The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1868-12-18
PRESIDENTS
MESSAGE.
a Comprehensive Review of the
Condition of the Country
&C., &C., &C.


Upon the reassembling of Congress, il
again becomes my duty to call your at
tention to the state of the Union, ant
to its continued disorganized condition
under the various laws which have
been passed upon the subject of recon
struction. 1t mey be safely assumed
as an axiom in the government Of State
that the greatest wrongs inflicted upor
d people are caused by unjust and arbi
trary legislation, or by the unrelenting
decrees of despotic rulers, and that tho
timely revocation Of injurious and op
pressive measures is the greatest good
that can be conferred upon nation
The legislator or ruler who has the wis
dom and magnanimity to retrace his
steps when convinced of error, will
sooner or later be rewarded with the
respect and gratitude of an intelligent
and patriotic people.
RECONSTRUCTION A FAILURE.
Our own history-although embrac.
ing a period less than n century-affords
abundant proof that most, if not all OF
our domestic troubles are directly trac.
able to violations of the organic law
and excessive legislation. The most
striking Illustrations of this fact are
furnished by the enactments of the
past three years upon the question OF
reconstruction. After II fair trial, they
have substantially failed and proved
pernicious in their results, and there
seems to be no good reason why they
should longer remain upon the statute
book. States to which the Constitution
guarantees a republican form of gov
ernment have been reduced to military
dependencies, in each Ofwhich the peO-
pie have been made subjects to the ar
bltrary Will of the commanding gener-
al. Although the Constitution ,equires
that each State shall be represented in
Congress, Virginia, Mississippi, and
Texas are yet excluded from the two
Houses, and contrary TO the express
provisions of that instrument, " ere de-
MED participation in the recent election
for Il President and Vice. President OF
the United States. The attempt o place
tie white population under tn domi-
nation OF persons of color in tne South
has impaired, If not destroyed, the
kindly relations that had previously
existed between them and mutual dis.
trust has engendered feeling of ami
mostly which, leading in some instan.
ces to collision and bloOdshed, has pre-
vented that cooperation between the
two races, so essential to the success oi
industrial enterprise in the Southern
States. Nor have the inhabitants o.
those States alone suffered from the dis.
turbcd condition Of affairs growing out
entire Union has boen ovitated hv
grave apprehensions of troubles which
might again involve the neocn of tbn
nation its interests have Neon iminr;. mi.
oilsly affected nv tho deranuomopt ~,
business and labor, and the eonsennent NJ
wantof prosneritv thro,,yhont tbai nnr'
ton of he c1untrv The SuI EoGerni ,nI' ton. tW,
stitutiou-the ,on1Dn cLnrJo of Ameri
can rights. under whose wise and saIn.
tary provisions we have successfully
conducted all of orr domestic and for.
eign affairs. sustained ourselves in neare
and in war and become n oreot natinn
among the mowers of tho eortb .,,,,st
aesuredly ba now adeouote tn Tho sn,.
t!ement ofuuestions growing ont of tho
civil war waped alone for lis vindicn.
tion. This great fact il made most
manifest by the condition of the com
try when Congress assembled in th,
month of December. 1861. Civil strif,
had ceased: the spirit of rebellion had
spent its entire force; in the Southern
States the pcople had warmed into nn.
tiOnal life, and throughout the whole
country healthy reaction in public
sentiment nad taken place. by. the ap'
piitn.'on pii ., ,h .lle simple Net eiieclive pro
VISIONS Oh me constitution, the ENecu
i've department, with the voluntary
ara OF the states, mad brought the work
OF restoration AS near completion N
was within the scope OF its authority
anu lhe halioh was encouraged by the
prospect Oh an early ana satisfactory
adjustment OF all Its difficulties. Con
?ress' however, interviewed, and, refus
ing 10 periec, lhe work so nearly cohsu
maleui declined 10 admit members
rom the uhrepresehtea states, adopted
series Oh measures which arrested th'
progress OF restoration, frustrated nj
tIat hau peeil so successfully accom-
t;n,, nnh s,riiIa ha, t,'ttt Ir, ea's ", "sr'n
thcr from the attainmant of union ant
fraternal feeling than at the inception
of the Congressional plan of reconstruc
tion. 1t needs no argument to shov
that legislation which has produced
such baneful consequences should b
abrogated, or else made to conform +
the genuine principles of republican
government.
THE TENURE OF OFFICE pIII.
Under tho in reuo,oo or r,nt,, ,,a",,o
and soc,ionol mrnin,,i,o haS p"aa,o
nno, , nnasnI ,pt ~ 'Jwn.u,, o','ri avs naN M
.,itm,i"n CnUoros' ms' 'i'''.'" hne W l,,o So',
,nnda cnr,i,iar n,;,h '"' ;a,te""y p'e,
,"uI i"1 ~ .,,ar WI f;s TluWS reslec'
ri,S ripno onI .e,,u,oI '3 " ,ht Iiiicu Oh ENpe
nndoh 'uuI 'i"6 pthb.e tb h ,',"' ,,s re.a' is ue
cn,ntr, oy ond ~ ,bot hiin in'ttes'S u, VI
Curnn r. H,m pa,iia iias "ii,e l.. remains
iJ .G.GJ 'no .',nt';,i. ear ny enjuih llia
nt;oI ils'u uoIIou''np,,S ~ VI puolig uiiicers
ir'o, ~ "a ,o''Ia. ~, aau eii,o'en, eN'
o"aIa o"a'" " tha e Tynn,t;' 10 loEo.a' II Woui
ean;so e.um,I nc tho I', nHvou'iSe DcPurtillent
eaJIrisr i ,,e po"er VI hppolntnlent an
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