The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1867-12-12
Synopsis OF the Anntal Message of the
President TO Congress.

| STGSiUenJ 10 congress.
The Presidents Message was sent TO
Congress atl y. II. on Monday. The
! President says that it was bis first duty at
the close Of tho civil var 10 repair the in
juries which had been done, and 20 secure
the benefits which had beeu gaineJ. at
the earliest moment. This duty was
promptly accepted BY the Executive and
by the insurec,ionary States, Ia the first
moments of pence, restoration was he!iev.
ed to be easy, and as certain as It was in
dispensebIe. These expectations were dis.
appointed by the Legislation of Congress,
and now there is no Union where one
! State is rs free as another to regulate Us
| internal affairs according TO i,s own will.
The President here makes an elaborate
argument, based on the proposition that
| the Union and tho Constitution are inscD
arabic. As long as the one IS oheyed .he
other will I've preservcd, and II one is hr.
troyed both must perish together. There
is TO military or other necessity. real OF
pretended, which can prevent obedience
u.
Ehe hope that we may ultimately concur
in plan Of settlement, consistent with
our true interes,a, and our sworn duties.
is too natural aud too just to he easily
abandoned.
1t is clear TO The Presidents apprehen.
sion that the States lately inrehellion are
still members of the Union. The Execu
,,v
and TIE heads of all the departments,
have adopted and acted on the principle
that the Union is not dissolved, but is in
disso!ubIe.
Congress submitted amendments TO tho
Constitution TO the Southern States, and
accepted their acts OF ratification. The
Judges otths Supreme Court have iuclud
el tho Southern State, in their districts. -
If the Southern States are component
parts of the Union, the Constitution is the
supreme law for them as for all other
States. They are bound TO obey, and go
are we. Being incereIy convinced that
these views are correct, the President re.
cOmmends the repeal OF the ac,a placing
the Southern States under military mas.
ters. The conllic, between tho Recon
s,ruction Acts and the fights OF the peo
pie under the Constitution are argued and
| illustrated atlength. In allusion TO negro
suffrage, he says, the suhjec,ion Of the
States to negro dominion will be worse
than the existing military despotsm.--
fhe people will endure end ess military
| oppression rather than degrade themselves
| by suhiccton to .he negro race. The
! blacks are entitled to be we and humane
! ~ governed, but il it were possible 10 give
them a government oi their own il would
5ecomc a gravequestion whether il onght
10 be so o. whether common humanity
would not require US 10 save them from
Themselves. But il is not proposed that
they shcli only govern Themselves, bnt
that thev shall govern the white race to
A mole or less extent and control the des
tiny OF the whole county. is next con
tras,ed the negro character with the 10
telligence, spirit and progress Of the white
race; and the negro population with EN- &.
igrants, and considered The different .erms
Of acquiring citizenship aud franchise.
The President further says ho Yields TO
no man, in his attachment to rules for
general suffrage but IL requires Of some
classes time suitable for probation and
preparation; to transfer orr political in
herIiance 10 the negroes would ba an o
bandonmsnt ofa duty which We owe alike
to the memory OF our fathers and the
rights Of our children.
Depicting the horrors inevitable from
the proposed governments. the President
says 1t will require a strong standing
army, aud probably more than 5000 ,0Oo,-
600 per annum TO maintain the suprema
cy OF the negro governments after they
are established. Without the military
power they are wholly Incapable Of bold
ing in .nbject;ou the white people Of tho
South. . ,
The effect on the public crcdi. and
uade OF persistence in the Congressional
scheme OF recoustruction ia discussed al
Ile1gth, showing that il will result 10 ruin
TO both. ZOO.
Tho financial policy recommended by
the President has already been correctly
foreshadowed.
The message makes no special alusion
TO the subject Of the Cotton Tax.
Discussing the Presidents duties, he
say,s "After grave consideration, csss-
might arise whore after laws bad passed
all the constitutional forms and been
oIaced on the statute books, il would be
the duty Of the Executive TO refuse 10
carry them out, regardless of conseduen
ces. This would be involving The country
in iuslifable civil war. r