The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-12-04
Presidents Message.

RI Presidents Message.
-Ns important communication from the
III ,.:nr Magistrate to the Congress of the
B nod States is read with more than ord-
b ;ntcrcS: at this period Of national
E .-;al and apprehension.
B The message begins by informing Con-
E .-o.> tina, "the continued disorganization
n the Union, to which the President has
& 49,, often called the attention of Congress,
E .i. vet subject of profound and patriotic
u concern
Il !, IS the duty Of q people, after such
.,,sm;!y IS the recent civil war, to repair
;.,ioiaricS promptly. The Executive of
.., nation and the southern States felt
.a;. and were ready to proceed promptly
work with this object. But they were
4 v.,npo!atcd by legislation to which the
President was forced to withhold his con-
.sa,. lie regrets this, and, furthermore, is
I --,ayel that he is unable to communicate
ans dcfnitive adjustment Of the questions
which have agitatcd the public mind; on
the contrary, he declares that "there is
mo Union as our fathers understood the
h term and as they meant it to be under
stood by u.s. The restoration Of the
safes to their legal rights, according to
he terms OF the original compact" Mr..
JOHNSON says would be the greatest tenn
29-al blessing which God, in his kindcst
;.gyiGence, could bestow upon us. 1t is
our imperative duty to consider how to
eHt.: this "moSt desirable conSumma-
ton
plating upon the Importance Of the
-astoration Of the Union, and the ruin and
agarchy which must cnSue upon failure to
establish il upon the basis of the Consti-
Zion, he declares that this is a matter Of
..Sv solution. There is no obstruction
.5w 10 the enforcement of the laws, and
10 military or other necessity, real or pre-
ended, which can prevent obedience to
the Constitution, either North or South.
The mere will Of the Government, cor
SbaIt O.Al VI i4lpt y VI Ilo VI uiShSo, 10 wv
"only obstacle that can exist to a perfect
union of all the States
The President expresses the opinion that
hey all (mcaning the departments of the
Go;crumcnt) may finally concur in some
mode OF settlement "conSiStent with our
"eUtir) true interests, and with our (their)
this may be done is hope "too natural
and TOO Just to be easily relinQuished."
The message proceeds 70 argue that the
len southern Statesar still in the Union,
IN the ground that the ordinances of Sc
ces,ion were mere nullities, and that the
war can only be Justified on that ground.
The war did not cxpel these States from
lie Union. The Government so under
S,ocd Il; 50 did they who fought for it.
Successful war wascd for the preserva
ton of the Union could not legally have
tn" effect Of disSolvng it. Congress could
Do nothing with or without the Executive
that could separate the States from each
other. Congress submitted the constitu-
ti0nal amendment to the southern States,
and accepted their act upon it as the law
fu act Of their highest function. If not
States in the Union, their act would be
augatory.
The message reasons this point at some
length, and AYERS that the constitutional
duty Of the Government requires that the
States be restored. The act Of Congress
Of ed July, 'Gl, declares that the war was
conducted solely for the preservation Of
the Union and the supremacy Of the Fede-
al Government, and should cease when
that is accomplished thus pledging the
national honor, by act of Congress, in addi-
ton to the constitutional obligation, to the
restoration orthc Union; and the President
cannot see how the pledge can be repudi-
attd.
According to lis views on this point, en-
forced at mach length, the President re-
commends the repeal Of the reconstruction
acts Of the last Congress as being in direct
c0a,,ict with the Constitution. He pro-
uouuces all congressional interference with
tie State governments and the elective
franchise Of the States as uSurpation, and
not authorized by the Constitution.
President JOHNSON does not desire, he
says, to save those engaged in tie rebel
Ion from the proper consequences OF their
crime; but the measures of Congress visit
the punishment indiscriminately upon the
innocent and guilty. He speaks Of them
as against the spirit Of Christianity and the
primitive Justice of this age and country,
which does not consist in stripping whole
States Of their liberties and reducing
"thcr people TO slavery" The message
exhibits the danger of violating the Con-
Stitution for a temporary and partial OBJ
}cCt. II the guarantees Of the Constitution
may De broken in this manner for tempo
Ea!y purposes, they may be destroyed
everywhere aud for all time. at is the
curse Of deSpotism that it has no hating
place" "The morality is always false
which excuses wrong because II pro-
"poSes to accomplish a desirable end"
But" it continues, I" the end itself is an
evil, as well as the means," and 1.-THE
"su3ugation of the States to negro doml-
nation would be worse than the military
" despotism under which they are now
" suffering"
The President truly says that 1t was De-
Leyed befora hand that the southern States