Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1866-12-15
GENERAL INTELLIGENCE.
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.


| legislative labOrs.
An all wise and merciful Providence
has abated the pestilence which Visited
our shores, leaving its ealamltons traces
upon some portions of Our country
Peace order, tranquility and civil
authority have been formally declared
to exist throughout all the States; civil
authority has superseded the coercion
of arms, and the people, by their vol
,,rtorv action, are maintaining the gov
arnmeDt in full activity and complete
oDeration. The enforcement oil the
- is no longer obstructed In any
Ctate NV combinations too powerful TO
be snpnressed bv the ordinary course
ri iudicial proceedings, and the AMI
,,,osities engendered by the war are
rapidly yielding to the benencehI IN
fnences of our free institutions, anu 70
the kindly effects of unrestricted soclai
and commercial intercourse. An ehtlre
restoration of fraternal feeling must DE
tbe earnest wish of every patriotic
hart And we will have accomplished
onr orandest national achievement
vhen. forgetting the sad events OF the
mast and remembering only their ln-
structive lessons, we resume our career
as a free, prosperous and united people.
RESTORATION OF THE STATES.
In nv message of the 14th OF August,
1881 Congress was informed of the
measures which had been instituted
by the Executive, with view 10 the
Gradual restoration of the states IN
which the instruction occurred 10 th+lf
relations with the general government
Provisional Governors had been ap-
pointed; conventions called; governors
elected; legislatures assembled; ana
senators and representatives elected 10
the T.. s. Congress-; courts had Deeh
opened for the enforcement OF the
laws long In allegiance; the blockade
had been removed; custO II houses
established. aud the internal reVe-
me laws pnt In force, IN order that
the people might contribute To the ma
tiaual income; postal operations had
been renewed, and efforts were being
made To restore them to their former
condition and efficiency. The States
themselves had been asked to take part
In the high function OF amending the
constitution. aud of thus sancuonIng
the extinction of African slavery as
one of the legitimate results of our IN
terncine struggle. Having progressed
thus far, the executive department
found that it had accomplished nearly
su that was within the scope Ot It's
constitutional authority. One thing,
however, remained to be done before
the work of restoration could be com
pleted. and that was the admission to
Congress of loyal senators aud repre-
NH non
ple had rebelled against the lawful au-
thoTity of the general government.
This question devolved upon the re-
spective Houses, which, by the constr
tntion. are made the judges of the
election returns and qualifications oi
their members, and its consideration al
once engaged the attention OF Congress.
In the meantime the executive depart
ment. no other plan having been pro-
posed by Congress, continued IN Its
efforts TO perfect, as far as was pTactic-
able. the restoration of the proper
relations between the citizens of the
respective States, and the States and
the federal government - extending
from time to time, as the public inter
ests seemed to require, the judicial rev
enue and postal systems CT the country.
and with the advice and consent OF the
Senate the proper officers were APP
pointed and appropriations made 10y
Congress for the payment OF their sal
aries.
The proposition to amend the Fed
srsl Constitution so as to prevent the
existence of slavery within the United
States, or any place subject to their
jurisdiction, was ratified by the requi-
site number OF States, and on the 10Th
dav of December, 1865, 1T was officially
declared to have become valid as a
part of the Constitution of the United
States. All If the States III which the
insurrectiOn hat existed, promptly
amended their Constitutions so as to
make them conform to the great change
thus effected In the organic law OF the
land; declared null and void all ordl-
nances and laws of secession; repudla-
ted all pretended debts and obligations
created fer the revolutionary purposes
of the insurrectiun, and proceeded IN
good faith to the enactment of meas
ures for the protection and amelIoTatIon
of the condition of the cOlOred race
Congress, however, yet hesitated TO adj
init any of those States to representa-
ton, and IL was not until towards the
close of the eighth month of the ses-
sion that an exception was made IN ia
vOr of Tennessee by the admission of
her senators aud representatives. In
the exclusion of loyal Southern Sena-
tors and representatives L deem 1t a
subject of profound regret that
Congress has thus far failed to adj
NIT to seats the loyal senators
ana representatives from the other
states whose inhabitants with those of
Tennessee had engaged IN the rebel
lion. Ten States-mOTe than One-fOurth
of the whole number-remain without
representation: the seats of fifty mem
beers In the House of Representatives
and OF twenty members in the Senate
are yet vacant. Not by their own con-
sent-not by a failure of election-but
by the refusal of Congress to accept
their credentials. Their admission, 1T
is believed. would have accomplished
much towards the renewal and strength
ening OF our relations as one people,
and removed serious cause for dlscon-
tent on the part of the inhabitants of
those States. 1t would have accorded
with the great principle enumerated IN
the declaration of American indepen
dence, that no people ought to bear the
burden of taxation and yet be denied
the right OF representation. It would
have been III cOnsonance with the eX-
press provisions of the constitution,
that each State shall have at least one
representative, and that no State, with
out Its own consent, shall be deprived
OF Its equal suffrage IN the Senate.