Year: 1865

| name OF the people, Tor the preSerVSIlOn


Of the United States, is my first duty in


addressing you.


Our thoughts next revert to the death


of the late President by an act of parri-


cidal treason. The grief of the Nation is
still fresh. 1t finds some solace IN the
1 consideration that he lived to enjoy the
highest proof of its confidence by enter
| irg on the renewed term of the Chief


Magistracy, to which he had been elected /;
that he brought the civil war substan-
| TALLY to a close that his loss was de-
plored in all parts of the Union and that
foreign nations have rendered justice to


his memory. His removal cast upon me


heavier weight of cares than ever de-


volved on any one of his predecessors.
| To fulfill my trust, need the support


and confidence of all who are associated


with me in the various departments OF
| lhe Government and the support and


confidence of the people. There is but


one way in which l can hope to gain


their necessary aid 1t is to state with


frankness the principles which guide my


CONDUCT, and their application to the


present state of affairs, well aware that


the efficiency of my laborp will, in great


measure, depend on your and their un-


divided. appreciation.


The reunion OF the United States OF
America was intended by its authors to


last as long as the States themselves last.
The Union shall be perpetual are the


words of the Confederation. To form a


more perfect Union by an ordinance of


the people of the United States is the de-


clared purpose of the Constitution. The


hard of Divine Providence was never


more plainly visible in the affairs of men.
Il, c~o, Il Il II


that instrument. It is beyond compari-


son the greatest event in American his


tory, and indeed in all events in modern


times the most pregnant with conse-


quences for every people of the earth.


The members of the Convention which


prepared it, brought to their work the


experience of the confederation of their
several States and of other Republican
Governments, old and new, but they
needed and they obtained wisdom su-


perior to expeaience, and when for ITS


validity it required the approval of
people that occupied large part of con-
tinent, and acted separately in many dis
trict conventions, what is more wonder
full than that, after earnest contension
and long discussion, all feelings and all
opinions were ultimately drawn in one
way to its support.


The Constitution to which life was thus
impaired, contains with itself ample re-
sources for its own preservation. 1t has
power to enforce laws, punish, treason,
and insure domestic tranquility. In case
of the usurpasion of the Government of
State by one man or an obligarchy, it
becomes a duty of the United States to
make good the guarantee to that State of
q republican form of government ard so
to maintain the homogeneousness of all.
Does the lapse of time reveal defects,
simple mode of amendment is provided
in the Constitution itself, so that its con
dition can always be made to conform to
the requirements of advancing civilization.
No room is allowed even for the thought
of its possibility of its coming to an end,
ard these powers of self preservation have
always been asserted in their complete
integrity by every patriotic Chief Magis-
trate-qy Jefferson and Jackson not less
than by Washington and Madison. The
parting advice of the Father of his coun-
try, while yet President, to the rcople of
the United States, was that the free Con.
stitution, which was the work of their
hands, might be sacredly main tanned,
and the inaugural words of President
J efferson held up the preservation of the
General Government in its constituted
vigor as the sheet anchor of our peace at
home and safety abroad. The Constitu
ton is the work of the people of the
United States, and it should be as inde-
structible as the people.


1t is not strange that the trainers of the
which had no model in tie
past, should not have fully comprehended
the excellence of their own work. Fresh
from struggle against arbitrary power,
many patriots suffered from harrassipg
fears of absorption of Stste governments
by the general Government, and many
from dread that the States would break
away from their orbits; but the very
greatness of our country should allay the
apprehensions of encroachments by the |
General Government. Within its iuris !
diction are questions so numerous that it |
must ever naturally refuse TO be 'embar-
rassed by questions that lie beyond it.
Were it otherwise, the Executive would |
sink beneath the burden, the channels of
Justice would be checked, legislation |
would be obstructed by excess; so that
there is greater temptation to exercise |
some of the functions of the General |
through the States than to
Lrespass in their rightful sphere.


The absolute acquiescence in the de-
ciSiOu Ol tu0 ulSJOFlly was, at the De |
ginning of the century, enforced by
jefferson as the vital principle of Repub-
ics, and the events of the last four years
nave established-we will hope forever
hat there lies no appeal to force. The
of the Union brings with it
he support of the State governments in
III their rights, but it is not one of any
State government to renounce it's own
olace in the Union, or to nullify the laws
If the Union. The largest liberty is to
20 maintained in the discussion of the
Icts of the Federal Government but
here is no appeal from its laws except to
he various branches OF that Government
tself, or the people, who grant to the
members of the Legislature and of. the
Executive Departments no tenure but
united one, and in that manner always
etain the power of redress The SOW
reigLty Of the States is the language of
he Confederation and not the language
f the Constitution. The latter contains
he emphatic words, "the Constitution
nd laws of the United States which shall
70 made in pursuance thereof, and all
reaties made or which shall be made
nder the authority of the United States,
hall be the supreme law of the land, {
nd the Judges in every State shall be
ound thereby, anything in the Consti-
1tion of any State to the contrary not
Certainly the Govern
1ent of the United States is a limited j
and so Ia every State Cow !