Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1867-12-05
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Second Session of'the xLth Con-
grees,,

| UNION, to wh1ch the PRESIDENT mas 10
often called the attention of Congress, is
, yet q subject OF profound and patriotic
concern. We may, however, find some
relief from that anxiety in the reflection
that the painful political situation, al
though before untried by ourselves, Is
not new in the experience Of nations
Political science, perhaps as highly per-
fected In our own time and country as
In any other. has not yet disclosed any
means by which civil wars can be abso-
lutsly prevented. An enlightened ma
ton, however, with a wise and bene-
ffcent Constitution OF free government,
may diminish their frequency and miti-
gate their severity by directing all its
proceedingsi In accordance with Its funds-
mental law.
When civil war has been brought to
q close, IL is manifestly the first interest
and duty Of the State torepair the in
juries which the war has inflicted, and to
secure the benefit Of the lessons 1t teaches
as f0lly and a. speedily as possible. This
duty was, upon the termination OF the
rebellion, promptly accepted, not only
by the Executive Department, but by
the insurrectionary States themselves,
and restoration in the first moment OF
peace, was believed to be as easy and
sertain rs II was indispensable.
The President complains that his re-
construction of the Union, believed by
him to be In accordance with the provi-
sions Of the Constitution, was rejected
by Congress-, and "there is no Union rs
our fathers understood the term" He
then says:
To me the process OF restoration seems
perfectly plain and simple. I consists
merely In faithful application of the
Constitution and laws. The execution
Of the laws is not now obst ructed or OPP
posed by physical force. There is no
military or other necessity, real or pre-
tended, which can prevent obedience to
the Constitution, either North or South.
All the rights and all the obligations of
States and individuals can he protected
and enforced by means perfectly consist
ent with the fundamental law. The
courts may be everywhere open, and, il
open, their process would be unimpeded.
Crimes against the United States can be
prevented or punished by the proper ju-
dicial authorities, in q manner entirely
practicable and legal. There is, therefore,
no reason why the Constitution should not
be Obeyed, unless those who exercise its
, powers have determined that it shall lie
disregarded and violated. The mere
naked will. of this Government, or OF
some one Or more of its branches, is the
only obstacle that can exist to = perfect
union ofall the States.
On the question of reconstruction he
offered from Congress, and still thinks
he 10 right and Congress wrong. He
argues that the States lately in rebellion
are still members Of the National nion,
entitled to all the rights of States, and
that all efforts to punish the people of
those States by Act of Congress dis
frAnchising Qrexcluding from office those
who have engaged In the rebellion are
wrong. He denounces the reconstruc-
ton laws of Congress as unconstitution-
al, and says:
am aware II Is assumed that this sys-
tenn of government for the Southern
States 10 not to be perpetual. 1t Is true
this military government is to be only
provisional, but it Is through this tempo
rary evil that greater evil Is To be made
perpetual. II the guarantees of the Con-
stitution can be broken Professionally to
serve . temporary purpose, and in n part
, only of the country we can destroy them
every where and for all time. Arbitrary
measures often change, but they gener-
ally change for the worse. 1t is the curse
Of despotism that 1t has no halting place.
The intermitted exercise of its power
brings no sense OF security to its subjects;
for they can never know what more they
will be called to endure when its red right
hand Is armed To plague them again.
Nor IL IL possible to conjecture how or
where power, unrestrained by law, may
seek It's next victims. The States that
are still free may be enslaved at any mo-
ment; for il the Constitution does not
protect all, 1t protects meme.
1t Is manifestly and avOwedly the OBJ
ject Of these laws to confer upon negroes
the privilege of voting, and to distran-
, chise such n number of white citizens as
will give the former clear majority ut
all elections in the Southern States.
, A column and half are devoted to
, the negro. to show his inferiorlty and the
, folly Of giving this inferior the control
OF the whole country. Hedwells on the
} expense Of carrying out these reconstruc-
, ton measures, and suggests that the
public credit may be affected thereby.
He then calls upon Congress to repeal
these reconstruction laws, aud urges this
on the additional consideration that tho
elections which have taken place this
fall have all gone against this plan OF
reconstruction.
On the subject OF resisting tho author
ity Of Congress, he says:
How far the duty Of the President, "to
preserve. protect, aud defend the Con-
stitution," requires him to go in opposing
: an unconstitutional act of Congress, is n
very serious and important question, on
which have delibsrated much, and felt
extremely anxious to reach proper con
cluslon. Where an act has been passed
according to the forms of the Constitu-
ton by the supreme legislative authority,
and In regularly enrolled among the pub
: lie statutes Of the country, Executive
l resistance to 1t, especially In times OF
1 high party excitement, would be likely
to produce violent collision between the
respective sdherents Of the two branches
. Of the Government. This would be
simply civil war; and civil war must be
resorted to only as the last remedy for
the worst of evils. Whatever might
a tend to provoke IL should he most care
fully avoided. A faithful and conscien-
= tious Magistrate will concede very much
. TO honest error, and something even ia
perverse malice, before he will endanger
the public peace and he will not adopt
Z forcible measures, or such rs might lead
o to force, as long as those which are peace
a | able remain open To him or To his con.