Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1868-12-19
Presidents Message.
Felo,r. Citi:ens ofths Senate
and House Of Representatives.

and House Of Representatives. :
Upon the rcasscmbling of Con-
grcss, it again becomes my duty 70
call your attention TO the state OF
tho Union, and to its continued
disorganized condition under the
various laws which have been passed
upon the subject of reconstruction
ii may be safely assumed rs an axiom
in tho government of States, that
the ground that she greatest wrongs
inflicted upon q people are caused
byuniust and arbitrary legislation,
or by the unrelenting desires of
despotic rulers, and that the timely
revocation of injurious and oppres.
sivc measures is the greatest good
that can be conferred upon n nation.
The legislator or ruler who has the
wisdom and magnanimity TO retrace
his step when convinced of error,
will sooner or later be rewarded
with the respect and gratitude ofan
intelligent and patriotic people,
Our own history, although embrac-
ing a period less than q century,
affords abundant proof that most,
if not all our domestic troubles are
directly traccablc to violations of
the organic law, and excessive leg
islation. The most striking illus
trations of this fact are furnished
by the enactments of the past three
years upon the question of recon
:structlon; after fair trial they
have substantially failed and proved
pernicious in their results, and there
seems to be no good reason why
they should remain longer upon the
statute books. States to which the
constitution guarantees republican
form of government have been re-
duced to military dependencies, in
each of which the people have been
made subject to the arbitrary will
of, the commanding general. AL
though the constitution requires
that each State shall be represented
in Congress, Mississippi, Virginia
:and Texas are yet excluded from
the two houses, and contrary to the
.oxpress provisions of that instru-
ment, were denied participation in
THE recent election for President
and Vice President of the United
States. The attempt to place the
white population under the domi-
nation OF persons of color in the
South, hasimpaired, ,ifnotdestroycd,
the kindly relations that had previ-
ously existed between them, and
mutual distrust has engendered a
feeling of animosity, which leading
:, some instances to collision and
hlooo IL 'hed, has prevented that CO.
on"ra,;o n between the two races so
ossnnt;al +, the success of industrial
ont0rnr;ses n the Southern States.
r,0 ror have the inhabitants of those
States alone suffered from the dis
tnrbed condition of affairs growing
out of these congress .'onal enact
ments. The entire UnioH has peen
agitated by grave apprchen SONS OF
troubles which might again III So've
the peace of the nation. Its in. sr-
ests now have been injuriously al
fected by the arrangement of busi-
ness and labor, and the consequent
want of prosperity throughout ev-
ery portion of the country. The
Federal Constitution, the magma
cbarta of American rights, under
whose salutary provisions we have
successfully conducted all our do.
nestle and foreign affairs sustained
ourselves in peace and in war, and
have become a great nation among
the powers of the earth, which must
assurcdly be now adequate to the
settlement of questions growing
out of the civil war, waged alone
for ifs vindicatiou. This great Fact
il made most manifest by the con-
dition of tho country when Con
rrcss assembled in the month of
December. 1865; civil strife had
ceased, the spirit Of rebellion bad
spept its entire force inthe Southern
States, the people had warmed into
national life, and throughout the
whole country healthy reaction
in public sentiment had taken place.
By the application of the simple
vet effective provisions of tho con-
stitntions the executive department,
with evolantary aid of the States,
had brought the work ofrestOration
as near completion as was within
The scope of its authority, and the
nation was encouraged BY the pros
pect OF an early adjustment oi az
its difficulties. C0ngress. boUefer,
interrebed. refasihe 40 peri q The
work 80 nearly consummaied, De
eliped to admit members from the