The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1868-12-16

90 Upon the Tc-hSSemtAnS u OOhSrco'
IN AGAIN becpmes my duty TO call you
> atte0tion to the state of the Unior
and its disorganized condition undel
the various laws which have beer
passed upon the subject of reconstruc
: ton It may be safely assumed as al
axiom in the government of the states
that the greatest wrongs inflicted up
On q people are caused by an unjusr
and arbitrary legislation or by the I'M
relenting DEGREES of despotic rulers
and that the timely repeal of injurious
and oppressive measures is the great
+. est good that can be conferred upor
a nation. The legislator or ruler whc
has the wisdom and magnanimity tc
retrace his steps when convinced O
his error, will sooner or later, be re
Harded with the respect and graft
iude of an intelligent ar patriotic
people. Oar own history, although
embracing a period less than a cen
fury, affords abudant proof that mos
If not all, of our domestic troubles are
directly traceble to violations OF thu
organic law and to excessive legisla-
1io1. Ths most striking illustrations
Of this fact are furnished by the past
three years upon the question of re-
construction. After a fair trial they
have substantially failed and proved
pernicious In their results, and there
seems no good reason why they should
longer remain upon the salute book.
States to which the constitution guar
antees . republican form of govern
ment have been reduced to military
dependencies, in each of which the
people have been made subject to the
arbitrary viii of the commanding gen.
eraI. Although the Constitution re-
quires that each State shall be repre-
sented in Congress, Virginia, Miss
issippi and Texas ri yet excluded
from the two Houses, and contrary to
the express provisions of that instru-
ment, they were denied pan ticipation,
In the recent election for a President
and Vice President of the United
States,
The attempt to place the whole
population under the domination of
!. persons Of color in the South has i'm
paired, if not destroyed, the kindly
relations that had previously existed
between them, and mutual dist-ust
has created a feeling of luminosity
which, leading in some instances to
collision and hoodshed, has prevented
that cooperation between the two races
50 essential to the success of indus
trial enterprises in the Southern States
Nor have the Inhabitants of those
States alone suffered from the disturb
ed condition of affairs growing out of
these Congressional enactments. The
entire Union has been agitated by
grave aprehensions of trouble, which
might again involve the peace of the
nation. Its interests have been in
juriously affected by the arrangement
of business and labor, and consequent
want of prosperity throughout that
portion of the country The Federal
Constitution-the Magma Charta of
American rights, under whose wise
and salutary provisions We have sue
cessfully conducted our domestic and
foreign affairs, sustained ourselves IN
peace and in war, and become a great
nation, among the powers of the earth
must assuredly now be adequate to
the settlement of all questions grow
ing out of the civil war waged alone
for its vindication.
This great fact is made most mani
fest by the condition of the country.
When Congress assembled in the
month of December, 1855, civil strife
had ceased, the spirit of rebellion had
spent its entire force in the Southern
States, the people had warmed into
national life, and Throughout the7
whole country a healthy reaction in
sentiment had taken place. By
the application of the simple, yet eff
fective preyisiors-of fhe Executive de-
partment, with the voluntary aid of
the States, has brought the work of
restoration as near completion as was
within the scope of its authority, and
the nation was encouraged by the
prospect of an early and satisfactory
adjustment of all its difficulties. Con
gress, however interviewed, and refus-
ing to perfect the work so nearly con-
sumated, declined to admit members
from the States; adopted a course of
which arrested the progress
of the restoration, and frustrated all
that had been successfully accomplish
ed, and, after three years of iegis1ation
and strife, has left the country further
from the attainment of union and fra
ternal feeling than at the inception of
the congressional plan of %reconstruc-
ton. 1t needs no argument to show
that legislation which has produced
such consequences should be abro-
gated or else made to conform to the
genuine principles of republican gov
eminent. Under The influence of par
ty passion and sectional prejudice,
other acts have been passed, not war
ranted by the constitution.
THE TENURE OF OFFICE BILL.
Congress has already been made ia
with my views respecting the
Tenure of Office bill. Experience has
proved that its repeal is demanded bv
the best interests of the country, and
that while it remains in force, the
President cannot enjoin that rigid &C
countability of officers so essential to
an honest and efficient execution of
the laws. Its revocation would ena-
BILE the Executive Department to ex-
the power of appointment and
in accordance with the orig
nal design of the Federal Constitu-
ion. |
INTERFERENCE WITH EXECUTIVE
FUNCTIONS, i
IT, ao+ - Ho-,L o 1897 -oL,-