The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1866-12-12
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Feliow.Citiaens Of the Senate and House OF

United States resumes its ANIMAL legisla-
tive 1ahors. An all-wiss and merctfnt
providence has abated tile pestilenes which
visited our shores, leaving its caiamitous
traces upon some portions Of our country.
Peace, order, tranquility and civil authori-
" have been formally declared to exist
throughout the whole Of the United States.
In all of the States civil authority has
superseded the coercion of arms, and the
people by their voluntary action are main
tanning their governments in full activity
+ and complete operation. The enforcement
of the laws is no longer obstructed in any
State ,by combinations too powerful to he
suppress I'd by the ordinary course OF judi
cial nrocaedinps;. and the animosities en-
rendered by the war are rapidly yielding
70 the benefcent Influences of our free in
stitutions, and to the kindly effects of I'M
restricted social and commercial inter
course. An entire restoration of flaternal
feeling must be the earnest wish Of every
patriot's heart, and we shall have ACCOM-
'plislled our grandest national ach ;eVement
when, forgetting the sadevents of the past
and remembering ,oaly their. Instructive
lie sons, we resume our onward course as a
:, free, prosperous and unified people. In my
message of the 4th of December, 1865, Con-
gress was informed Of the measures which
had been instituted by the executive with
view to the gradual restoration Of the
States in which the insurreetion occurred
to their relations with the general govern
ment' Provisional governors had been
appointed, conventions called, governors
elected, Legislatures assembled and senators
and representatives chosen to, tie Congress
of the United States Courts had been
opened for the enforcement of laws long in
abeyance The blockade had been rsliiov-
ed, custom houses established, and the in
tefnal revenue laws put in force, i'll order
that people might contribute to the nation
Z al income. Postal operations had been re-
sumed, and efforts were being made to re-
sore them to their former condition of
efficiency. The States themselves had been
y asked to take part in the high functions Of
attending the convention, and of. thus
sanctioniug the, extinction. of, African sla-
very. AS one Of the legitimate results of
our internecine struggle having progress d 4
thus far, the executive department. found
that it lad ACCOMPLISHED nearly all that
was within scope of it's constitutional au'
thority. One thing, however, yet remain
ed to be done before theworli of restora-
ton could be completed, and that was the
admission to Congress Of loyal Senators
and representatives from the States whose
., people had rehelled against the lawful au'
thority Of the government. This question
devolyed upon retrospective houses which
i. by the Constitution, are made the judges
of the election returns and qualification OF
their own members, andits consideration
ut once engaged the attention of Congress
In the meantime the executive department
no other plan having been proposed by
Congress, continued its efforts toiperfeetas
far as practicable the restoration Of the
proper relations between the citizens oftht
respective States and the federal govern
nlent, extending, from time to time, as tht
public. interests seemed to require, the. iu
edicial, revenue and postal systems of tn
country. With the advice and consent o
the Senate the. necessary officers We're ap
pointed, and appropriations made by Con
gress for the payment Of their salaries
The proposition to amend the Federal Cqn
st:tution SO as to prevent the existence o
slavery within the United States, or an,
Siaas subject . their Jurisdiction, was RAJ
fled by the requisite number Of States, ant
o, the 18th day of December, 1865, it wa
officially declared to have become valid; a
. part Of the Constitution. of the United
States. All Of the States in; which the in
,stitution had existed had amended thei
Constitutions Sc, as to make them conform
to the great change thus effected nth
organic law of the land, declared null AM
void all ordinances and laws Of secession
repudiated all the pretended debts and oh
legations created for the revolutionary pm
poses of the Instruction, and proceed il
good faith to the enactment of measure
for the protection ana Characterization Of tn
condition of the colored race. Congress
however, hesitated to admit any OF thes
States to representation and it was no
until towards the close ofthe eighth mont
of the session that an exception was mad
in favor of Tennessee by the admission
her senators and representatives. l deer
it q subject of profound regret that Cor
gress has thus far failed to; admit to seat
loyal senators and representatives. from tn
other States, whose inhabitants, with thos
of Tennessee, had engaged in rebellion
and that now more than one fourth OF. til
whole number remai n without represents
ton. The seats of fifty members in TIL
House of representatives, and oftwent
members in the Senate are yet vacant--ns
by their own consent; not by a mature r
Election, but by the refusul of Congress
accept their credentials Their admissie
itis believed woald have accomplshe
much towards the renewal and strengthen
ing of our relations as one people, and +
moved serious cause for dis3ontsnt on til
part OF the inhabitants of these States ~
would have accorded with the great pril
ciple enunciated in the declaration OF An
erican independenoe that no people aongl
to bear the burden of taxation, and yet
denied the right of representation; thu
each State shall have at leastf one repr
sentative, and that no State without j
consent shall be deprived OF its equal su
frage in the. Senate. + These provision
were intended to secure to every State I'll
right of representation in each house
Congress. So important was it deemed b
the trainers of the Constitution that equa
ity of the States in the Senate should
preserved thatnot even by an anfendmel
Of the Constitution can any State withol
its consent he denied avoice in that brant
of the national legislature. Iteis true
has been assumed by some that the ext
tence of the States was Terminated by Il
rebellious acts of their Inhabitants, ar
that the Instruction, having been su
pressed, they We're hencefsrwardt to be co
sidered merely as conquered territory.
The Legislative, executive and judicial d
partments ofthe government have, howe
or, with great distinctness and unifOr
consistency, refused to sanction anassum
ton so Incompatible with the nature
our republican. system and with the pr
fessed objects of war; Throughout Their
cent legislation Of Congress-. the undeni
fact makes itself apparent, that these t.
political communities are nothing less tn;
States Of the Union. At the very COZ
mencement Of the rebellion, eacH hon
declared with unanilnity as remarkab
as it was significant, that the war was n
waged in any spirit of oppression nor
the purpose Of conquest or subjugation,
nnr,,ooa of oyartbrnwinr or intarf,r;,