American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1866-12-12
NJ II s 8 A c. z
OF THE
President of the United States
TO THE
. of Congress at the Com
mencenent of the Second session.
eno,n, CItizens ofMe Senate

Fe(iOlC> CtttzeRS % tte 'oS''''"
and House of Representatives.:
After a brief in terval the Congress OF
the limited States resumes its annual leg
isIotiye labors An all wise and merei-
,ful Providence has abated the pestilence
which visited our shores, leaving its caS
,lamitous traces upon some portion OF our
country. Peace, order, tranquility and
civil authority have been formally de-
clared to exist throughout the whole OF
the United States. In all of the States
civil authority has superseded the coer'
.cion of arms, and the people, by their
voluntary action, are maintaining their
Govern pmcnts in full activity and com
nlcte operatiop. The enforcement OF the
laws is no longer Constructed IN any state
by combinations TOO powerful to be sup
messed by the ordinary course OF jude
ial proceedings, and the animositles en-
cendered by the war are rapidly Yields
inc 70 the benc6ccnt Influences of our
free. Institutions, and to the kindly CT
tects of unrestricted social and CONNER
c;.i inte course An entire restoration
of faternal feeling must be the earnest
wish ol every patriotic hcait; and we
will have accomplished our grande't ma
tioual achievement when, forgetting the
sad events of the pas, and remembers
jng o,rlv their obstructive lessons, we re-
anme onr onward career as free, pros>
perous, aud united people
In nv message OF the 4th of Decem-
bcr 1870 Congress was informed OF the
,,casnrcs which had been Instituted by
the Executive with view, to the grauu
nj restoration of the States in which the
;osprrec,ion occurred to their relations
with the General Government Proris>
ional Governors had been appointed ,'ou
venticns called Governors elected, Leg
isla;ures assembled, and SenatorsEand
Rep cscntatives chosen to the Congress
of the United States. Coarts had been
oncncd for the enforcement OF laws long
IN allowance. The blockade had been re
,,,oyed. custom houses re establlshet,anh
abe internal revenue laws put in fOrce,ln
order that the people might contribute to
the national income. Postal operations
had been renewed, and efforts were being
ma.le to restore them to their former con
.',tion of efficiency. The States them
selves had been asked to take part III the
,high function of amenfing the Constitu'
zion. and of thus sanctioniDg the extlnc'
tjon of African slavery as one ot the leg
iimatc results Of our lnterneclnc stru9-
gle. =, go
.ulive department iolnd that 1t had ac>
,eomrl;shed ncarlyal that was within the
-scnpc of its constitutional authority
One thing. however. yet remained to he
done before the work of restoration coulh
be completed, aud that was the adm's,
sion to Congress of loyal Senators and
REPRESENTATIVES, from the States whose
nennle had rebeIled against the lawful
authority of tic General Government
This question devoIved upon the respec-
five Houscs. which, by the Constitution,
are made the judges Of the elections, re>
turns, and qualifc rtions OF their own
,mcmbers: and its consideration at once
engaged the attention OF Congress.
In the meantime, the Executive De
.partmenl no other plan having oeeh pro-
!posed by Congress continue Its ehor's
to perfect, as far as was practicahic' the
restoration of the proper relations oe>
tween the citizens OF the respective
States. the States, and the Federal dav-
rrnmcut. extending from time to time,
MS The pubic interests seemed n require
the judicial, revenue. and postal system
of the country. With the advice aao
consent of the Senate, the necessary o''
,fcers were appointed, and appropriations.
made by Congress for the payment OF
their salaries The proposition toamend
the Federal Constitution. 5" aa To pfeVent
1he existence If slay err wl'hIn. The ~.
ted States or any place subject 20 iheii
.;urisdiction was ratiied by the requisite
number OF States and on the 18TH paf
of December, 1868, 1t was nihclaliy az
clared 10 have become valid as part y
the Constitution of the United States =
All of the states in which the msurrec-
ton had existed promptly amended their
CONSTITUTIONS, so as to make them cnn-
form to the great change thus effected
in the organic law of the land declared
null and void all ordipanecs and laws ~
secession :repudiated all pretended debts
ana obligations created for the revolu
tionary purposes of the lnsurrecticn and
,roceeded, in good faith, to the enact
nent of measures for the protection ano
umelioration of the condition OF the cal
ored race. Congress, however. yet hes
gtitated to admit any of these States e
representation; and it was not until to
yards the close of the eighth month q
III. session that an exception was made
in favor q Tennessee, by the adm 'sslct
of her Senators aud Representatives
\, / deem it a subject of profound resre
that Congress has thus far failed to ad'
NIT to seats loyal Senators and keprcsen
tativesIfrom the other States whose IN
habitants, with those of Tennessee, ha'
engaged in the rebellion. The States
more than one fourth of the whole mum
ber-Ycmain without representation th'
seats of City members in the House 0
Representatives and of twenty member
of the Senate are yet yacannt--not Q, Q,
their own consent, not by failure 0
election, but by the refusal Of Congress
to accent their credentials Iheir ao
;..:.,n Il q helieveJ. would have ac