Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1867-12-11
gaattbman q Stair 5uurnaI.
BY Il. p. WALTON
MONTPELIER. DECEMBER IL. 1867.
PREsIDENT,S MESsAGE.

tatUet The conitutd dsofRanizaon Of the Union 20
which the President has often rallied the attention Of
Congress is yet subject Of profound and patriotic
We NAV, however hnd some relief from that an
xitty IN the tcon that he painful political situation
although be fore tried h curse yes Is not new Va he
cxoerience Of nations Political science, ptrhsps
highly perfected Ia times and country in any
other, has YET disolosei any by which civil
can be absolutely prevented An enlightened ma
ton however, with awse aud bsne6oen, constitution Of
free government, may mini.h heir frequency aud nit
iga'e their severity. by directing all It's proceedings in
cordAnee with is fundamental law.
REoOSsrHUCrtoN,
When a civil war has been brought to a close Il Is
mAnfesty the hrs interest and duty Of TIE state
pair the injuries which has inflicted and 10 SECURE
the benefit o. the lessons teaches as fully and speedily
possible This dlty upon the termination Of the
reholio ion, promptly acatpted not only By the Executive
department hut BY he insure uonary stAe' themselves
and restoration IN the drst moment Of peace believed
TO be As easy and certain ID indispensable The
expectations however thea 70 reasonably aud corflet
ly entertained disappointed by legislation from
which feit constrained by my obligations to the C5ns-
tuiion 20 withhold my assent
IL IL therefore source Of profound fesrot that 10
pliug with the obligation imposed upon the 7 esideut
by the sutuuon 10 give 70 Congress from time
time Information Of the state q he Uniou, am unable
to communicate any definite adjustment satsacOfy 10
the American people Of the questions VII ch since the
close Of The rebe ion have agtaed the public mind On
the contrary canjo oompes me to deo re- that al this
time there Is no Uuon as fathers understood the
term and they meant 70 be Understood by The
Union which taeJ established can exist only where all
be states represented Ia 10th houses Of Congress
where one state is as ee As another 70 reg late its in-
terual according % its will aud where
the laws Of the central goge nment strictly conhn'd 70
iii the people OF every seeon Ih,t sneb Il not tbe
present state Of the Union Is melancholy fac, and
all must acknowledge that hstestoraton u the
70 their proper legal relations with the federal govern
mtnt, and with another, according TO the terms Of
The original compact, iuld be the gfeA tempora
b ssrr uhieh God in His kndes p,ovdeuce oaud be.
stow ueon mi. nation Ia becomes our faDsrative drty
q consider whether on no. /, Is Impossible to iec h
most esirabe eon.umma ion The Uuion ADD the Con.
sdtutiOn iusepaAble As long one is obeyed by
all parties the other will be preservei and II one is de-
the constitut,n sil he sed h, 9th and s great
81 calamiues II was ordained not ouly No fo-m amore
perfect unIn between the states bdt no establish ius
lice insnre Aome.tie tr.uoniitv nrovje for tbe cam
mon defense nr,n9te the euet Al ef,re and secure
he blessings n liberty 10 ourselves aud our noste,v
Nothiny bat inoii, obedenoe to ia rssitrments IN
All parts Of the countiy viii Accomplish hese great euds
without that obedie ce we can io1F f,ru and only 20
continual ottrfpes upon In niigidu rights ineessart
breaches of puh h pFtee IA i1n,i ye.kness 6o.nc.l
dithnnor total iose ~ rrDe,ity gerer, ,rrntion of
J., ri. .,a s-.t it..,of N ,-..,l., f,.s5. A.,
s.ve 1ur co,r,ry tom erIr Al abr,ng a. tbes, Ne
.t,,,iI ,,,,,, az, -. LII, .,,i - ' wv
sHil'u 'tlsN oui ,uNS G@ as G@ '.u e''u 's,ll ,,
~ s,,is 4, ,,s;ss ,a,,,i, h, . fi6tI s -,
"a th. C,ns,it,,i, "a X i,vs evre,,,r N he
- h. 40, sb.,,,ct.d -, ,.,s.5 ty ntssi.,i -
Tbc,e il o military or o,bs, 6Fcessi,y f,Ior aretend.
id witch can prevent obedeu-e 10 he Constuton ei-
~. Mn -, e,v,t Al ,l. ,.,t.s ~ M - oti',,
ions ~ st,ss and ind ydp,i In he nT,ee,ed and On
forced bg mean. porfecv oousis,ent vim ihe hndamen.
t,iIav me oestt. nv hs "a II one,
tneir process could he unimosdsI C,pss syain, 1be
Halted States cau no nrevcut.d ~ ,ris-. ~ the ,.oo
er ildeia authoriti. n f,.1r, e,,,,oy 1,sr,ir,bfs
AND legal There Is thrrflrr nc rrs On ysF tnr o,n-
s,utiSn .b9nd mo-, he brveJ unlss, those Who exercise
il. powers have determined that il shall be drepardsd
aud violated The mere naked will Of this eovsfnment
or Of some one or more Of s branches is tho only obstA
Gle that can exist To- perfect union OF all the states
On this rnomentous oues ion and some Of the mpa-
snres growing ont of H. have had tn ,f,ftut 20 df
Ter from Congress and nave f1pre,sei nv convict MS
without reserve, though vh becoming difference the
ounion Of the Legislative d. partment hose convictions
are not only unchanged but tre~gtheutd By subsequent
eyeLts aud further reelection The usnsceudent impor.
lance ofthe subject Ni be sufficient excuse for caaR
YOUR attention to tome OF the re.sons which have 20
strongly i1aueneed my own Judgment The hope that
W a. NAV en.v ,'o,Ir in MD ef ,'tlimsf, e1n
stent at once with our true interests and Nth our own
duties to the Constitution too natural aud too
lin Gear 20 nv anpfeheu that the States lately
in rebellion ars still mtmbers Of the national Union.
Wien did the, cta,e 10 be st2 Ordinances Of seces-
son al lpted hy pofti m n most u them very small
r,rtif nj AZ tb.,r oItiz ms 1re ,sre rlss IToe .d-
mit now that they were valid and sctual for the pur-
Dse intended bv their aufhora We swee, rom nader
our feet the whole gr9uni uuon which We justified the
var Were those States Ahervards expelled IL m The
Union by .rs The direct the coutrary was ave red
bv tb. overumsnt 10 be- its nrnose ana il was 40 nm
defstDod by ali those who pave l.ir blood and treasure
an .id h, IL ,yossrr,ion sa,not bs ,l =, success mi
var waged for the ureseryaon OF the Union hsd the
ea eject OF disco vna il The vic ory OF the nations
arns was not the disgrace Of her poicy the defeat Of
is,,tsss ,ircini,s NJ oopi cons,rss Win n, ,yitb
an, me con.ent ~ The executive Az sny,bing which
,nid i've tbs eaeef drrtx NJ ndifer-iy ~ s.n.ra,ny
he STATE rom ,scb other 10 s.oIve ibe mon il 10
,se rop.,i,,on b ho,ss j. ,oge,bsS sDd bst
l. . u,vv.r hrh ,e nor bflnn., 10 .nv dspartment ~
,bis sog,rnrfnt or "a Al, n thsm ,,ui,ed This IL "a
nsin maj In has been .ck oled,,d bv All branches Of
he f,dera gav.rpment m. executive INV preiects
sor a. we'll % mvselr and ha,ds of All dsparmens have
,,ly t,d ,noo tb ,incinle maj ,he Inion is NOT
univ undssolved mn inditso he Copprest snb itted
an .merdment of the Cousuuton 20 be- ratified bv the
sonthern states and accented ,heir ,cts ~
a. nee, ssarv and awf exercise Of their highest hinc
ion. II tbsy were moi states Of ,be Upior their co
sent to change in the fundamental law of the Union
would have been nusatory aud Congress in asking ii
committed noliteai abs9Id,v The iudci,ry has Also
given he solemn ,ancton II its authority 10 the sane
yies of me case
The INDIES Of the supteme Court have included the
souhern states in their circuits and they are constant
liz n, bane md elsewhere exercising urisdic ion which
does not belong To them unless hose states are States
of the Union II the southern States are component
pArts Of the nion the Cops,tai il the ,uprenle law
for them as his fran the other states They are
bound 10 obey IL and so are We The eht of the Fed
etAi Government which Is clear and able to
enforce the Constitution upon them i'm Des correla
tive obq alton on our part to observe ita limitations and
execute Its guarantees ithou- the Consuution we
are nothipg By through and under the Constitution
l We are what il makes US We NAV doubt the wisdom
Of the Law we may not approve Of It's provisions but We
cannot violate 1t merely Dec u it seems 70 eonfne our
mowers with n Limits narrower than We could ~ish Ii
NOT question Of ind ydaas or class or sectional in
terest mueh less Of pArty pfedomnapee but Of daty
high and sacred duty viii We are all sworn 20 perform.
1--we cannot suypoTt the Constitution with the eheetful
alAcrty of those vho love and believe in IT, we must
give 10 il at least the fidelity OF public servants who act
: under solemn obligations and Commands which they
dare no, disregard