Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1867-12-12
II z S S A G. e
OF THE
President Of the United States,
TO L HI
AT I IL
Commencement of the Regular
Session Of the 4Oth Congress.
Commencement of the Regular
Session Of the 10th Congress.

Fe'loaO Cih'zens Of the Senate and House Of Rep
r{senfat.Ucs:
The continued DISCRIMINATION OF the Union.
TO wi.cA thc peesiden h Is so .f.eu called the
attention Of Congress. yet a subject of pro-
1ound anu patriotic concern. We may. howe
ver, lind some relief from hlt anxiety in the.
ren, ellen thai The painful p,l !cai situation,
althour h before untrvd hy ourselves is not
new Ill the experience of nations. Political
science, perhaps as highly perfected in our
own Tune anu Country as in ai.y other. has not
yet disclosed any means by which civil wars
can De absolutely prevented. Al .ngh ensd
nation. however, with a wise aud bcnefcent
Constitution of free government. may dimin
ISL their frequency and mitigate their severity
~ ing ali lis Pr Proceedings in accordance
wilh lis fundainen;ai law
VI ben civil w.r has been brouG hit to a close
II is niantestiy Tie first duty ana interest of
tie State TO repair the niu,ies which The war
has inflicted, and TO secure b. benefit Of the
lesson Ii teaches as fully and as speedily as
! possible. This duty was. upon the terlnina-
non OF the "a heiion, promptly acce pied. nos
only by the Executive Department. but by the
The ihslirrectlonary Sta es themselves, and re.
storation. in lie trtt moment of peace was
believed 10 be easy IN certain as ii was in
dispensable. The expectations. however then
SO r;as naby and confidently entertained
were disappointed by legislation IRON which
felt constrained. bl my obligations to the
Constitution. to withhold my assent
| Ii s. therefore. a source Of profound regret
that IN complyn ing with the obligations upon
the President By he Constitution 10 give 10
CONGRESS fran, tine n lime info
| state OF the Union, am unable t. communi
CAFE any definite adjustment. satisfactory 10
| ne American people. OF the questions whth
since the close OF the rebellion. have agiiaed
! the public mind. Tn the CO. t'mry. cantor
| compe's me 10 declare that at ihis time there
no Union as our fathers understood h
term, and as they meant il TO be ua,ers ooa
by us. The Jnionwhich they est,,b i.hed exist
only when the States are repres eIled in both
| Houses ofConeres~; where one State is free as
| anO h RIO regulate II in erna concerns accord
| n 20 lis OWL l. ana where the laws of the
central GovernMen sire: ~ confined % matters
"t natl"nai jur dic'lon, apply with equal force
10 ali TIE pc pie Of every section. That such
! Is not the present estate of the Union" is A
| ne ancholy fact ard We all must acknowl-
edge that the restoration OF the States to their
| proper legal relations with the Federal Govern
ment and W III one another. according to the
terms Of The original compact would be the
| greatest temporal blessing which God, in His
klndeSt providence, could beslow upon this
naflon. if becomes our imperative duty to
consider whether or not II is impossible to ef-
feet this MOST desirable Contamination.
The Union and the Constitution are insepa
rsble. rs long as one is obeye& b. all parties
;he other will be preserved: and if one is 'les-
troyed, both must perish tog' her The DIES
traction OF the Constitution will be followed
by o'her and still greater calam;tes Ii WAS
ordained not only Ia form a more perfect un
ion between the States. but 10 .eslabi.h JUS
nee, insure domestic tranquility. provide tor
the common defence, promote the general wei
fare. and secure lie blessings OF liberty to our
sslves and our posterit}." Nothing but i'm
pliclt obedience TO It's requirements il all paris
or lie country will accomplish these great
ends. Without that oh d.ence We can look
fo' ward only 10 continua ouirages upon ind
vlduai rights. lncessant breaches of he public
peace. laanclal dishonor, tie loss of our pros
perIy, the general corruption of morals, and
lie final extinction OF pubic freedom To
save our country from evils so appalling AS
these, we should repew our efforts again and
again.
To me the process of restoration seems per-
fcctly plain and simple 1t consists merely
III a aiihiul application Of the Consitui on
and laws. Tue execution of the laws is not
now obstruc'ed or opposed by physical
force. There is no military or other necessi-
ty. real or pretended, which can prevent
obedience t. the Constitution North and
South. All the rights and all the obliga-
tions of States and individuals can be protect
"a and enforced By means perfectly consistent
W ID the fundamental Law. The courts may
be everywhere open. and. if open, their pro-
I C. IS would be unimpeded. Grimes against
the United States can be preven'e or punish
ed by The proper Judicial authorities, in 81
manner entirely practicable amt legal there
l., therefore. no reason why he Constitution
should moi be obeyed. unless those VINO exer-
| else its powers have determined thar it shall
| be disregard. aud violated. The mere naked
VIII OF this Government. or of some enc or
more OF its branches, is the only obstacle that
| can exist TO a perfect unios Of all the States
On this moments Gus question. and some of
! the measures growing out of 1t. have had the
misfortune TO differ from Copgre IS. and have
expressed my convictions with utr serve tho
with becoming Difference for the Legislative
] Department. Those convici ions are not only
unchanged. but enghened by subsequent
| events aud further reflection. The transcend
eht importance of the subject will be suffi
Client excuse for calling your attention to some
o! The reasons which have SO strongly infuen-
ced my own judgment. The hope that We may
all finally concur in mode of settlement.
consistent at once with our interests and our
sworn duties to the Constitution, is too nat III al
and TOO just to be easily relinquished.
II is clear TO my apprehension that the
States laiely in rebellion are still members of
tn national Union. When did they cease to
be so? The ordinances of secession" adop.
ted by n portion Tin most Of them a very small
porton) OF their citizens. were mere utilities
1t We admit now that they valid and eff
teciual for the purpose intended by their au-
thors. we sweep from under our feet the whole
ground upon which we justified the war
We're those States afterwards expelled from
the Union by the war! The direct contrary
was averred by this Government to be its pur-
pose, and was understood by all those who
! gave their blood and treasure to aid in its