Des Arc weekly citizen., 1868-12-22

WASHINGTON. December vs- Inc 1 President sent his message to Congress to-day, which is as follows:
 fello,o Citizens cf Me .>enate
 and House s4ts Representatives:
 Upon the reassemblimg of Congress it becomes my duty 10 call your attei- ton to the state of the Union, and the disorganized condition under the vari- ous laws which have been passed upoi, the subject of reconstruction. Ii may sately be assumed us an axiom that, in the government of the States, the greatest wrong inflicted on a people was caused by unjust and arbitrary legislation, or by the unrelenting de- crecs of despotic rule, and that in the time of imperi0us and oppressive measures, the greatest good that can be conferred on a nation is. the legislator or ruler who has the wisdom and mag fanimlity to retrxce his steps, when convinced of error, and he will sooner or later be rewarded with the respect and gratitude of an intelligent and pa triotic people, Our own people, our own history. although embracing pc riod Oi less than century. affords abundant proofs that most, ii not all, of our domestic troubles Aree directly traceab to direct violafions ofthe or ganic laws aud excessive legislatiom
 The most striking illustrations of this fact are furnished by the enactment, !, of the past three years, on the question of reconstruction after fair trial they have substantially failed. and proved pernicious in their results, and there seems to be no good reason why they should longer renaia on the stat ute books. States to which the Con- stitution guarantees Republican form ot Government have been reduced to military dependencies, in each ot which the people have been made suh- ject to the arbitrary will of the Com manding General, and althoug the Constitution requires that each Stste shall be represented in Congress, Vir- ginia, Mississippi and Texas are yet cx- cluded from the House, and contrary to the express provisions of that in- strument were denied participation in the recent election for President and Vice President of the United States. The attempt. to place the whole popiila- ton under the domination of persons of color im the South has impaired, ii not destroyed, the kindly relations that had previously existed between them, and distrust has rendered a feel ing of animosity which, leading in some instances to collision and blood shed, has prevented that cooperation between the two races, so essential 10 the success of industrial enterprises in l the Southern States. Nor have the in- habitants of those States alone suffered the disturbed condition of affairs growing out of these Congressional enactments. The entire Union has been agitated by grave apprehensions of troubles, which would again involve the peace of the nation. Its interests have been injuriously affected by the derangemont of business aud labor, and the consequent want of property. Throughout that portion of the Fcder- al Constitution-the Magma Charla of common rights. under whose wise and salutary provisions we have succcss- iully conducted all our domestic and foreign affairs, ourselves, in peace and war, to be -ome ( great nation among the powers of the earth. must assured ly now be adequate to the settlement of a question growing out of q civil war, wMgcd for its vindication. This | v Voh ioSt ID tttHuS s"VSs ttt"ut.Sst " ttI condition of the country when Con gress assembled in the month of De. cember, IS65. Civil strife had ceased
 and the spirit of rebellion had sreas iss entire force in the Southern States
 the people had warmed into national life, and throug ghout the whole country 8 hearty reaction in public sentiment had taken place. By the application of the simplest effective provisions oi the Constitution, the Executive De. 1 prrtment, with tho voluntary aid ol those States. had brought the work ot restoration as near completion. as was in the scope of it's authority, and the nation was encouraged by the prospec' of sn early and satisfactory adjustment of all it's dificnlties. Congress, how ever, interferred, and refusing to per. feet the work SO nearly done, declined to admit the members of Congress from those States, and adopted a course which arrested the progress Of restera. ton and frustrated that which had been done and successfully accomplish
 ed, and now, aiter three years of sgi
 tation and strife, has left the countr, l further from the attainment of a warm
 and fraternal feeling than at the incep tiou of the Congregational plan Of rc fconstruction. It needs no argumen
 to show that the legislation which hai | rrodurad such conseOueuces should b,