The Placer herald., 1868-12-19
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Fellow Citizens Of the Senate and House 0,
RepreSentdttves:-

Fsllow Citizens of the Senate and House of
Representatives:-
RECONSTRUCTION CONDEMNED.
Upon the reasssmbng of Congress it
again becomes my duty to call your atteutio
to The state Of the Union aud to its contin'
ued disorganized condition. Under the vari
ous views which have been passed upon the
subject of reconstruction, it may Be safely
assumed as an axiom for the Government
of States, that the greatest wrongs inflicted
upon people are caused by an unjust and
arbitrary legislation, or by the unrslenting
decree Of despo,ic rulers; aud that the timely
reparation Of injuries and oppressive meas,
ures is the greatest good that can be con
ferred upon a nation. The legislature or
ruler who has the wisdom and msgnanimity
to retract his steps when convinced Of error,
will sooner or later be regarded with the re-
spect and gratitude Of an intelligent and pa.
triotc people. Our own history, although
embracing period Of less than q century,
affords abundant proof that most. if not all
our State troubles are directly traceabls to
violations Of the organic law and oppressive
legislation. The most striking illustrations
Of this fact are furnished by the enactments
of the past three years upon the question Of
reconstruction. After fair trial they have
subtan,ially failed end proved peroicious in
their results, aud there seems to BE- no good
reason why they should longer remain upon
the statute book. States to which the Con-
stilulon guarantees a republican form Of
Government have been reduced to dependsn-
cies, in each of which the people have been
made subject to the arbitrary will Of the
commanding General. Although the Con-
stilution requires that each State shall be rep
resented in Congress, Virginia, Mississippi
and Texas are yet excluded from the two
Houses, and, contrary to the express provs.
ions of that instrument, were denied partici.
patton 10 the recent election for President
and Vice Presden. of the United States.
The attempt to place the white popula.
ton of the South under the domination
Of persons of color in the South bae
impaired if not destroyed the kindly relation.
that had previously existed between them
and mutual disrust has engendered a feeling
of animosi,y which, leading in some instan
ces to collision aud bloodshed, has prevented
that co operation between the two races so es
senta to the success of industrial enterprises
IN the Southern States; nor have the inhabit
ants Of those States alone suffered from the
disturbed condition of affairs growing out Of
the Coz gressonal enac,men,s Tue entire
Union las been agita,ed by grave appreheu
slons OF troubles which might again involve
The peace of the nation. lis interests have
been injurious'y affected by The drought of
kuy i'm l.l,n e
prosperity through that portion of the coun
try. The Federal Constitution. the mayna
charter of American rights, under whose saiu.
tary provisions we have successfully con
Quoted all our domestic and foreign affairs
sustained ourselves in peace and war, and
became a great nation among the Powers
of the earth must assuredly BE- now adequate
to the settlement Of questions growing out
of the civil war waeed alone for its vindica-
ton. This great fact is most manifest
by the condition Of the country.
When Congress assembled n the month
of December, 1865, civil strife bad ceased;
lbe spirit Of the rebellion bad spent its en-
tire force in all the Southern States; the peo
pie had warmed into na.iona life. and
throughout the whole country healthy rel
action in public sentiment had taken place
BY the application of the simple yet effective
provisions Of the Constitution the Executive
Department, with the. voluntary aid of The
States, bad brought the work Of restoration
as near completion as was within the scope
of its authority, and the nation was encour.
aged by the prospect Of an early and salts
factory adjustment Of all it's difficulties
Congress, however, interfered, and refusing
to perfect the work SO nearly consummated,
aud 10 admit members from the unrepresent,
ed States, adopted series OF measures which
arrested the progress Of restoration. frus-
trated all that had been so successfully ac.
complshed, and after three years of agita.
ton and strife, has left the couptry further
from that attainment Of union and fraternal
feeling than at the inception of the Congress.
sionaI plan OF reconstruction. II needs no
arguments to show that the Legislation which
has produced such bauetul consequences
should be abrogated, or else made to con.
form with the genuine principles of = re.
publican Government. Under the ipt1ences
Of party passions and sectional prejudices,
other Acts have been passed not warranted
BY the Constitution.
TENURE OF OFFICE BILL.
Congress has already been made familiar
with my views respecting the Tenure of Of
flee bill. Experience has proved that its re.
peal s demanded BY the best interests of the
country, and that while it remains in force
the President cannot enjoin that rigid &C.
couuabiIity of public officers so essential to
an honest and efficient execution Of The laws
It's revocation would enable the Executive
Department to exercise the power Of ap-
polntment and removal in accord with the
original design of the Constitution. The
Act of March I'd, 1867, making appropra.
tions for the support Of the army for the
year ending June 80, 1868, and for other
purposes, contains provisions which interfere
with the residents functions as Command
ern-Chief Of the army and with bis duty to
to the States of tho Union, and their right