Wyoming democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Wyoming Co., Pa.) 1867-1940, 1868-12-23

The important points discussed by the
President in his late Message to Congress,
are the measures of the radicals III refer
ence to the South and the condition of the
Finances of the country. On these points
we give the following liberal extracts. The
other matters contained in the Message
would hardly be found interesting to the
general reader.
ON RADICALIsM AND RECONSTRUCTION.
He says
Upon the resembling of Congress, it
again becomes my duty to call your atten-
ton to the state of the Union, and to its
disorganized condition under the various
laws which have been passed upon the sub
iect of Reconstruction. 1t may be safely
assumed as an axiom in the government of
States, that the greater wrongs inflicted
upon a people are caused by unjust and az
bitrary Legislation, or by the unrelenting
DEGREES of despotic rulers, and that the
timely revocation of injurious and oppres-
sive measures is the greatest good that can
be conferred on a nation. The legislator or
ruler who has the wisdom and magnanimi-
ty 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. Our own history,
although embracing period less than a
century, affords abundant proof that most
! OF oil l,,Fn Il Il
rectly traceable to violations of the organ
ic law and excessive legislation. The most
striking illustrations of this fact are fur
nished by the enactments of the past three
years upon the question of reconstruction.
After fair trial they have substantially
failed and proved pernicious in their re-
suits, and there seems to be no good reason
why they should longer remain on the stat
ute book. States to which the Constitution
guarantees a Republican form of govern
ment have been reduced to Military Deepen
denotes, i'll each of which the people have
been made subject to the arbitrary will of
the Commanding General Although the
Constitution requires that each State shall
be represented in Congress, Virginia
Mississippi, and Texas are yet exclud-
ed from the two Houses, and contrary to
the express provisions OF that instrument
were denied participation in the recent
election for President and Vice-President
of the United States. The attempt to
/ place the white population under the dom
| ination of persons of color in the South,
/ has impaired if not destroyed the kindly
relations that had previously existed be-
| tween them, and mutual distrust has en-
| gendered feeling of animosity which,
| leading III some instances to collision and
| bloodshed, has prevented that cooperation
! between the two races SO essential to the
/ success OF industrial enterprise in the
| Southern States. Nor has the inhabitants
/ of those States alone suffered from the dis
| turbed condition of affairs growing out of
these Congressional enactments. The en-
| tire Union has been agitated by grave ap-
prehensiOns Of troubles which might again
involve the peace of the Nation. Its inter
ests have been injuriously affected by the
derangement of business and labor, and
the consequent want OfProsperity through
out that portion of the country. The Fed
eraI Constitution, the Magma Charta of
American rights, under whose wise and
salutary provisions We have successfully
conducted all our domestic and foreign al
fairs, sustained ourselves in peace and in
war, and become great nation among the
Powers of the Earth, must assuredly be
now adequate to the settlement of ques-
tions growing out of the civil war waged
for its vindication. This great fact is made
manifest by the condition of the country
when Congress assembled in the month OF
December 1865. 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 through
out the whole country healthy reaction in
public sentiment had taken place.
By the application OF the simple yet
effective provisions OF the Constitution
the Executive Department, with the
voluntary aid of the States, had 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 ad-
justment of all its difficulties. Congress,
however, interviewed, and refusing to per-
feet the work SO nearly consumated, de-
clined to admit members from the unrepre-
sented States, adopted series of measures
which arrested the progress OF reservation,
frustrated all that had been SO successfully
accomplished, and after three years of agi-
tation and strife has left the country far
ther from the attainment of union and fra
ternal feeling than at the inception of the
Congressional plan of reconstruction. 1t
needs no argument to show that legislation
which has produced such baneful conse-
quences should be abrogated or else made
to conform to the genuine principles of Re-
publican government