The Van Buren press., 1867-05-24
The Van Buren, Press.
VAN BUREN,, ARKANSAS.
Extracts from the Message of Gov. James
e. English OF Connecticut


We make the following extracts, from the
excellent message of Gov RNGIlsrI, of Con-
necticut. 1t is truly refreshing to see in these
days, the constitution Of the country, truly in
terpreted and the rights of the States vindi-
Gated, by New England Governor We
trust it is but fore-runncr of the good time
cOming:'
The situation of public affairs is in
every aspect important Two years have
elapsed since our country emerged from
civil war such as the world had never
witnessed; war which had been waged
to maintain the supremacy of the federal
constitution and the integrity of the
national union. Over the calamities of
that unhappy conflict which desolated so
large portion of our country and car
ried sorrow into 50 many households,
we long shall mourn but as citizens of a
common country we should strive to ex-
tingush the vindictive rescntmcnts it en-
gendered
The right Of State voluntarily to
withdraw from the Union has been aban-
dOned by those who attempted to carry
it into effect Four years Of sanguine
warfare brought this result to the country :;
and yet the great object Of that war has
thus far been defeated The Union is
not restored. Ten States are, by the ac-
ton OfCongress, denied all participation
in the national government, the laws of
which they are required to obey. Meas
ures such as tend to empire, not to union
If persisted in they must inevitably de-
stroy the fcdcrative character Of our gov
crnment, and transform the republic into
despOtism. The course of legislation
pursued by Congress toward the ten
States of the SOUTH is, in my Judgement
wholly unwarranted by our fundamental
law, and is fatal to the Union and the
constitution as the principle of secession
which has been suppressed,
From the adoption of the constitution
there have been conflicting opinions and
principles in regard to the powers which
have been delegated to the federal gov
ernment and those which have been re-
served to the States. In the opinion of
one portion Of our cOuntrymen the con-
centratiOn and exercise of more power
than was granted, is essential to give
strength and efficacy to the central gov
ernmcnt. Another portion insist that the
authority conferred was ample-that in
decd its tendency is constantly aggressive
and increasing, encrOaching upon the re
served rights of the States and upon the
rights Of the people and that if not care
fully held in check, all the important
powers of the government will be ulti-
mately absorbed in one great central en-
pire. And around these conflicting Opin.
ions political organization grew up at an
early day in our history.
Until recent period the good sense,
virtue and patriotism of our people so
modified and tempered the excess of par
ty spirit that the public tranquility has
been preserved and the government and
laws universally respected But the pas
sions of men at last gained sway The
restraints ofthe constitution chatcd upon
those who were striving for political
power. One extreme bcgat another, un-
til large portion Of the people of the
slave holding States madly took up arms
to maintain the asserted right Of seces-
sion. Few will question the sincerity Of
most of those who voluntarily taken part
in this resistance. The sufierngs, hard
ships and sacrifices they endured too
clearly attest it.
Overpowercd by the armies Of the re-
public, they surrendered, acknowledged
their allegiance to the government, which
they had opposed, and accepted the legal
consequences Of their acts, Their i'm
mensc armies quietly dispersed to their
homes under the terms Of the surrender,
and resumed their peaceful avocations.
! TO bring order out of chaos-to re-
store 70 ,,,ri m.;" legitimate functions the
State authorities, and to re-CcS CcStaDilsh thelr
broken relations with the federal 60, ,ern-
mcnt became at once work Of ncccs-
sity. As commandcri n-chief of the ar
mics, President Lincoln addressed him
self to that work. Under his plan, ma
tured by President Johnson, the States
were reorganized. In obedience to its re-
quircmcnts, their constitutions and laws
were changed, and, by The act Of the peo-
pie Of each of those States, slavery was
forever abolished BY this process the
establishment Of the Union was essen
TALLY consummated. Little more was
thenceforward required for the country to
move onward in harmonious and pros
porous career than the admission Of sen
ators and representatives from those
States to seats in Congress,
Unfortunately the tendency to central
ization had received new impetus during
the war, consequent on the exercise of
extraordinary powers by the government,
and thus developed II new and extremely
partizan spirit. ii demanded the cXclu-
sion of the late insurrectonary States
from any constitutional rights within the
Union. Assuming that tho war in its
practical results was failure, that the
Union is really divided, that the inhabit-