East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1866-08-23


the defeat and overthrow they have
sustained. They acknowledge and
acquiesce in the results, TO themselves
and the country, which that defeat in
wolves. They no longer claim for any
State the right to secede from the
Union; they no longer assert for any
State an allegiance paramount to that
which is due to the General Govern
ment. They have accepted the de-
struction of slavery, abolished it by
their State constitutions, and concur
red with the States and people of the
whole Union in prohibiting its exist
ence forever upon the soil or within
the jurisdiction Of the United States.
They indicate and evince their purpose
Just so fast as may be possible and
safe, to adopt their domestic laws to
the changed condition of their society,
and TO secure by the law and its tri-
bunals equal and impartial justice to
all classes of their inhabitants. They
admit the invalidity of acts Of resist
ance to the National authority, and of
all debts incurred in attempting its
overthrow. They avow their willing
ness to share the burdens and dis
charge all the duties and obligations
which rest upon them in common with
other States and other sections of the
Union; and they renew, through their
representatives in this Convention, by
all their public conduct, in every way
and by the most solemn acts by which
States and societies can pledge their
faith, their engagement to bear true
faith and allegiance, through all time
to come, to the Constitution of the
United States, and to all laws that
may be made in pursuance thereof.
Fellow countrymen: We call upon
you, in full reliance upon your patii-
otism, to accept, with generous and
ungruding confidence, this full sur
render on the part of those lltely in
arms against your authority, and to
share with them the honor and re-
nown that await those who bring back
peace and concord to erring States.
The war just closed, with all its sor-
rows and disasters, has opened new
career Of glory to the nation it has
saved. 1t has swept away the hostil-
tiles of sentimentan of interest which
were a standing menace to its peace.
1t has destroyed the institution of sla-
very, always cause of sectional agi-
tation and strife, and has opened for
our country the way to unity of inter-
est, of principle, and of action through
all time to come. 1t has developed in
both sections military capacity-an
aptitude for achievements of war, both
by sea and land, before unknown
even to ourselves, and destined to ex-
ercise hereafter, under united councils
an important influence upon the char
acter and destiny of the continent and
the world And while it has thusre-
vealed, disciplined, and compacted our
power, it has proved to us beyond con-
troversy or doubt, by the course pur-
sued toward both oontending sections
by foreign Powers, that we must be
the guardians Of our own mdepen-
dence, and that the principles Of re-
publican freedom we represent can
find among the nations of the earth
no friends or defenders but ourselves.
Va oolI-..--.-Y---, .a.~.~r,ro, ny
every consideration of your own dig
nifty and safety, and in the name of
liberty throughout the world, to COM
plete the work of restoration and
peace which the President Of the Uni
ted15tatcs has so well begun, and
which the policy adopted and the
principles asserted by the present
Congress alone obstruct. The time
is close at hand when members of a
new Congress are to be elected. If
that Congress shall perpetuate this
policy, and, by excluding loyal States
and people from representation in its
halls, shall continue the usurpation
by which the Legislative powers of the
Government are now exercised, COM
mon prudence compels us to anticipate
augmented discomfort, sullen with
drawal from the duties and obliga-
tons Of the Federal Government, in
ternal dissension, and general COLI
sion of sentime Is and pretensions
which may renew, in still more
fearful shape, the civil war from
which We have just emerged. We
call upon you to interpose your power
to prevent the recurrence of so tran
scendent calamity. We call upon
you in every Congressional district in
every State, to secure the election of
members, who, whatever other differ
ences may characterize their political
action, will unite in recognizing the
right of every State Of the Union to
representation in Congress, and who
admit to seats in either branch every
! yal representative from every State
in allegiance to the Government, who
may be found by each House, in the
exercise of the power conferred upon
it by the Constitution, to have been
duly elected, retured and qualified for
seat therein.
When this shall have been done the
Government will have been restored
TO its integrity, the Constitution of the
United States will have been estab-
lished in its full supremacy, and the
American Union will have again be-
cUue wnuU' ~ was uvurgneu to ne by
those who formed it, sovereign ma
ton, composed of separate States, each
like itself moving in distinct and in
dependent sphere, exercising powers
defined and reserved by reserved by
common Constitution, and resting up
on the assent, the confidence and CO.
operation of all the States and oil the
people subject to its authority. Thus
reorganized and restored to their con-
stitutional relations, the States and the
General Government can enter in a
fraternal spirit, with common pur-