The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1867-12-06
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGES.

', TIE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
The extra session cf the F.,riieih Con
gress adjourned at noon last Monday, and
the regular s,ssion began at once. The
Presidents Message was tent in on Tuesday.
. 1t is as lengthy as such documenGs usually
. are, andwe sre therefore compelled TO ouil
! its publication entire, but herewith give in
stead comprehensive summary Of it. The
subjects treated of in the Message are Re-
construction, Tenure Of Office, Finances,
and other National concerns.
The President begins by stating that re-
construction was believed to he easy and
certain at the close of the war, but that this
expectation was defeated by Congressional
legislation. He then goes onto say that in
his opinion there is no Union now as our
fathers understood the term, and repeats, for
the hundredth time, all the sophistry con-
tanned in "my policy" Briefly his policy
consists of he following points: LIST, That
the States lately in rebellion were never out
of the Union, and hence are entitled to all
the rights which they enjoyed before the
war. ID, That Congress has no right to5dic-
tate TO the rebel States what alterations shall
be made in their Constitutions, nor to declare
who shall and who shall not vote 3D. That
no laws can be passed by Congress for the
punishment of such numbers of people for the
crime of treason. That they must be dealt
| vv.f Il al IL. al.
tuition. 4th. That this is a white man gov
eminent, and the negroes have no right to
vote. p
Each of these points the President argues
at length.
First-In support of his theory that the
rebel States were never out of the Union
and that they are still entitled TO all their
former rights, he says ihe ordinance of Sc
cession adopted by portion of their people
were mere nullities that those states were
not expelled by the war; that il the war was
successfully waged for the preservation Of
the Union, it could not have the legal effect
of destroying it; that the Supreme Court
recognizes them as States by including them
in its circuits and that the act of Con-
gress, submitting to their action the amend
ment to the Constitution of the United
States abolishing slavery, recognized them
as States.
Second-He recommends the repeal Of the
reconstruction laws for the alleged reason
that they are in violation of the constitution;
that the power to regulate the local affairs Of
the rebel Ststes; TO control elections; 10 dis
solve State Legislatures; to dismiss civil
functionaries; to organize and operate all
the political machinery Of those States, is
power not granted 10 the. Federal Govern
ment or TO any of its branches; that the
Government can only exercise such power
by usurpation. a
Third-Tbat the acts of Congress for the
punishment of persons engaged in rebellion
inhict one common indiscriminate vengearce
upon all classes, sects aud parties, as was
common in the barbsrous ages Of the world;
that Christianity and civilization condemn
such a course, and that the Justice af this
country does not consist of stripping whole
States OF their liberties and reducing their |
people to the condition of slavery, but deals |
separately with each individual.
Fourth-That the blacks in the South are
entitled to be well and humanely governed,
but they should not be allowed the ballot
because they are incapable of self-govern-
ment; that by admitting them to the, ballot |
we weaken our system of government. The |
President rehearses fully every argument |
ever brought up against negro suffrage, and |
processes to believe that if they are allowed
to vote in the south the Government will be
required TO keep large standing army there
and eKpend millions of money annually in
sustaining their governments. He also pro-
fesses to believe that the nation will be. in
danger Of bankruptcy from that cause, and
adroitly mixes the negro suffrage question in
the South with the questions of national
taxes and 6narcc>; and inds up this part
of his message with an exultant allusion to
the late elections in which, he says, the Peo=
pie sustained his policy and condemned that
of Congress; and therefore demands of Con-
gress the repeal Of all the laws passed for the
purpose of reconstruction rsv.si
In regard 10 the Tenure of Office law, the
President bitterly complains that it prevents
him from removing incompetent or dishonest
officials, and that he is therefore prevented
from performing the duty of seeing that the
laws are faithfully executed.
On National Finances the views of the
President are identical with those of Mr..
McCullocb, the Secretary of the Treasury.
He says the time has come when the Gov
eminent ard banks should be required TO
take the most effective steps and make all
necessary arrangements for resumptiohl of
specie payments at the earliest practical mo-
ment. What these steps are however, the
President does not say. His essay ON the
advantages of q metallic currency over paper
money is of course perfectly sound; but some
sensible, practical suggestions on the best
way of returning to specie payments without
The interests of any class of the
community, would he of more use just now
than volumes of essays on political economy.
The President wisely recommends a thor
ough revision of the revenue laws.
In regard to our Foreign relations, the
Message repeats the stereotyped expression,
in substance, that we are at peace With all
the world. .- .-.4
The Message is dignifed in tone and re-
spectful in its reference to Congress and its
for the practice of economy
in the administration of Government are
prudent and well-timed.
POLITICAL NEWS AND RUNIORs.