The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1869-04-15
STATE REsroRarIoN.
1inportant Message from President Gran
on Reconstruction.

at four o'clockp. 1n., Monday, 5th
inst, the following message was re-
ceived by Congress:
To the Senate and House of Representatives: q
While l am aware that the time in
which Congress proposes now to re-
main in session is very brief and that
it is its desire as far as consistent with
hpubflc interest to avoid entering upon
the general business of legislation,
th4ke is one subject which concerns so
deeply the welfare of the country. that
L deem it my duty to bring it before
you. l have no doubt you will con-
cur with me in the opinion that it is
desirable to restore the States which
We're engaged in the rebellion to their
/ relations to the government and the
country at as early period as the
| people OF. those states shall be willing,
TO become peaceful and orderly COM
munities, and to adopt and maintain
such constitutions as will effectually
secure the civil and political rights of
al persons within their borders. The
authority of the United States. which
has been vindicated and established
by its military power, must undoubt-
edly be asserted for the absolute pro-
lection of all its citizens i'll the full
enjoyment of freedom and security.
which is the object of the republican
government: but whenever the peo-
pie of Il rebellious state are ready to
enter in good faith upon the accom-
plishment of this object, in entire con-
formity with the constitutional au-
thority of Congress, it is certainly de-
sirable that all causes of irritation
should be removed as promptly as
possible, that a more perfect union
may be established, and the country
be restored TO peace and prosperity
The convention of the people of Vir-
ginia, which met in Richmond, Dec.
I'd, 1867, framed constitution for
that State, which was adopted by the |
convention on the 18th of April, 1868, |
and L desire respectfully to call the at
ention Of Congress to the propriety
of providing by law for the holding of
an election in that state, at some time
during the months of May and June
next, under the direction Of the mill
tary commander of the district, at I
which the adoption of that constitu-
tion shall be submitted to the citizens
of the state; and, if this should seem
desirable, / would recommend that
separate vote be taken on such parts
as may be thought expedient ; and that
at the same time, and under the same
authority, there shall be an election
for the officers provided under such
constitution and that the constitution,
or such parts thereof as shall have
be IN adopted by the people, be SUBJ
mitted to Congress on the first Mon
day of December next, for its consid-
eration, SO that if the same is then ap-
proved, the necessary steps will then
have been taken for the restoration of
Virginia to its proper relations to the
Union. l am led to make this recon-
1nendation from the confident hope
and belief that the people of that state
are now readyto cooperate with the
government, or bringing it
into such relations to the Union as it
ought, as soon as possible, to establish
and maintain, or to give TO all its peo-
pie those equal rights, under the law,
which are asserted in the Declaration
of Independence. In the words of
the most illustrious of its sons, 1 de-
sire to ask the consideration of Con-
gress to the question whether there is
not just ground for believing the con-
stitution framed by convention of
the people of Mississippi for that state
and once rejected, might not be again
submitted to the people of that state
in like manner, and with the proba-
bility of the same result. " t'aii...''
Z % s'f'si.i;''''3 III. u S. GRANT. 4
Washington, d. c., April 7, 1869. ID
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