Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-12-10
Presidents Message,

Avu10VAlV AvvV&W.
Fsllsss- 0tis<ns Of IL &mais and Ecsss
y Representatives.
Upon She reAaee0bllng Of Congress. Il
gain becomes my duty 70 cali your at.
entiuu To the state Of the Union, and 10
3 continued disoskaaissd condition Nm.
Ter the various Lawn which have been
Deeeoa 0Pso the ssh3se4 cf-vceestsucttce
AnAy hessAtely aasemsd - an Axiom In
be government ri States, that the greater
wrongs infiicted upon people Are csused
BY an unjust Ind srbttrsiy Legislation. az
~ the intoxicating dscfess Of despossc
Jules anA that the tinely revocation Of
nj6fics "a. oppeossiss aeasurrs 10 the
greatest - tkse - b CONFERRED upon
! cation. II len1sAasss or ruler who has
The wis4s0 - neeasajni,y to retrscs
- stepo etea eogvssesd Of error viii
uoser e laesf y sugasded With The
respect - gratitude u IN Intelligent
and patssge3o propir. Oar oan history.
o1shooQA o0bioe1no . period lsas than .
eeotury. aNbe6h oAGodanl proof that most,
90 - IN a. 81 1pmessie trouble ass
dleeoelY trncuahle - violatiouo Of the Or
esaie lsw ~ soosuniss legislation.
1Deu0gSnucroN.
Msse stsshlag illustsations OF THE fest
are furnished by the enactments ~ The
past three years upon the question OF r.
construction. After fair Trial, they have
substantially failed, and proved pernicious
in their resulte; and there aems to be DO
good reason Why ley should longer ~
main upon the statute book. States TO
which the Constitution guarantees srspub-
l'can gorm of government, have l'een re
duced to military dependencies. aud in each
" which the people have bten made snb.
iect to the arbitrary will Of the command
ing general. Although the Contitutisn
requires that each S.ase shsil 10 repse.
seated in Congress. virginia Mississippi
md Texas are yst excluded from the two
houses, and, contrary 20 the express pro
Visions of that fnstruoent. we're denied
participation in the recent election for .
President and Vice President Of the United
States Tho exempt 70 place the. white
population UAder the domination u pr
sons Of color. in the Soutb, hss impaiFsd.
II not Destroyed the kindly relations that
had previously existed between then, and
mutual distrsss has cnosndered I feeling
Of aninosity which, leading in. some In.
stances 20 collision md bloDdshed, baa
prevailed thas co-opssstion between the
Two races % essential - the oncceso Of Il.
dnstrial enterprises in the Southern Statss
Nor heve the Inhabitants Of those HoAhel
Nlone suffered from Ito disturbed condi
won d afairs,. growing out OF tho Con
gressional enaoements. The entire Union
has been agitatsd by GSave apprehension
Of troubles which might again involve the
peace OF the nation. It's iaserests have
been tnjusiously affected by tho deraDge
nent Of business and labor, and tho con
sequent want of prosperity Throughout
that portion of the country. The Federal
Constitution. the MagnG Charea of Ameri
can rights, usdsr wh0ss wise and salutasy
provisions w have successfully conducted
al our domestic and foreign affairs. sus
tanned ourselves in peace and 10 war, and
beco0e . great nation among thu power
OF the earth. m,st assuredly be now adc
quate 10 tho settleme8s Of The Questionl
growing out of-civil war waged alone fol
It's viudication.
This gr. AZ fact 10 made most manifes,
BY the condition Of the country. Whsr
Congress assembled in the month Of II
cember, 1865, civil strife had ceased ; til,
spirit Of the rebellion had spent Its entir,
force, and in tho Southern States the
people had warmed into national life; and
throughout the, whole country, Z healthy
reaction In publ sentiment had taken
place. BY the application Of the simple
yet effective provisions of tue Conslitu
tion, the Executive Department. with the
| voluntary aid Of the State, had brought
shs work of restoration % near compile
ton - Was within the scope of its author
ity, aud the nation was encouraged b.
the prospect Of an early and satisfactory
adjustment Of oil its 0ifficuitica Con
gfess, however, INTERVIEWED, and refusing
70 perfect the work 90 nearly conummut
ed. declined 10 admit members from tn
unreprescnted States; adopted series o.
nsasures which arrested the progress o.
restoration, frx4trated all that had been
80 successfully accomplished. asd, afteI
three years Of agitation and strife, has left
the country farther from the astainment OF
union and frsternal feeling than at tho in
ceps,on of the congressional plan II recon
struction. 1t needs no argument 70 sho v
that the legislation which has produced
such baneful consequences should bsabro
gated, or else made to conform to the gen
ulne principles of republican govern
ment.
OTHER UNCONSTITUTIONAL ACTS
Under the influences Of party passionl
and sectional prejudicss, other acts hav,
been passed, not warranted by the Con
| Atitution.
Congress has already been made famil
lar with my views respecting the tenur,
Of office bill. Experience has proved tina
its, repeal 70 demanded ~ the best inter
cate OF tie country: and that. while it re
mains in force, the President csnnot en-
join that rigid accountability Of publ,
ofticers - ssssatial TO n henat bud ELI
cient execution of the laws. Ltd revOcs
ton would enable The Executive Depart
ment b exercise the power OF appoint
ment and removal in accordance Nth til,
original deelsn of che federal Qonstitu
ton.
The act Of March 2, 1857, mailing ap
preparations for che support Of tie army
for the year ending June 30, 1883. .snt
for oee~ purposes, contains p5DvisionI
which interfere with the Predicate con
stitptional functions - Commander. in
Cheef Of the Army. and deny to tie State
Of the Union the right to protece them
sslyss b. means Of their own militia
Thesc provisions should be 1t enoe -.
nulled for. while the fi-st might, il
slosos q oDeas enc nonc5, senoubit embar
rass the Executive in his efforts T. emplo,
and direct the common strength of th,
nation ofths United States, for its pro
lection and preservation, the Other 10 con
trary TO the express declaration ofths Con
stitution, that, . well regulated militi,
beug Dstasy y the security ct . ire,
State, the right Or the people to keep anc
bear arms shall not 10 infriuge6. II j!
beltsvsa that the repeal Of I'll Sueh law
would b accepted By The American PEG
pie - = least partial return % The fun
damept& psinciplss q TIE GSv&rnmen MT
and % Indication that hereafter The Con
stituuop is TO be made the uatijn's al,
and uusffihg guide. They can b. product
I've OF no permanent benefit to the eu'an
~. aud 6Aould ~ BE-. permitted 10 stane
- % msny onuments Of the 6cticien
wisdom which has characterized our re
cent leglslaeion. I. ~ ..
rnE YIxAxcKs.
The condition of our 6nsuces demand
the early and earnest consideration o
Oon8rseAr Conpased With the bulk o
our population. the public expenditure,
hoRa rnnhoA ~ aynnnme n n ur.rsaA "a 4.