Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1866-12-14
MESSAGE
PREsIDEN1, % II I-NITED -.
OF THE

| United States resumes its annual Legislative
laborS. An All-wise and merciful Proyi
dence has abated the pestilence which Wis
tied our shores. leaving It's calamitous traces
upon some portions Of our country. Peace
order, tranquility, and civil authority have
been formally declared to exist throughout
the whole of the United States. Ia all Of
the States civil authority has superseded thC
coercion of arms, and the people, by then
| voluntary action. are maintaining their gov.
| ernments in full activity and complete oper-
| ton The enforcement Of the laws is no
| longer "obStructed In any State by cOmbina-
| tions too powerful to be suppressed by the
| ordinary course of judicial proceedings -
and the animosities engendered by the wan
are rapidly yielding to the beneficent infiu-
ences Of our free institutions, and to the
| kindly effects of unrestricted social and
| commercial intercourse. An entire Testora-
ton of fraternal feeling must be the earnest
wish of every patriotic heart; and we viii
| have accomplished our grandest national
| achievement when forgetting the sad events
of the past, and remembering only their
instructive lessons, we resume our onward
career as a free, prosperous and united peo-
| PIE
In my message of the 4th Of December,
1868, Congress was informed Of the meas
ures which had been instituted By the Ex-
ecutiYe with view 60 the gradual restora-
ton Of the States in which the insuTrection
| occurred to their relation with the General
Government. Provisional governors had
been appointed, conventions called, Govern
| ors elected, Legislatures assembled, and
Senators and Representatives chosen to the
/ Congress of the United States. Courts
! had been opened for the enforcement of
| la tVpr oh b,I
| been removed, custom houses re-established
and the internal revenue laws put In force
in order that the people might contribute
to the national income Postal operations
| had been renewed, and efforts were being
made to restore them to their former condi-
| ton Of efficiency The States themselves
| had been asked to take part in the high
| function ct amending the constitution, and
| thus sancUoulng the extinction Of African
! slavery as one Of the legitimate results of
/ our InteTneclne struggle.
Having progressed thus far the Executive
! Department found that il had accomplished
nearly all that was in the scope of its consti-
| tutlonal authority. One thing, however,
| yetTemained to be done before the work Of
restoration could be completed, and that
was the admission to Congress of loyal SEN
| ators and Representatives from the States
whose people had rebeled against the lawful
| authority Of the General Government. This
| question deYolved upon the respective hous-
! es, which, by the Constitution, are made
aniRgifeSpgq bg iRdiffeSp qf oft ftAf fleeops returns and
1t, consideration at once engaged the atten-
ton OF Congress.
In the meantime, the executive depart
ment-nO other plan having been proposed
/ by Congress-c0ntinUed It's e1fOrtstO perfect
as far as was practicable, the restoration OF
| the proper relations between the citizens Of
/ the respective States, the States and the
Federal Government, extending from time
TO time, as the public interests seemed to
require, the judicial, revenue, and postal
system of the country. With the advice
and consent Of the Senate, the necessary
officers we're appointed, and appropriations
made by Congress for the payment Of their
salaries. The proposition to amend the
Federal Constitution, so as TO prevent the
existence of slavery within the United
States or any place subject to their jurlsdlc-
ton, was ratified by the requisite number Of
States; and on the 18th day of December,
1850 1t was officially declared to have become
valid as a part OF the Constitution OF the
United States. All OF the States in which
the InsWTectIou had existed promptly
them conform to the great change thus
effected In the organic law Of the land de-
clared null and void all ordinances and laws
of secession repudiated all pretended
debts and obligations created for the revo
lutionaTy purposes of the insurrection; and
proceeded in good faith, to the enactment,
of measures for the protection and anchor
alton Of the condition Of the col0rod race
Congress, however, yet hesltated to admit
any OF these States to representation and
ii Was not until the close of the eighth
month Of the session that an exception was
made IN favor Of tennessee, by the admls-
sion Of her Senators aud Representatives.
J deem il a subject Of profound regret
that Congress has thus far failed to admit
to seats loyal Senators and Representatives
from the other States, whose inhabitants,
with those of Tennessee, had engaged in
the rebellion. Ten States more than one
fourth Of the whole number, remain without
representation the seats Of fifty members
IN the House Of Representatives and Of
twenty members in the Senate are yet
vacant-n0t by their own consent, not by
failure OF election, but by the refusal OF
Congress to accept their credentials. Their
admission, it is believed, would have accom-
pliShed much toward the renewal and
pie, and removed serious cause for discon-
tent on the part, Of the inhabitants Of those
States. Il would have accorded with the
great principle onuneiated in the Declara-
ton of American Independence, that no
people ought to bear the burden of taxation
aud yet be denied the right Of representa-
ton. IL would have been in cpnsonance
with the express provisions of the Consti
tuition that each State shall have at least
one Representative, and that no State with
out Its consent, shall be deprived oflts equal
suffrage in the Senate These provisions
were intended to secure to every State aud
to the people ofeVery State the right ofrepre-
sentation in each house Of Congress and SO
important was it deemed by the trainers of
the Constitution that the equality of the
States in the Senate should be preserved
that not even by an amendment to the Con-
stItutlQn can any State, without It's consent,
be deRlod a voice in that branch Of the
Legislature.
rs true, It has been assumed that the
existence otth States was terminated by
the rebelllous acts Of their inhabitants, and
chat the insurrection having been suppressed
they we're thcncci0rward ta be considered
merely as conquered Territories. The legiS-
iaGve, executive and Judicial departments
OF the Government have, however, witA
great distlnctness aud uniform consistency,
refused 70 sanction an assumption so incom-
patiDle with the nature Of our republican
system, and with the prolesscd objects Of
the war throughout the recent legislation