Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-12-10
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

FeLt0tC C7tbzenS OF He- C6NutS uNu dOuSS OF
Representatives. A.l Z; 500 y
~ Upon she reassembling of Congress, it
again becomes my duty TO call your atten-
ttion to the state OF the Union and disorgan-
lied condition under the various laws
which have been passed upon the subject of
reconstruction. 1t may be safely assumed
as an axiom in the government of the
States, that the greatest wrongs inflicted
upon people are caused by unjust apd
arbitrary legislation, or by the unrelenting
DEGREES of despotic rulers, and that the
timely repeal of injurious and oppressive
measures is the greatest good that can be
conferred upon a nation.
The legislator or the ruler who has the
wisdom. and smagnanimity to retrace his
steps when convinced of error. will, sooner
or later, be rewarded with the respect and
gratitude Ut intelligent and patriotic peo-
- Our own history, although embracing
period of less than century, affords abun-
-dant proof that most, ifnot all OF our domes-
tic. troubles, are directly traceabie to viola
tions of the organic law and excessive leg
islation. The most striking illustrations of
this factare furnished by the enactments of
the past three years upon the question of
reconstruction. A fter q fair trial they have
substantially tailed and proved pernicious in
their results, and there seems to be no good
reason why they, should longer remain
Constitution guarantees Republican form
of Government have been reduced to mill
tary dependencies, in each OF which the
people have been made subject to the arbi-
trary will of the commanding General.
Although the Constitution requires that
each State shall be represented in Con-
gress, Virginia, Mississippi and Texas are
yet excluded from the houses, and contra
~ to the express provisions of that instru-
ment were denied participation in the re-
cent election for a President and Vice
President of the United States ...tar
The attempt to place the whole popu-
lation underthe domination of persons of
color In the South, has impaired, if not de-
stroyed the kindly relations that had pre-
yiously existed between them, and mutual
iistrust has rendered q feeling of animosi-
ty, which. leading in some instances to
collision and bloodshed, has prevented that
co-operation between the two races so es-
sential to the success of industrial enter
prises in the Southern States. Nor have
the inhabitants of those States alone suf-
fered from the disturbed condition of af-
fairs growing out of the Congressional en-
actments. The Union has been agitated
by grave apprehensions of trC ubles which
might again involve the peace OF the ma
tion. Its interests have been iDjuriouslv
affected by the deran2ement OF business
and labor,and che consequent want of pros
perlty throughout that portion of the coun-
try. 2ssa =. sf1a IT 77g = ,ds-1d r c7i1r
The Federal Constitution, the magma
cbarta of American rights, under whose
wise and salutary provisions we have sue
cessfully conducted all cur domestic and
foreign affairs, sustained ourselves in peace
and in war, and became great nation
among the powers of the earth, must as
suredly now be adequate to the settlement
of the questions growing out OF the civil
war, waged alone tor its vindication. This
great fact is made most manifest by the
condition of the country.
When Congress assembled in the month
of December, 1866, civil strife had ceased,
the spirit of rebellion had spent its entire
force in the Southern States, the people had
warmed International life, and throughout
the whole country a healthy reaction in
public sentiment had taken place by the
application of the simple, yet effective, pro-
visions of the Constitution. The Executive
Department, with the voluntary aid of the
States, had brought the work of restoration
as snearcompletion as was within the scope
of its authority, and the nation was encour-i
aged by the prospect Of an early and satis-
factory adjustment Of all its difficulties.
Congress, however, interviewed, and re-
fusing to perfect the work SO nearly con-
summated, declined to admit members from
these States, adopted course of measures.
which arrested the progress of restoration,
frustrated all that had been successfully
accomplished, and after three years of agi-
tation and strife has left the country far
ther from the attainment of Union and fra
ternai feeling than at the inception of the
Congressional plan of reconstruction. 1t
needs no argument to show that the legis-
lation which has produced such conse-E
quences should be abrogated, or else made
to conform to the genuine principles of the
Republican Government.
Under the influence of party passion and
passed not warranted by the Constitution.
Congress has already been made familiar
with nv views respecting the tenure of
Office bills Experience has proved that its
repeal is demanded by the best interests of
the country, and that while it remains in
force the President cannot enjoin that rigid
accountability of public officers so essen
tial TO an honest and efficient execution of
the laws. Its revocation would enable the
Executive Department to exercise the
power of appointment and removal, in ac-
cordance with the original design of the
Federal Constitution. l9atl..-5 'reF
Tina act OF March q 1867, making appro- :.
priations for the support of the army tor
the year ending june. 30, 1858, and for 9TH
er purposes, contains provisions which in
terfere with the Presidents Constitutional
functions as Commander-in in Chief OF the
right to protect themselves by means of
their own militia. sst -rtf--. |a1iis1
These provisions should be at once an
nuIled, for while the first might in times of
great emergency seriously aembarrass the 4
Executive in efforts to employ and direct
the common Strength OF the nation for its
nroteetion and preservation, the other is
soritrary TO the express declaration of the
Constitution, that we'll regulated militia
being 1necessaryI,to the security Off free
State, the right of the people TO keep and
,ear arms shall not be infringed. sItfs be-
ieyefi that the repeal OF all such lawslwonldi "a
,e accepted by the American people as at
east partial return to the fundamental
of the Government and an indi- ]
lion that hereafter the Constitution is to-