The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1867-12-11
sgeulitieal.
I5E]:E lIEITE, PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

cIhe-S extreme length sOI@Jne HmeSSaSc
"a, e.sst,rsansmitted by. President JOHNSON to
Eongressson tile 2d instant, prccludes its
: publication entire in these columns. We
are, therefore, obliged to present only
that portion referring to the great problem
q of Reconstruction
:, :, The continued sdisorganization of the
- Union, to which the President has SO OF
: : ten called the attention OF Congress, Is
{. :5etsa subject of profound and patrlotlc
eoncern. We may,@however.. find some
- rehufSi from that. anxiety5in the reflection
shat the painful political situation, al.
t:-SIongls betore untried by ourselves is not
>. new in, the experience of nations. Po.
/. .iitical science, perhaps as highly perfected
in, i. our. own time.and country rs in any
other, has rot yet disclosed any means by
e,>swhicli civitwars can be absolutely pre-
vented. An enlightened nation, however,
with a wise and bencticent Constitution
5r,off free government, may diminish their
frequency and mitigate their severity by
2uirecting Hits proceedings IN accordance
: With its. fnndamental law:
zsaNlieu a civil war has been brought to n
close; ii issmanifeS:ly the first interestand
,,:futy. of the State 10 repair the injuries
$ which: the war has inflicted, and tosecllre
s-thesbeHefit of the lessons 1t teaches as
sfnlly$andsas speedily as possible. This
.: duty w:ls, upon the termination OF tue
STebelIion,- promptly accepted, not only .ny
the Executive Department, but by the IN,
(: :snri.ectionarv States themselves, and re-
stoiation Sill the first moment OF peace,
s,s was believed to besasTeasy and certain rs
: iitSwa s ! Indispensable n expectations,
however. then so reasonably and conf
5stlently y.eirtertained. were disappointed Try
lleSiislia li f;uii from which Ifet constrained.
s-l,y5siniy obligations to the Constitution, to
withhold my assent.
It therefore, u source of.profound re-,
aret, that in complying with. the oollSa-
ton. imposed upon the President by the
Constitution, to give to Congress from
; lime to o-timeinformation OF the state OF
fbe Onion. I am unable to communicate
-sinv: tlaBnite ADJUSTMENT satisfactory to
shaesls sffe ric;lns people, of the questions
,xI;;cl,ssincc the. close of the rebellion,
have have aigtatcd the public a,ind On the
contrary, caEdor compcls me to declare
that ut. this tine there is no Union as our
: sfltherssundcrs thestcrm, and as they
meant tito be understood by us. The
=. Union which they established can exist
onlyawhere all the StateS.are represented
3Siin Sin botl. Ho,scs Of Congress where one
State is as free as another to regulate its
,iin,tern:taf fconccrnss according to its own
:wifl.sandwhcre, the laws of the central
/. <CioyernInent, strictly confined to matters
: of.sa:tionul jurisdiction, apply with equal
force to all the people OF every section.
NtrAat such is not the present Estate ot the
5Lhioii''' is a clncholly fact, and we all
must acknowledge that the restoration OF
the States to their proper legal relations
with the Federal Government and With
| one other, according 10 the terms OF the
Original compact, would be. the greatest
sgyae,nliwrai blessing. which God, in His kind
;1l, ;..est 5Tinrovilencc, could bcstow upon this
nation. II becomes our.imperatlvc duty
TO ocensiiderwiiethcr or not it's impossible
:; to effect this most desirable consumma-
ton.
Tie Union and the Constitution are IN
.scparablc AS long as one is obcyed oy
III iipurtics the other will he preserved /;
aud if one is destroyed. both mast perish
to9cther. The destruction OF the Con-
:: stitution will be followed BY other and
sstill7preater calamitics. 1t was ordained
not only to form a more perfect union be
tween the States, but 10 establish Justice.
insure domestic tranquility, provide tos
the common defence. promote the general
welflra. aud secure the blessings OF liber-
= sv to ourselves and our poslcrily Moth
ing but=implict obedieace to It's require
mcnts in all parts of the country will ac-
= .complish these great ends. Without that
obedience. we can look forward only To
continual outrageS upon individual rights
,-.sncess:rnr breac clles OF the public peace, ma
tional weakness, financial disl'onor, tue
szzsotal loss of our prosperity, the genera
corruption Of morals, and the flli;t eH
-tinction Of popular freedom: To save ou'
country from evils SO appalling as these
We should renew our efforts again and
again.
To me the process OF restoration seems
perfectly plain and simple. 1t consists
merely IN Il faithful application OF The
Constituton and laws. The execution OF
the laws is not now ohstructed or rupposed
by physical fnrco. There is no military
or other necessity, real or pretended
which can prevent obedience to the Con
stitution, either North or South All the
rights aud all the obligations of States
and individuals can be protected and en-
forced by means perfectly consistent will
the fundamental law The courtsmay be
everywhere opon, and. if open, their pro
cess would be unimpcded. Crimes against
the United States can be prevented OF
punished by the proper judicial anthori
ties, in a manner entirely practicable anc
legal. There is, therefore, no reason why
the Constitution should not be obeyed
nnless those who exercise it's powers hav,