Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1867-12-13

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reasons which have so strongly infu-
enced my own Judgment. The hope
that we all may finally concur in
mode Of settlement consistent at once
with our true interests and with our
own sworn duties to the Constitution,
is too natural and too just to be easily
relinquished. s Fa S4sls
1t is clear to my apprehension that
the States lately in rebellion are still
members of the national Union
When did they cease to be so =? "Or-
dinances Of Secession adopted by a
portion (in most of them very small
portion) Of their citizens, were mere
nullities. If we admit now that they
were valid and effcctual for the pur-
pose intended by their authors, we
sweep from under our feet the whole
ground upon which we justified the
war, Were those States afterwards
expelled from the Union by the war ?
Directly t e contrary was ayerred
by this government to be its purpose,
and it was so understood by all those
who gave their blood and treasure to
aid in its prosecution. 1t cannot be
that successful war, waged for the
preservation of the Union, had the
legal effect of dissolving it. The
victory Of the nations arms was not
the disgrace Of her policy; the defeat
Of secession on the battlefield was
not the triumph of its lawIess princi-
plies. Nor could Congress, with or
without the consent of the executi> e,
do anything which would have the ef-
feet directly or indirectly of separat-
ing the States from each other To
dissolve the Union is to repeal the
Constitution which holds it together; !;
and that Is a power which does not
belong to any department of this
government or to all of them united.
This is so plain that it has been ac-
knowledged by all branches Of the
federal government. The executive
(my predecessor as well as mysel)
and heads OF all departments have
uniformly acted upon the principle
that the Union Is not only undissolved,
but indissoluble. Congress submit
ted an amendment of the ConStitu-
ton to be ratified by the Southern
States, ana accepted their acts Of ra-
tlhcatlon as a necessary and lawful
exercise of their highest functiOns.-
If they were not States of the Uni0n,
their consent to a change In the fun
damentaI law of the Union would
have been augatory, and Congress iii
asking 1t committed political absur-
dltv. The judiciary has also given
the solemn sanction of its authority
to the same view of the case. The
Judges Of the Supreme Court have
included the southern States in their
circuits, ami they are constantly, IN
banc and elsewhere, exercising juris.
dlctl0n which does not belong to them
unless those States are States of the
Union. If the Southern States are
component parts OF the Union, the
Constitution Is the supreme law fOr
them, as IL is for al! the other States
They are bound to obey it, and so ar
, We The right of the Federal Gov
crnnent, which Is clear and unQueo
tionable, to enforce the Constitution
upon them. implies relative obi iratiOl
on our part to observe its limitations
and execute its guarantees. Without
the Constitution we are nothing. b.
through, and under the Constitution
We are what it makes US. We may
: doubt the wisdom of the law; W.
may not approve of its provisions
but we cannot violate it merely be
, cause it seems to confine our powers
within limits narrower than we coulc
wish. 1t is not question of iudiv
> lduals, or class, or sectional interest
much less oi party predominance
but OF du,y, OF high and sacred duty
; which We are all sworn to perform
Ii we cannot support the ConstItu
) tion with the cheerful alacrity of those
WHO love and believe in it, we mus
give to it at least the fidelity of public
servants who act under solemn obi
cations and commands which they
: dare not disregard.
: The Constitutional duty is not the
!, only one which requires States to bt
1 restored; there is another considcra
tion which, though of minor Import
ance, is lc~ OF great weight. On
: the 22u oI July, 1861, Congress de
clared by an almost unanimous vott
a of both Houses, that the war shoulC
t be conducted solely for the purpose
: of preserving the Union and main
J. tanning the supremacy oil the fedora
: Constitution and laws, without im
}. pairing the dignity, equality and right,
: Of the States or Individuals; and tina
4 when this was done the war shoult
|, cease. | donot say that this declara
$ tion is personally binding on thos,
i who joined in making it, any more
/ than Individual members of Congress
t are personally bound to pay public
$ debt created under law for whicI
a they voted. But it was a solemn
: puDlic official pledge Of national hon
0 or, and | cannot imagine upon wha
: grounds reputation of it is to b,
r Justified. Ii it be said that we ar,
9 not bound to keep faith with rebels
/ let it be remembered that this prom
8 ise was not made to rebels ouly.-
e Thousands of true men in the SoutI
+ We're drawn to our standard by II
d and hundreds of thousands In th,
c North gave their lives In the belief
J thai it would be carried out. 1t wa
i made on the day after the first grea
II,,,tf, Of rho tr-a,. baI haa,,s G., trht =, =,