The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1867-12-11
, THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

4 This important communication, from tn
Chief Magistrate to the Congress Of the Uni
ted States, is read with more than ordinar,
interest at this period Of national trial AM
apprehension
The message begins by informing Congress
that "the continued disorganization of tn,
IssUnion, to which the President has 50 Otter
scaled the attention Of Congress, is yet
Subject of profound and patriotic concern
Its the duty Of people, after such Q ca
lamity as the recent civil war, to repair it
Injuries promptly. The Executive Of the ma
ton and the Southern States felt this, ane
were ready toproceed promptly to work with
this object But they were disappointed By
Legislation to which the President was forced
to- withhold his consent. He regrets this,
and, furthermore, is grisyed that he is una
BILE to communicate any definite adjustment o.
the questions which have agitated the public
mind; on, the contrary, he declares that
''there is no Union as our fathers understood
! "the term and as they meant it toisbe under.
! 4stood by u.s." The restoration of the States
to their legal rights, according to the terms
Of the original compact" Mr.. johnson says
would be the greatesttemporal blessing which
God, in. his kindest providence, could bestow
upon US. 1t is our imperative duty to con-
slider how to effect this fmost desirable con-
summation" assta sfiI De 4e.F7o Esgssa Y
Dilating upon the Importance Of the resto-
ration of the Union, and the ruin and anarchy
which must ensue upon alfailure to re-estab-
| fish it upon the basis of the Constitution, he
declares that this is matter Of easy solution.
There is no obstruction now to the enforce
ment of the laws, and no military or other
necessity, real or pretended, which can pre-
vent obedience to the Constitution, either
North or South The mere will Of the Gov
eminent, COR some one or more of its branch
sses, is the only obstacle that can exist to a
"perfect union of all the States"
The President expresses the opinion that
they all (meaning the departments Of the
government may finally concur in some mode
Of settlement consistent with our (their)
sstrue interests, and with our (their) sworn
"duties to the Constitution" That this may
b. done is hope sstoo natural and too just to
abe easily relinquished,"
The message proceeds to argue that the ten
Southern States are still in the Union, on the
ground that the ordinances of secession were
mere utilities, and that the war can only be
justified on that ground. The wal, did not
expel these States from the Union. The Gov
eminent 50. understood it; so did they who
fought for it. Successful war waged for the
preservation Of the Union could not legally
have the effect of dissolvirg it. Congress
could do nothing with or without the Execu-
tive, that could separate the States from each
other. Congress submitted the constitutional
amendment to the Southern States, and ac-
cepted their act upon it as the lawful act of
their highest function IF not States in the
Union, their act would be nugatory.
The message reasons this point at some
length, and AYERS that the constitutional du-
ty Of the Government requires that the States
be restored. The act Of Congress Of 22d Ju-
ly, Isl, declares that the war was conducted
solely for the preservation of the Union and
the supremacy Of the Federal Government,
and should cease when that is accomplished;
thus pledging the national honor, by act of
Congress, in addition to the constitutional OBJ
LEGATION, to the restoration of the Union and
the President cannot see how the pledge can
be repudiated
According to his views on this point, en-
forced at much length, the President recon.
mends the repeal of the reconstruction acts
of the last Congress as being in direct conflict
congressional interference with the State gov
ernlnents and the elective franchise of the
States as usurpation, and not authorized BY
the Constitution. e
President johnson does not desire, he says,
to save those engaged in the rebellion from
the proper consequences Of their crime; but
the measures Of Congress visit the punish
ment unfortunately upon the innocent and
guilty. He speaks of them as against the
spirit Of Christianity and the primitive JUS
tice Of this age and country, which "does not
consistiin stripping whole States of their lib
"erties and reducing their people to slavery"
The message exhibits the danger Of violating
the Constitution for a temporary and partial
object. IF the guarantees of the sGonstitu-
ton may be broken in this mannerfor tempo
rary purposes, they may be, destroyed every
where and for all time. IT is the curse of
.sdespotism that it has no hating place.
s'The morality is always false which excuses a
ssswrong because it proposes to accomplish a
desirable end" "But, it continues, ssthe
ssend itself is, an evil, as wellas the means" "
and s.the subjugatiou Of the States to negro
domination would be worse than the militia
@ry despotism under which they are now suf-
ssferipg. ee 45aas ,,iY Al III a. i.s.isy :
The President truly says that it was be-
lieyed before hand that the Southern States
would submit to military rule for any length
of time, rather than degrade themselves by
subsection to the negro race under the recon
structiop laws, which enfranchised negroes
and disfranchise such number Of whites as
to give the former clear majorities. Con
gress, knowing this, determined to force their
reconstruction upon the States, and thus left
them without choice. 81 ts..s6gs j
The message Us that if t we're practicable
at this time to give the blacks a Government
of their own to manage it for themselves,
it would be grave question whether the Fed
eral Government should not save them from
themselves" But it is not proposed by Con-
gress that they shall meraly govern them
selves; but s'thatthey she'll rule the ,ohite race
sEmahe and administer the laws, elect Presii-
.'dents and members Of Congress, and shape,