Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1867-12-05
TIE PREsIpENTss MESSAGE

lOrt OF Reconstruction. lie mhintdiue VIA.
III the Southern States are in the Union, and
untitled to representation in Congress IKE
,ther States He says "On this momen-
;ous question and some of the measures
out of 1t, have had the misfortune
10 differ from Congress and have expressed
my convictions without reserve, though with
becoming Difference to the opinion oil the
Legislative department. Those convictions
are not only unchanged, but strengthened ny
subsequent events and further refiectiohs
The transcendent importance OF the subject
will be sufficient excuse for calling your
attention to some of the reasons which have
so strongly influenced my own Judgment.
The hope that we may all finally concur IN
a mode of settlement consistent ut once
with our true interest and with our sworn
duties to the Constitution, is too natural and |
too lust to be easily relinquished. IL cannot
be that successful war waged for the pres
eryation of the Union had the legal effect OF
dissolying n The victory OF the nations
arms was not the disgrace OF her poiicy
The defeat of secession on the battle-nelu
was not the triumph Of its lawless princl-
pies, nor could Congress, with or without
the consent of the Executive, do anything
which would have the effect, directly or
indirectly, of separating the States from
each other. To dissolve the Union, Is 10
TpDeul lHt tDuHlltutiuh NhiNh hpfN.' " "
gether, and that is power which does not
belong to any department of this Govern
ment, or to all of them united The Presi-
dent thus refers to the military Reeonstruc-
| tion bills ITO demonstrate the unconsti-
tutional character Of those acts, need DO
no more than refer to their general proyi-
sions. 1t must be seen at once that they are
not authorized to dictate what alteration shall
be made in the Constitutions oil the several
States; to control the election OF state
Legislatures and the State officers, members
of Congress, and election OF President anu
Wee President, by arbitrarily declaring
who shall vote and who shall be excluded
from that privilege to dissolve State Legis-
latures or prevent them assembling; to dis
miss Judges and other civil functionaries
ofthe State, and to appoint Others without
regard to the State law; TO organize and
onerate all the political machinery of the
State; to regulate the whole administration
of their domestic and local affairs, according
to the mere will of strange and irresponsible
agents sent among them for that purpose.
These are powers not granted to the Fcde-
raj Government or to any one OF its branches.
Not being granted, we violate trust by as
suming them, as palpably as we would by
acting in the face of positive interdict, fol
the constitution forbids US to do whatever
il does not aiiirmatively authorize, either by
express words or by clear implication. II
the authority to use does not come to us
e through the constitution we can exercise il
5 only by usurpation, and usurpation is the
: most dangerous of political crimes. BY
o that crime the enemies Of free government
r IN all ages have worked out their designs
y, against public liberty and private rights
: Ii leads directly and indirectly to the estab
L lishment Of absolute rule, for undelegatet
r ind ,lt ne ~ n n1
lie The acts of Congress in question are no
|, only Objectionable for their assumption 0
= unsranted power, but many Of their proyis
IA ions are in conflict with the direc
N prohibitions of the constitution. Fh
! constitution commands that republican
= form of government shall be guarantee
II TO all the States; that no persol
ie shall be deprived of life, liberty o
a property, without due process OF law AZ
b. rested without a judiciary warrant. or pun
70 ished without fair trial before an impartia
q jury; that the privilege OF habeas corpu
Shall not be denied in time of peace, an
that no bill of attainder shall be proved eve
y, against single individual. Yet the sysiei
Of Of measures established by these acts OF Cor
gross does totally subvert and destroy I'll
form as well as the substance OF Republica
government in the ten States to which the
le belong. 1t binds them hand and foot in al
+ solute slavery and subjects them To n stiang
u and hostile power more unlimited and NOR
a likely to be abused than any other.
eli have no desire to save from the propt
d. and lust consequences of their great Grim
those who engaged in Rebellion against Il
Ia. Government, but as mode OF punlsllmel
-. the measures under consideration are Il
~ most unreasonable that could be invented
ne Many of those people are perfectly innocen
IN | tlalit,f IN, In I'piIn N
~. tainted TO the last; many were incapable
Of any legal offence A large proportion, ey
i'm. of tile persons able to bear arms, were fore
a., into the rebellion against their will and
those who are guilty with their own GO
sent, the degrees of guilt are as various
90 the shades of their character and temper
is But those Acts of Congress COMPOUNDED The
in all together in one common doom. Ind
of seribable Vengeance upon classes, sccis, NJ
cd parties, or upon whole communities, for ,
en- fences committed by a portion Of the
be against the government TO which they ow
~, obedience was common in the barbara
INT ages of the world but Christianity Il
OF civilization have made such progress. Il
'te- recourse TO Il punishment so cruel and Il
mes lust would meet with the condemnation
cry I'LL unparalleled and right-minded me
Nm. The primitive Justice OF this age and
nv pecially O. this country, does not consist
,ha stripping whole States ol their liberty, a
reducing all their people without distinct
to the condition Of slavery. II deals "a
pre- rately with each individual, confines lis
n Of 10 the forms Of law and yindicates his o
hen purity by an impartial examination ogtv
was case before competent judicial tribu,
race II this does not satisfy all our desires "
Gae regard TO Southern Rebels, let us cons
H., ourselves by rejecting that a free Con
tuition, triumphant in war and unbrokel
'"n- peace, is worth far more TO us and our &
'usie ilren than the qualification OF any pre-.
i ie- feeling. | am aware it is assumed thai
tho System of government for the Southern ST
is not to be perpetual. 1t is true this mi
We ry government is to be only provisional,
,ho ii is through this temporary evil that 6
.,n,, evil is to be be pcrpetuated. If the guai
gu. ~ tees OF the Constitution can be broken
''c - yisionally to serve a Temporary purpose,
Gems in part only Of the country,w we can DIES
rning them everywhere and for all times. Arb
sing, ny measures often change, but they gene
line, ly change for the worse. II is, the ours
rripr despotism, that il has no hating place,
4 u intermitted exercises of Its power bring
y IL sense of security to its subjects, for
y '''' never know what moro they will be q
to endure when its rcd right hand is N
'ora to plague them again.
some Nor is ii possibeto conjecture how or W
"h" i" power unrestricted by law may seek It's
rance victims. The States that are still free
stance be cnslaYed at any moment; for, the
nouy stitution does pa. protect all it pro
,zzipr none. Ii is manifeetly and ayGEealy
,l;,r,, object of these laws to confer upon III
,..a,: groes the privilege Of voting, and To dis
''''o chisc such number Of white either
sfS pa will give the forner clear majority
elections in the Southern States. Tn
the minds of some persons, Is so impo
that violation Of the Constitution is j,
!. !. ed as a means Of bringing it about.
morality is always false which eXell
cstlon wrong because ii purposes to acc0mp
Mr.. desirable end. We are not permitted
,pport evil that good may come, but in this ca
e. end Itself is evil us well as the means.
subjugaton Of the States TO negro do
ar u,a ton would be worse than the miliar,
md potism under which they are now suil
/, -, ~ 1t was believed beforehand that The |
~. 10 wouhi endure any amount Of militar
= ,u ~ preston for any Icnslil of linia, ralie
W." degrade themselves by Subsection TO /
gro race. Therefore they have bet
without choice. Negro Suffrage VI
lcatlOn tolliehn1 lac act of innrrass a IL lin !