Bloomsburg democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1867-1869, 1868-12-16
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

PREsIDENT'S MESSAGE.
EsAoo. Mtsae's of the Senate and House of
Representatives.:
Upon tho reassembling Of Congress, il
again becomes my duty to call your atten.
ton to the state Of the Union, and TO its
continued disorgsnized::con under the
vssiSus laws which have been passed upon
the subject Of reconstruction. -t.
II may be safely assumed, rs an axiom in
the government Of States, that the greatest
wrongs inflicted upon people arc caused by
uajust and arbitrary legislation, or by the
unrslenting decree of dcspotic rulers and
thst the timely revocation Of injurious and
oppressive measures is the greatest good
that can be conferred upon nation. The
legislator or ruler who has tho wisdom and
msgnanimity to rctrscc his steps, when con-
viueed Of error, will sooner Or later be re.
warded with the respect and gratitude Of an
intelligent and patriotic people
Our own history--al,hough embracing o
period less than a century affords abundant
proof that most, if not all, Of our domestic
troubles arc directly traccable to violations
Of the organic law and excessive legislation.
The most striking illustrations Of this fact
srs furnished by the cnactmcnts Of the past
three years upon the question Of reconstruc
tion. After fair trial they have sutstanti-
ally failed and proved perncious in their
results, and there seems to be no good reas-
On why they should longer remain upon the
statute book. States to which the Consti.
tuition guarantees republican form Of gov.
erument have been reduced to military de-
Tendencies, in each Of which the people
have been mado subject to the arbitrary will
of.he commanding general. Although the
Constitution requires that each State shall
DO represented in Congress, Virginia, Mis-
vissippi and Texas are yet excluded from the
two Houses, and contrary to the express
provisions Of that instrument, were denied
participation in the recent election for q
President and Vice President Of the United
States. The attempt to place the white
population under the domination Of per-
sons of color in the South has impaired, if
not destroyed, the kindly relations that had
previously existed between them; and mu-
tual dissrust has engendered feeling of an.
iuosisy which, leading in some instances to
collision and bloodshed, has''preyented that
corporation between the two races so essen
tial to tho success Of industrial enterprises
10 the Southern States. Nor have the in
hsbitants Of those States alone suffered
from the disturbed condition of affairs grow
Ing out Of these Congressional cnsctmcnts.
The entire Union has been agitatcd by grave
sppreheusions Of troubles which might again
involvs the peace of tho nation; It's inter :
este have been injuriou.ly affected by the
arrangement Of business and labor, and the
consequent want Of prosperity throughout
that portion Of the country.
The Federal Constitutional magma
charter Of American rights, under whose
wise and sslutary provisions VIC have sue
cessfully conducted all our domestic and for
eign affairs, sustained ourselves in peace and
10 war, and become great nation among
tho powers OF the earth--must assurcdly be
now adequate to the settlement Of questions
growing out Of the civil war waged alone fol
it, vindication. This great fact is made
most manifest by the condition of the coun
try when Congress assembled in the month
Of December, 1865. Civil strife had ceas
cd; the spirit Of rebellion had spent its en-.
tiro force; in the Southern States the poo
plc had warmed into national life, and
throughout the whole country healthy re-
action in public sentiment had takon place.
by the application Of tho simple yet effect.
I've provisions Of the Constitution, the Ex
ecutive Department, with tho voluntary aid
Of the States, had brought the work Of re-
e,oration as near completion as was within
the scope Of its authority, and tho natior
WAS encouraged by the prospect Of an early
and satisfactory adjustment Of all its diff
oulties. Congress, however, interviewed and
refusing to perfect the work so nearly con
summatcd, declined 70 admit members from
the unrepresented States, adopted series
Of measures which arrested tho progress o
restoration, frustrated oil that had been 81
successfully accomplished, and, after tire'
yeas Of agitation and strife, has left thu
country farther from the attainment Of unior
end fratcmal feeling than at the inception
Of the congressional plan Of reconstruction
II needs no argument to show that legisla
ton which has produced such baueful con
sequences should be abrogatod, or else made
b conform to tho genuine principles Of 70
publican government.
Under the influence Of party passion and
sectional prejudice, other acts have beer
-.>sA.l H., Ana Hooa kk,t tsov,