The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-12-04
nj ESSAGE +
or FpIIIS
President Of the United States
To the Portieth Congress-


Representatives.
The continued disorganization Of thi
Union, To which the President has sc
oitr, called the attention of Congress
i vet u subject of profound and patriot
ic cCnCrrn. We may, however, finG
some relief from that anxiety in the re
lection that the painful political situa
tion, although before untried by our.
selves, is not new in the experience Oi
nations. Political science, perhaps as
highly perfected in our time and conn
try us in any other, has not yet disclOs
ed auy means by which civil wars. car
be absolutely prevented. An enlighten
ed nation, however, with wise and
Jenefcient Constitution of free govern
ment, may diminish their frequency and
mitigate their severity by directing al
its proceedings in accordance with its
fundamental law.
When a civil war has been brought
10 close, it is manifGstly the first in.
terest and duty of the State to repair
the injuries which the war has inflicted
and to secure the benefit of the lesson,
it teaches as fully and as speedily as
possible. This duty was, upon the ter
mination of the rebellion, promptly ac-
cepted, not only by the Executive De-
partment, but by the insurrectiOnary
States themselves, apd restoration, in
the first moment of peace, was believed
To be rs easy and certain as it was in
dispeusable. Tho expectations, how
ever, then so reasonably and confident
~ entertained, were disappointed by
legislation from which felt cOnstrain'
ed, by my obligations to the Constitu,
tiOn, to withhold my assent.
"THERE is No UNION"
Ii is therefore a source of profound re-
Cret that, in complying with the obli-
CATION imposed upon the President by
the Constitution, to give To Congress
from time to time information of the
state of the Union, am unable to com.
munieate any defiuitiye adjustment,
satisfactory to the American People, OF
the questions which, since the close OF
the rebellion, have agitated the public
mind. On tue contrary, candor compels
me to declare that at this time there is
no Union as our Fathers understood the
term, and as they meant it to be under
stood by us. The Union which they es.
tablished can exist only where all the
States are represented in both Houses
of Congress; where one State is as free
as another to regulate its internal con.
Germs according to its own will: and
where the laws of the central
Government, strictly confined to mat
ters of national jurisdiction, apply with
equal force to all the people of every
section. That such is not the present
estate of the Union" is q melancholy
fact; and we all must acknowledge that
the restoration of the States to their
proper legal relations with the Federal
Government and with one another, &C
cording TO the terms of the original
compact, would be the greatest tempor-
al blessing which God, in his kindest
providence, could bestow upon this ma
ton. 1t becomes our imperative duty
10 consider whether or not it is impossi'
BILE to effect this most desirable cOnsum'
nation.
TIE UNION AND THE CONSTITUTE ON IN
SEPARABLE.
The Union and the Constitution are
inseparable. As long as one is obeyed
by all parties. the other will be preserv-
ed, and if one is destroyed both must
perish together. The destruction of the
Constitution will be followed by other
and still greater calamities. 1t was or
dained not only to form more perfect
union between the States, but TO "es'
tablish Justice, insure domestic tran
quillity, provide for the common de.
fence, promote the general welfare, and
secure the blessings of liberty to our
selves and our posterity." Nothing but
implicit obedience to its requirements
in all parts of the country will accom-
plish these great ends. Without that
obedience, we can look forward only tO
continual outrages upon individual
rights, incessant breaches of the public
peace, natiouul weakness, financial dis
honor, the total loss of our prosperity
the general corruption of morals, and
the final extinction of popular freedom
To save our country from evils so ap'
palling a. these, We should renew our
efforts again and again.
REsToRATION-THE SIMPLE PLAN.
To ME the process of restoration seem:
perfectly plain aud simple. 1t consists
merely in q faithful application of the
Constitution and laws. The execution
of the laws is not now obstructed or op
posed by physical force. There is nC
military or other necessity, real or pre-
tended, which can prevent obedience tt
the Constitution. either North OF South
All the rights and all the obligations oi
States and individuals can be pro
tected and enforced by means per
fectly consistent with the fund.-
mental law. The courts may be every
where open, and, If open, their process
would DO unimpeded. Crimes against
the United States can be prevented OF
punished by the proper judicial authorl
ties, in q manner entirely practicable
and legal. There is, therefore, no reaso u
why the Constitution should not bt
obeyed, unless those who exercise it,
powers have determined that it shall bt
disregarded and violated. The mere
naked will of this Government, or Of
some one or more Of its branches, is the
only obstacle that can exist to perfec
union of all the States. =
On this momentous question, aRd
some of the measures growing out Of it