The National tribune., 1900-04-12
THE PRESIDENTS FIRST MESSAGE Tt
CONGRt:SS.

CONGRt:SS.
a special session of Congress convened
on the 4th of July, in obedieuce to the
summons Of the President in his procama-
ton of April 10. The following day the
message of the Executive rehearsed to the
joint Houses the circumstances which had
rendered their assembling necessary. 1t
portrayed, in clear and succinct words.
the situation of affairs, the aggressive acts
of the States aiming 10 destroy the Federal
Union, and the measures adopted by the
Administration to frlistrate their attempts
The aSsailantS of the Government, it an
nounced, "have forced upon the country
the distinct issue, Immediate dissolution
or blood And this issue embraces more
than the fate of these United States It
presents to the whole family of man the
question, whether constitutional Repub-
lie or Democracy-a Government Of the
people by the same people-can or cannot
maintain its territorial integrity against
its own domestic foes. 1t presents the
question, whether discortented individuals,
too few in numbers to control administration
according to organic law in any case, can
always, upon the prctences made in this
case, or on any other pretences, or abr-
trarily, without any pretence, break up
their Government, and thus practically
put an end to free government upon the
earth. 1t forces us to ask, is there, in all
Republics, this inherent and fatal weak
ness? Must a Government, of necessity,
be too strong for the liberties of its own
people, or too weak to maintain its own
existence?" 1t requested of Congress "the
legal means for making this contest a
short and decisive one; that you place at
the control of the Government, for the
work, at least 400, 900 men and $40O OOO, 900.
That number of men is about one-tenth
Of those of proper ages within the regions
where, apparently, all are willing to en-
gage; ard the sum is less than "a twenty
third part Of the money value owned by
the men who seem ready to devote the
whole. A debt of 5000, ,OOO, 900 now is q
less sum per head than was the debt of our
Revolution when we came out of that strug-
gle; and the money value in the country
now bears even a greater proportion to
what it was then, than does the population.
Surely each man has as strong Il motive
now to preserve our liberties Us each had
then to establish ,fEem. The
evidence reaching us nfrom the country
leaves no doubt that the material for the
work is abundant. and that it needs only
the hand of legislation:t to give it legal sane |
ton, and the hand of tho Executive to give
it practical shape and efficiency. One of |
the greatest perplexites OF the Government |
is to avoid receiving troops faster than it |
can provide for them. t, In word, the people |
will save their Government, if the Govern
ment itself will do its part only indifferently |
we'll" 1t dwelt upon the encouraging
facts that the free institutions we enjoy
have developed the powers and improved
the condition of our whole people beyond
any example in the world. OF this we
now have a striking and an impressive
illustration. So large an army as the
has now OH foot was never
before known, without a soldier in it but |
who had taken his place there of his own
free choice. But more than this; there are
many single regiments whose members,
one and another, possess full practical
knowledge OF all the arts, sciences, pro-
feSsions, and whatever else, whether use
full or elegant, is known in the world; and |
there is scarcely one from which there |
could not be selected Il President, Cabinet,
a Congress, and perhaps court, abun-
dainty competent to administer the Govern
ment itself" Finally, and eloquently,
the message demonstrated the significance