Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1867-12-03
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

F.b01- e,fi.,E, Of .fS SSsots
Ggd N. g ef EfPT6stafGrpss.
Tue eonnn u-d disOrg tni4suOn Of me Uuion.
to vbich ths President has so often called Ins
attsIt,on Of Congress, i vet a SUBJECT OF pro
tennd and patriotic cOucsrn. We may. how
ever fud some relief from thst ANXIETY la ,he
reuscflon hst to- paInful politiCsg situauoB,
nIthouvn before untried oy ourselves. Is not
rev IA ths experience OF nations. Political
seieucs- perhaps IS higAly perfected ia our
svp time aud country a. IN any o;ner. has irS
yei DISCLOSED any means oy which evil was
can Dc sosolately prevented An snIishc-d-i
ramon. ho wsNer. win s wise and b4a-Gc c4a-
COBstitc;iou or free government, nav o. niu
theiT frsCuen y and mitigate t1eir severity hy
sueciIDc All ~ prSGssdings 10 accordance vito
ite fundamental lzw.
When a siviI var has been hrcuzh. :,
close. % - maRltssuy the first in tersst sud
duly OF IN SIst- 10 repair the INJURIES wht,h
rae VS. mas inflicted, aud % secure the banelt
Of me lessons A. teaches a. fully ana speedily
as possible. The duty VS.. upon Lbe term ina-
ton o; the IsDslIiol, promptly accepted, rot
eaIy By he EJscuuve Department. hut bv To
rrscfIOnAry States tnSmsei YES, and res 5cr
tioL, In the nrsI moment OF peace. WAS D.
iieyec &c o. as e1sy and certain as II was In-
dispensAoie- TEe expectations, however, then
80 reasonably and confidently entertained
were dIsappOintsd by IsgislsriOD from which
/ felt Constrained by nv O5HgS.Ions - he
stonsutHuoL. TO wIrnhJld my asssnt.
1t IL therefore Z source Of profound reyrs-
thaf, in complying Win ,ne obligation imposed
Pon the PTe-idsn; oT me Constitution, 20 give
10 CoDgTsss from time 10 time Information OF
sne state OF me u mon, am unable 70 comm u
aisste any dehniIve ad IGs tInsnt. satIstae tory
h he American People, OF me questions which,
sinee he close Of tue rebellion, have agItated
Ne pUslI- mind. On the contrary. eaHdOr
mp- is 20 declare that al thIs time there a.
DO Union as our Fathers understood the term,
Aso as thsy meant ~ % De understood by Us.
The Union which they established can exist
Only " here ali the States represented IN
seth Houess OF Congress; W here one STATE ~ as
free ar another to regulate its internal con-
Germs according 10 It's own will; and where the
laws OF the central Government strictly eou-
nsed 10 matters OF national Jurisdiction, apply
win equal force 10 all The people OF eyery sec
hon. Tha; such Is not the present Estate of thr
uRon' IL a melancholy fact; and we all mus,
acknowledge tnat the restoration Of .he States
- their proper legal relations with the Federal
0evernment and with one another, according
- Me serns of the original compact, would be
ne greatsst temporal blessing which God in
Be kin dest providence, Sould oestow upon this
sai,oD. Il becomes our imperative duty to
consider " hether or not il is Impossible TO Ell
tess his most desirable contamination
The Union and the Consutution are insep-
arabic. A. long as one 10 obeyed by all par
nee, the other Will be preserved. aud il one ,s
sssroyed both must perish together. The de
srugtiOn Of the Constitution will be followed
by other and stil greater calamities. II was
ordained not only 70 form a more perfect union
ssveen The States, but 10 establish justice, fn-
ssre domestic tranquility, provide for the
common defence, promote the general welfsrs.
aDa secure the blessings of liberty 20 ourselves
ana our posterlty.' Nothing but implicit obe-
slenee 10 rs requIr, men's IN all parts OF the
eosntry will accomplish these great ends
without that Obedience, we can lsok for ward
enly 10 continual outrsgss upon indiyid "a !
Eng hts, lDcessant breaches of the pu bic peace
sational weakness, financial ashonor, the to-
sal lose OF our prosperity, the general csrrup-
non of morals, and The final extinction of non
mar freedom. To save our country from evils
30 appalling as these We sho aid renew our ef
torte again and again.
To me The process o. restoration seems Der
tesuy plain and simple. Ii consists merely in
. faithful application of the Constitution and
laws The execution Of the laws Is not now
distracted or opposed by ph y ysical force. There
10 10 military or other necessity, real or pre-
cnaeo. which & can prevent obedience to the
riehts and all the obi gations OF States and in.
dividuals can be protected and enforced by
means perfectly consistent with the funda.
mental law. The courts may be eyeryWhare
open, snc. u open. their process would be- nm
inpeded- Grimes against the United states
tan Be prevented CT punished by the proper
Jsdieial anihoritIes, IN manner entirely prac-
ueaole and legal There IL, therefore, no rea-
son why the COnstitution shoul Id not be obsyed
Enless those " no exercise i,s powers have de.
ierTnined that IL shall he disrsgarded and yio
lated The mere naked Will of this Govern
mept or Of some one or more OF It's branch.s.
ss ihe only obstacle thar can exist 70 q perfect
union of all the States.
On this nomsntous question, and some OF
me measures growing ont OF II, have had tn
misfortune 20 differ from Congress, and have
expressed my convictions without reserve,
though with becoming defere nee to the opin-
lon OF the Legislative Department. Those
convictions are not only unchanged. bur
strengthened by subsequent events and fur
tner reflection. The ranscendant importance
OF the subject wifi be a SUIT cient excuse for
calling your attention 10 some OF the reasons
which have so strongly Influenced nv own
Judgment The hope tDat we may all finally
concur in q mode OF settlement, consistent az
once with our true interests and with our
sworn duties 20 the Constitution. is too natu- =
raj and 100 just to be easily reiinquisned.
IL is clear 10 my apprehens on tha, he states
EaiionsI Union. When did they cease TO be
sol The "ordinancts of secession adopted
by portion I'm most Of them q very small
poruon) of their citizens, were mere nullities
IL We admit now that they were valid and ef-
feetual for he purpose intend ed by their au-
thors, We sweep from under our feet the whole
Erouno upon which we justified the war.
Were those States after wards expelled from
the Unicn by the war; The direct contrary
was ayerred by this Government 10 be It's
purpose. and was so understood by all those
who gave their blsod and treasure 70 aid In t.
prosecution IL cannot be that n successful
war, waged for the preservation OF the Union
lad the legaI effect of fdissolving IL. The vic
tory OF The nations arms Was not the disgrace
OF her policy; the defeat of secession on the
battle field was not the triumph of It's IawIess
pru clP!e- Nor csuld Congress, with or with =
ont fae consent OF the Executive, do anythiBg
which would have the effect. directly or in =.
otner To dissolve the Union Is 10 repeal the
Constitution which holds ii together, and that
is power which does not belong 70 any he
par,ment Of this Government, or 70 all Of thsIn
united.
This Is % plain that ii has been acxnowl-
edged oy ali Oranchs- of the Federal Govern
msnt- The Executive my predecessor a
wei as myself and The heads of ali the De-
partments have uniformly acted upon the
prin ciple that the Union IS not only uudis-
solved, bnJ Indissolubis Congress submi,ted
an amendment Of The CONSTITUTION 10 he rstified
by the southern States, andtaccepiea their act
OF rauncailon a. q Necessary and la wful ex
-Tcise of their highest funcuOa. IL they were
not STATES or were States ont OF the Union,
their consent 10 a change in The fundamentsl
law OF the Union would have been nugatory.
and Congress, in asking AZ, committed a politi.
cal aosUTdity. The judiciary has Also given
the solemn sanction OF is authority 10 the sarna
view Of the case. The Judges of the Supreme
Court hsye included the Souihe n States in
tneir Circuits, and they are constantly an ban,
and elsew here, exercising Jurisdiction which
does not belong 10 them, unIess those staiss
are States of the Union.
III the Southern States are eompouent parts
OF the Union, the Constitution - the supr-me
Law for them, as it is for all the other state
They are bound TO obey A. ana so are we The
right OF the Federal Government. which 1.
clear and unq question able, 10 enforce the Con.
siItution upon them, implies the correIa,iys
obligation on our part 70 observe its limitation.
and execute its guarantees Without The Con.
sutnton we are nothing, By, through, and uu
der TIE Constitution We are what IL makes us
We may doubt the wisdom Of the law. we ma,
N nj m - 81 60. A-e