The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1868-12-18
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
FeRoU Citizens ofthe Senate and House
adiof PsDressDtqtiye o. as1 81


FelloT Citizens ofthe Senate and House
sdiof Representatives. ? a'' ~
Upon the reassembling of Congress, It
again becomes my duty to call your attention
to the state of the Union and its disorganized
condition under the various laws which have
been passed upon the subject Of reconstruc-
ton Ii may be safely assumed as 40 axiom
in the government of states that the greatest
wrongs inf cted upon people are caused by
unjust and arbitrary legislation, or by the
unrelenting dfcrees Of despotic rulers, and
that the timely repeal of Injurious and ep.
pressive measures IS the greatest good that
can be conferred upon a nation. The legis-
| lator or the ruler who has the wisdom and
magnanimity to retrace his steps when con-
Vinced of his erroT,s will sooner or later be
rewarded with the respect and gratitude oI
an intelligent and patriotic people. Ourewn
his ory, although embracing a period less
than century, affords abundant proof that
NEST If not all Of our domestic troubles are
] traceable to violations of organic law and
excessive legislation. The most striking IL
Illustrations Of this fact are furnished BY the
enactments Of the past three years upon the
question of reconstruction After fair trial
they have substantially failed and proved
/ pernicious in their results, and there seems
10 be no good reason why they should long
or remain upon the statnte book. The states
to which the constitution guarantees repub.
lican form of government have been reduced
TO military dependencies, in each Of which
the people have been made subject to the
arbitrary will of the commanding general
Although the constitution requires that each
state shall be represented in Congress, Virgin
Ia, Mississippi and Texas are Yet excluded
from the two houses, and contrary 10 the
express provisions Of that instrument, they
we're denied participation in the recent cleo
ton for President and Vice Presidentof the
United States. - 30
The attempt 10 place the whole population
under the domination of parsons of color in
the south has imp9ired if not destroyed the
kindly relations that had previ lusly existed
between them, and mutual distrost has Gre
stedla feeling Of suimosity which, leading in
some instances to collision and bloodshed,
has prevented that cooperation between the
two races so essential to the SUCCESS of ia-
dustrisl enterprises in the southern states.
Nor have the inhabitants of those states alone
suffered from the disturbed. condition Of
stfairs growing out of these congressional
ehactments. The entire Union has been agi.
tated BY grave sPprehensious of trouble,
which might again involve the pesee of The
nation. Its Interests have been iniurIously
affected by the arrangement Of business and
labor, and consequent want Of prosperity
throughout that portion of the country. The
Federal COnstitution-the Magma Charta Of
American rights, under whose wise and
salutaFy provisions we have successfully
conducted all cur domestic ard foreign sf-
fairs, sustained ourselves in peace and in
war, and became great nation among the
powers o. the earth-must sssuredly now be
adequate to the settlement of all questions
growing out Of the civil war Wsged alone for
its Vindicatiop. so slz 7so.
This great fact is made most manifest by
the cond ,tion of the country. When Con
gresS assembled in the month of December.
1855, civil strife had ceased, the spirit of
rebellion had spent its entire force in, the
southern states, the people had warmed into
national life, and throughout the whole
country healthy reaction in public senti-
ment had aiken place. By the application of
the simple, yet effective provisions Of the
constitutiOn, the executive department, with
the voluntary aid Of the states, had brought
the work Of restoration as near completion
IS was within the scope of its authority, and
the nation was encouraged by the prospect
Of an early and satisfactory adjustment OF all
its difficulties. Congress, however, inter-
vened, and refusing to perfect the work so
nearly consummated, deciined to admit
members from the states, adopted, a eourse of
measures which arrested the progress of re-
storstiOn, and frustrated all that had been
successfully accomplished and, after three
years OF agitation ard strife, has left the
country further from the attainment Of union
and trstefnal feeling than at the inception Of
the congressional plan of reconstruction. 1t
needs no argument to show that legislation
which .hsS produced such. ceuseq uences
should Be sbrogatsd or else made to conform
to the genuine principles Of a republican
government Under the influence Of party
passion and sectional prejudice, other acts
have bsen passed, not warranted by the
constitution.