but of calm and sober Judgment, not oi
resentment for past offenses prolonged be
yOnd the limits which Justice and reason
| prescribe but of liberal craftsmanship
/ which tolerates what il cannot prevent, and
! builds its plans and its hopes for the future
rather upon a community of interest and
| ambition than upon distrust and the weap
! ons of force.
! In the next place, we call upon you to re-
! cogniZe in their full significance, and to ac
! cept with all their legitimate consequences
! the political results of the war Just closed
In two most important particulars, the vic
tory achieved by the National Government
| has been final and decisive FIRST, 1t mas
established, beyond all further controversy
a{,H ny me rraasi--4 - oil hnuan sanctions
the absolute supremacy of the Nationa
Government as DIS tSs'1d limited by tn,
tS55lmanent integrity and indissolublity ol
| the Federal Union as a necessary cOnSe
l nnpnpp- and second IT has N IN end i'm nj
ly and forever, to the existence of slavery
upon the soil or within the jurisdiction oi
the United States. Both these points be
came directly involved in the contest and
controversy Upon both depended, abso
! lutely and finally, the result.
! In the third place, we deem ii of the ut
most Importance that the real character OF
| the war, and the victory by which it was
! closed, should be accurately understood -
| The war was carried on by the Government
| of the United States in maintenance of its
| own existence; both of which were menaced
by the instruction which it sought to sup
press. The suppression of the insurrectiOn
accomplished that result. The Government
of the United States maintained by force OF
arms the supreme authority over all the ter
ritory and over all the States and people
within its jurisdiction which the COnstitu-
ton confers upon it; but it acquired thereby
no new power, no enlarged jurisdiction, no
Ii1ulS, tlJutI Vi beIIllOIIdI pOSsCSSlOIl OF OF
civil authority, which it did not possess
before the rebellion broke out. All the right
full power it can ever possess is that which
is conferred upon it either in express terms
or by fair and necessary implication, by the
Constitution of the United States. 1t was
that, however, and that authority which the
rebellion sought to overthrow and the vic
tory of the Federal arms was simply the
defeat of that attempt.
The Government of the United States act
ed throughout the war on the defensive. 1t
sought only to hold possession of what was
already its own. Neither the war nor the
victory by which it was closed, changed in
any way the Constitution of the United
States The war was carried on by virtue
of its provisions, and under the limitations
which they prescribe, and the result of the
war did not enlarge, abridge, or in any way
change or affect the powers it confers upon
the Federal Government, or release that Gov
eminent from the restrictions which it has
imposed. The Constitution of the United
States isto-day, precisely as it was before the
war, the supreme laws of any State to the
contrary Notwithstanding To-day, also,
precisely as before the war, all the powers
not conferred by the Constitution upon the
general Government, nor prohibited by il to
the States, are reserved to the several States,
or to the people thereof. This position is
indicated, not only by the essential nature
VI Jul anu JIC hetS1t iilC
spirit of the Constitution, but by all the
acts and the language of our Government
in all its departments, and at all times, from
the outbreak of the rebellion to its final
overthrow. In every message and procla-
nation of the Executive, it was explicitly
declared that the sole object and purpose of
the war was ''tO maintain the authority of
the Constitution and TO preserve the integ-
rity of the Union;" and Congress more than
once reiterated this solemn declaration, and
add the assurance that whenever that /
object should be attained the war should !
and all the States should retain their /
equSl rights and dignity unimpaired. Ii is |
only since the war was closed that other /
rights have been asserted in behalf of one /
Department of the general Government
1t has been proclaimed by Congress that, in
addition to the powers conferred upon it by
he Constitution, the Federal Government
nay now claim over the States, the territory |
md the people involved in the instruction.
he rights of war, the right of conquest and
# contiScation; the RIGHT TO abrouata All