Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1868-01-04


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Tier i. iher~for.. 10 rra-on - hy the
C..us,.,uts 4 sLoall ~; h. .i'tyci Unlr~s
ihss- xLO exercised u, pose hav~ d-''r-
mind ih,t It sh4l. b. di-re= rd-d aud ,i"-
lated Thr mere u.k.d vii OF ili, ''ov-
egnu,en'. or .. on- or mo-e OF - branc hes.
l. he only obstacle thai can exist - a p r
l. CT union OF the Stale. o. this mom''ii-
ious qu. sion. aud somr of the m asurrs
growing out oft. | have had he misfor
tune TO diifr from Congress. and have eN-
pressed my conviction without Icsrrvr,
though with becoming drierence TO the
opinion of the Legislative Department.
These convic ions a.c t only unchanged
but strengthened by subsequent events and
further ref .c,ion. The transcendent i'm
portance of the subject will be n sufficient
excuse for calling your attention to some of
the rra 'ons which have 50 strongly inttu-
enctd my own judgment. The hope that
we may all finally concur in mode OF
set lrmtnt, consistent at oace with our true
interests and with our sworn duty to the
Constitution, is too natural and too just to
be easily relinqui>hd. 1t is clear to my
apprehension that the States lately in re-.
billion are still members Of the national
Union. When did they cease to BE- SO:
The ordinances Of session adopted BY n
pnrtion-in most of them very small pnr
tion-of their citizens, were mere MULTI
les. If we admit now that they were valid
and effectual for the purpose intended by
their authors, we sweep from under our
feat the whole ground upon which we jus
tilted the war. Were .hose States after
ward expelled from the Union by the war:
The direct contrary was avrrred hy this
Government TO be its purpose, and was SO
understood by all those who gave thrir
blood and treasure to aid in It's prosecution.
1t cannot be that successful war wagrd
for the preservation of the Uni IN, had the
legal rff.ct Of dissolving it. The victory
Of the nations arms WIS not the disgrace
of her polty. Tho defat Of secession OIL
the battlefield was not the triumph Of its
lswlcss principle, nor could Congress, with
do without TIC consent Of tie Executive,
or anything whicl would have the effect
either directly or Indirectly Of separating
tn. States from each other. To dissolve
the Union is to repeal the Constitution
which holds it together. That is a power
which does not belong to any department
of this Government, or to all Of thrm unit
cd. This is SO plain that it has been uc
knowlrdgrd by all branches of the Federal
Government. The Executive, my predc
cessor a. well as myself, and the heads Of
all the Departments. have uniformly acted
upon the principal that the Union is not
only undissolvcd. but indissolublr. Con-
gre.s submitted an nmrndm mt of the
Constitution to be rat fed by tho South
ern States. and accepted their acts of ra,i-
fication as necessary and lawful exercise
of their highest function. II they were
not States, or were States ont of the Union,
their consent to a change in the furda-
mental law Of the Union would have
been nugatorv. and Congress in asking it
committed political absuidity. The
Jurd cinry his also given the solemn sane
,ion @! its authority TO the same virw oi
The cas-. The Judges If the supreme
Court haze .-cluded th- Southern States
in iheiF .isra.;, I'D they ave constantly in
6asr ard e!--wher- exercising jHi-dic'ion
Which does n, b--lang 10 them uals, these
State ar s ase- Of the Caioa.
II sh~ Soa-h--r S,a.es are easnr ness'
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