Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1868-01-04
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
WAsHINGroN December. 3.

E.llow citizens Of the Senate and House
of Representatives. The continued dis
organization of the Union. to which the
President has so often called the attention
of Congress, is yet a subject OF profound
and patriotic concern. We may, however.
find some relief from that anxiety in the
reflection that the painful political siiua-
tion, although brf,re uutried by ourselves,
j. not nav in the experience Of nations.
Political science is. perhaps. as highly per-
fcctrd in our own time and cou lt'y as in
any other, but it has not yet disclosed any
means by which civil wars can be abso.
lut-ly prevented. An enlightened nation,
however, with wise and b,ncticient con-
stitu,ion anil free government, may dimin
ish their frequency and mitigate their Sc
verify, by directing all its proceedings in
accordance with it, fundamental laws.
When civil war has been brou- -ht 70 n
close. it is manifestiy tho first interest and
duty of tn, State to repair the injuries
which tn" war Is inflicted, and Sc 'uret the
bcnc6. o: the. lessons it teaches as fully
and IS speedily as pos iolc. This duty
was, urol The ter nination of the rebellion,
prompt accepted, not only BY the Exrcu-
tive d .partnrht. but by the instruction
ary States themselves, and restoration. in
the first moment Of peace, was believed to
be rs easy and certain rs it was indispen-
sable. The expectations, however, then
% reasonable and conf lentiy entertained
were disappointment by legislation from
which felt constrained. hy my obligations
~ a.
and it is, therefore, source of profound
regret that. in complying will, The obliga-
lions Imposed upon me, as the President Of
the United States, BY the Constitution TO
give 10 Congress-, from time t. time. infor-
nation of the STATE Of tho Union. l am
unable to communicate any definite ad-
lustment satisfactory to the American peo-
ple * the questions which. since The close
VI ths rebellion, have agitated the public
mind. On the contrary, candor compels
me to dccars that, at the present time,
there is no Union as our forefathers under.
stood tn. term, as they meant it 10 be I'M
derstnod by us. The Union which they
established en- exist only when all thu
States are represented in both Houses oi
Congress, where onc State ia as free as an.
oth-r to regulate its internal concerns ac-
cor'ling to its own will. and where the
laws Of the central government are strictly
confined to matters of national ju'isiic.
tions. anl apply with equal force to all the
people Of every section. That such is not
the present state OF the Union is melan-
eholy fact. and we all must Acknowledge
that the restorative Of the States 20 thru
yesp~s hecL relations viih the FEDERAL
Gsv.sameai, ssd With zoe ans' her. acc I'd
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