The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-02-20
WORDS OF WISDOM.
xhe Prophetic Message of President John.
son in 1867.
Pleasant Reading for Grrnt and His
Cabinet.
&. Us Views on the Constitution, the
South, the Negro, etc.


rs remarkable document when it was writ
ten, and in view Of the wonderful fulfllment
IF its predictions, It stands to-day monu-
lnent of wisdom Of which the great Tennes-
seean may well be proud.
Eight years have passed since it was writ
Ten, but there is scarcely word or a line
chat the writer could wish to have omitted Or
changed. 1t is grand in its perfect truthful
ness and az truth is immutable, time will not
impair its worth Or beauty but rather bring
them ont into more bold reiilf
How different such words Of wisdom, such
profound and statesmanlike reflections from
Che weak and disgusting carnations from the
present incumbent Of the White House
Well may the Senate tremble when Andrew
Johnson once more enters its portals. Well
may the Senatorial pigEnics quail when they
confront the man who went into Office rich
and came out or-the man who acl,nowl-
edges no human being as his master and
who has brains Of his own, and would not
for a kingdom crawl, ANONYMOUSLY, at the feet
Of the man who rules Washington by nod of
his empty head.
When civil war has been brought to q
close, it is manifestly the first interest and
duty of the State to repair the injuries which
the war has inflicted, and to secure the benefit
Of the lessons it teaches as fully and as
speedily as possible. This duty was, upon
The termination OF the rebellion, promptly
accepted, not only by the Executive Depart
ment, but by the insurrectionarv S ates them
selves, and restoration, in the first mofsent
srlf hal la1
tain as it was indispensable. The * oecta-
tions, however, then SO reasonably and conf
IDENTIFY entertained. were disappointed by
legislation from which | felt constrained b.
my obligations to the Constitution, to with
hold my assent.
1t is, therefore, q source of profound re-
greet, that in complying with the obligation
imposed upon the President by the Constitu-
zion, to give to Congress from time to time
Information of the state of the Union, | am
unable to communicate any definite adjust
ment satisfactory TO the American people, of
the questions which, since the close of the
rebellion, have agitated the public mind On
Che contrary, candor compels me to declare
chat at this time there is no Union as our
fathers understood the term, and IS they meant
It to be understood by us. The Union which
Ghey established can exist only where all the
states are represented in b til Houses Of Con-
gulate its internal concerns according to its own
will, and where the laws ofthe Central Govern
nent, strictly confined to matters of national
jurisdiction, apply with equal force to all the
people of every section. That such IS not the
present state Of the Union" is melancholy
fact, and we all must acknowledge that the
restoration of the States to their proper legal
,selations with the Federal Government and
with one another, according to the terms OF
The original compact, would be the greatest
temporal blessing which God, in His kindest
providence, could bestow upon this nation.
1t becomes our imperative duty to consider
whether or not it is impossible to effect this
most desir lble contamination.
The Union and the Constitution are insep
arabic As long as one IS obeyed by all
parties the other will be preserved; and if one
is destroyed, both must perish toge her. The
destruction Of the Constitution viii be followed
by other and still greater caamities II was
ordained not only to form more perfect
union between the States, but to establish
Justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide
for the common Defense promote the general
welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to
ourselves and our posterty.
Nothing but implicit obedience to its re-
JuiremeLts in all parts Of the country Will
accomplish these great ends. Without that
obedience, we can look forward only to con-
tinual outrages upon individual rights, in
cessant breaches of the public peace, Ma
fional weakness, financial d!shonor, the total
loss of our prosperity the general corrup-
zion of morals, and the final extinction OF
popular freedom. 70 save our country from
evils SO appalling as these, we should renew
our efforts again and again i
If the Southern States are component paris
Of the Union, the Constitution is the supreme
law for them as it is for all the other States |
They are bound to obey it, and so are we.
The right of the Federal government, which |
is clear and unquestionable, to enforce the
Constitution upon them implies the correa-
tive obligation on our part to observe its llml-
tations and execute its guarantees. Without
the Constitution we are nothing; by, through |
Ind under the Constitution we are what 1t
makes u.s. We may doubt the Wis
dom of the law we may not approve
of its provisions, but we cannot violate |
it merely because it seems to confine our
powers within limits narrowe than we could
wish. 1t is not a question OF individual, or
class, or sectional interest, much less OF party |
predominance, but of duty-of high and |
sacred duty-which We are all sworn to per-
form. If we cannot support the Constitution
with the cheerful alacrity of those who love
and believe in it, we must give to 1t at least
the fidelity of public servants who act under
our solemn obligations and commands which
Shey dare not disregard.
The constitutional duty is not the only one
which requires the States to be restored
There is another consideration which, though
Of minor importance, is yet OF great weight
On tile 22d day Of July, 1861, Congress de-
clared, by an almost unanimous vote OF botH
Houses, that the war should be conducted
solely for the purpose of preserving the
Union and III ntaining the supremacy OF the
Federal Constitution and laws, without I'M
pairing the dignity, equality, and rights OF
The States or individuals.
Having given that assurance in the ex'
sremity of our peril, the violation OF 1T now
N the dav of our power, would be a rude Iend-
ing Of that good faith which holds the moral
world together; our country would cease TO
have any claim upon the confd nee OF men
i could make the ,car not only failure, btd