Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1869-04-14
The Presidents Message ON Recon-
%Structing Virginia and MiSSisSiDDi,

The PRESIDENTS Message on Recon-
structing Virginia and Mississippi.
The Vice President laid before the
Senate on the 9TH inst, the following
message from the President
To THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REP
RESENTATIVES =:
While l am aware that the time in
which Congress proposes to remain
IN session Is very brief and that it is
Its desire as far as consistent with the
public interest TO avoid entering upon
the general business of legislation,
there is one subject which concerns
so deeply the welfare of the country
that L deem it my duty to bring it be-
fore it. l have no doubt that you will
concur with me in the opinion that it
is desirable to restore the States which
were engaged in the rebellion to their
proper relations to the government
and the country at as early a period
rs the people of those States shall be
found willing to become peaceful and
orderly communities, and to adopt
and maintain such constitutions and
laws as will effectually secure the civil
and political rights of all persons
within their borders. The authority
of the United States, which has been
vindicated and established by its mil
itary power, must undoubtedly be as
serted for the absolute protection of
all its citizens in the full enjoyment
of the freedom and security which is
the object of the republican govern
ment. But whenever the people of a
rebellious State are ready to enter in
good faith upon the accomplishment
of this object, in entire conformity
with the constitutional authority of
Congress, it is certainly desirable that
all causes of irritation should be re-
moved as promptly rs possible, that a
more perfect union may be establish
ed and the country be restored to
peace and prosperity. The conven-
ton of the people of Virginia, which
met in Richmond on Tuesday, Dec. 3,
1867, framed a constitution for that
State which was adopted by the Con-
vention on April Il, 1865, and l desire
respectfully to call the attention of
Congress to the propriety of provid-
ing by the law for the holding of an
election in that State at the same time
during the months of May and June
next under the direction of the mill
tary commander of the district, at
which the question of the adoption of
that constitution shall be submitted
to the citizens of the State (; andif this
should seem desirable, / would recon-
mend that aseperate vote be taken up
on such parts as may be thought eXpe-
dent and that at tie same time and
underthesame authority there shall be
an election for the officers provided
under such constitution, and that the
constitution, or such parts thereof as
shall have been adopted by the peO-
pie, be submitted to Congress on the
first Monday of December next for its
consideration, so that if the same is
then approved the necessary steps
will have been taken for the restora-
ton of the State of Virginia to its
proper relations to the Union. / am
led to make this recommendation from
the confident hope and belief that the
people of that State are now ready to
cooperate with the national govern
ment in bringing it again into such
relations to the Union as it ought
as Oon as possible to establish
and maintain, and to give to all its
people those equal rights under the
law which are asserted ia the Declar-
alton of Independence, in the words
of one of the most illustrious of its
sons.
L desire, also to ask the considera-
ton Of Congress to the question
whether there is not just ground for
believing that the constitution franz
ed by a convention of the people of
Mississippi for that State, and once
rejected, might not be again submit
ted TO the people of that State in like
manner and with the probability of
the same result. L. S. GRANT.
WASHINGTON, d. c., April Z, 1863.