Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1868-12-17
Presidents Message.
FetloU Citi=ens of the Senate O.
House of RepresentQtitcs.

/
Upon the reassembling of Congress II
again becomes my duty 10 call your atten-
tisn TO the state OF the Union and the dls>
organized condition under various laws
which have been passed upon the subject
of reconstruction. Ii may be safely as
sumcd as al axiom in the government Of
the States, that the greatest wrongs infiict-
ed upon a people are caused by unjust and
arbitrary legislation, or by the nnrelenling
DEGREES of despotic rulers, and that the
timely revocation of injurious and oppresA
sive measures is the greatest good that can
be conferred upon q nation. The legisla-
| tor or the ruler who has the wisdom and
magnanimity To relrace his steps when
Convinced of error, will, sooner or later,
be rev arded with the respect and gratitude
of an intelligent and patriotic people. Our
own history, though embracing period
| less ths a century, affords b Iundant proof
that most, il not all our domestic troubles
are directly tracesble 10 violations OF the
organic law and excessive legislation.
| RECONsrRUCrIoN.
The most striking illustrations OF this
fact are shown by ihe enactments Of the
pust three years on tue question sf recon>
struction. Aflcr strict trial they have sub
] stantially failed, and proved pernicious in
their results, and there seems 10 be no
COED reason why they should longer re-
main upon the statue books. States To
which the constitution guarantees re-
publican form of government, have been
reduced TO military dependencies /: each
of which the pcoplc have .i.ade
subject to the arbitrary W nc Com
mandng General. Tho constitution re-
quires that each State shall be represented
in Congress. Virginia, Mississippi, and
Texas are yet excluded from the two
Houses; and, contrary TO the express pro-
visions oil that instrument, were denied
participation in the recent election for
| President and Vice President of the Uni
ted States. The attempt To place the en-
tire population under the control of per
sons of color in the South has impaired, il
not destroyed, The kindly relations that
had previously ezrfsted between them; and
mutual ds;rust has engendercd \ feeling
of fanimositY xhich, leading in some iDsian-
ces TO collision and bloOdshed, have pre-
vented that cO>opefation between The two
races So essential to- the success of indus
trial enterprises in the Southern States.-
| Nor Lave the inhabitants OF those States
alone suffered from the disturbed .condi-
lion of affairs growing out OfCongression>
al enactments. Tie entire UpiOn has been
sSitated by grave aprrebens ions OF troub-
les hich nigh; again involve the peace of
the nation Its interests have been injuri
ou,ly affected by Tue arrangement OF husi>
ness and labor, and the consequent want
of prosperity throughout that .portion of
the country. The Federal Constitution,
the magma charta of American rights, un
der whose wise ard salutary provisions We
/ I'll. Il N Hon
J tic and foreign affairs sustained ourscl' es
| in peace and in War, and become 3 great
nation among the powers OF the earth,
must asslrcdly now tie adequate To The
settlement OF questions growing out oil The
civil war, wsged alone ior It's vindica,ion.
This great fact is most manifest by the
condition of the country when Congress
assembled in the month of December, 1865
Civil war had ceased, the spirit OF the re-
bellion had spent its force in the Southern
States, the people had warmed into naii,yr-
al life, and throughout the whole country
a healthy reaction had taken place by the
application of the simple yet effective pro
visions of The Constitution. The Esecu-
tive Department, by the aid Of the States,
had brought the work OF restoration as
near completion was Within the scope
Of its authority. and The nation was en-
couragcd by The prospect of an early and
satisfactory adjustment Of al its Difficult
lti~s. Congress, however, intcrfered, and
refusing 10 perfect the work SO nearly COM
summaied declped Ia admit nrHibers
from the States, adopted series of meas
urcs which arrested Tie progress OF rcsto-
ration frustrated all that had been success
fully accomplished, and after three years
OF agitation, of strife. has left the Country
farther from that attainment of union and
fraterpal feeling tlan al lhs inception ~
of the Congressional plan Of reconstruc-
tim. 1t needs n" argument to show that
legislation which produced such conse
qIsnces should De abrogaied or else made
to conform to the genuine principles of a
republican government.
TENURE oF>crrfcE BILL.
Under the influence of every passion
nd sectional prejudice, other acts have
been passed, not warranted by the Consti-
tuition. Congress has already been made
fsmiliar with my views respecting the ten
acssf Office ea> Experience has rreved
that its repeal Is demanded by the best ia :
ferests of The country, and that while il re-
mains In force the President canpot enjoy
that rigid accountability of public officers
SO essential 10 an heaess aud efficient ex-
enable the Executive Department to rx er-
else the power of appointment and remov>
al In accordance with the original design
o. the Constitutions.
IuE ARMY ACT OF MARCH 2, 1861
4 The act of March 2, 1867, making ap-
propriatio1s tor the support Of the army
for the year ending June 80, 1868, and for
other purposes, contains provisions which
interfere with the Presidents Constitu-
tionzl functions as Commander in-Chief oI
the army, and deny to the States Of the
Union the right to protect themselves by
means of their own militia.
These provisions should be at once an
nulled; for, while the first might, in time.
of great emergency, seriously embarras.
the Executive in efforts to employ and di'
rect the common strength of the nation fol
its protection and preservation, the othc
is contrary to the express declaration OF
the Constitution, that well regulated mi
Iitia. being necessary to the security OF
free State, the right oil the people TO keel
anc bear arms, shall not be infringed.
is believed that the repeal OF all such law
would be accepted by the American peo
pie as at least partial rcturn to the funda
: meatai principles of the government, ant
that hereafter the Constitution is to b,
made the nations safe and unerring guide
They can he productive of no permanen
l,cDcdt to the country. and should not b'
permitted TO stand as SO mary monument
of the deficient wisdom which has marke,
our recent legislation
!, TUE FINANCES.
n The condition of our finances demand
n the early and earnest consideration of Con
: gress. Compared with the growth of ou
population the public expenditures have
reached an amount unprecedented IN ou
history. The population of the United
States in 100 was nearly four millions O
people. increasing each decade about
33 per centum, it reached in 1860 thirty
. one millions. an increase of 700 per cent
l on the pspvlstion in 1879. In 1853 it
estimated 1t will reach thifty~eight miliioI
or an increase Of S6S per cent In seventy
T nine years The annual expenditures o
the Federal Governmeof in 1871 were fDu