Year: 1867




The President opens by saying that the
continued disorganization OF the Union
TO which the President has SO often called
! the attention Of Congress, is yet subject
of profound and patriotic concern. He
says 8. 1t is therefore source of pro.
found regret, in complying with the obi.
CATION imposed upon the President by
the Constitution, to give Congress from
time to time information Of the state OF
the Union, that am unable to communi-
cate any definite adjustment, satisfactory
to the American people, of the questions
which, since the close of the rebellion,
have agitated the public mind. On the
contrary, candor compels me to declare
that at this time there is no Union as our
fathers understood the term and as they
meant it to be understood by us. The
Union which they established can only
exist where all the States are represented
in both houses Of Congress. To the
President, the process os restoration
seems perfectly plain and simple: 1t
consist merely in faithful application OF
the constitution and laws. The execu-
ton of the laws is not now obstructed by
physical force; there is no military or
other necessity, real or pretended, which
can prevent the observance OF the consti-
tuition either north or south. All the
rights and all the obligations of States
and individuals can be protected and
enforced by means perfectly consistent
with the fundamental law 1t is clear TO
his apprehension that the States lately in
rebellion are still members of the nation
al Union. When did they cease to be
so? Ordinances ofsecession adopted by
a portion, in most of them by very
smal portion, of their citizens were mere
nul!ities. IT we admit now that they were
valid and etfectual for the purpose in
tended by the authors, we sweep from
under our feet the whole ground upon
which We justify the war.


The President elaborates these views
II. great length, and then says . Being
sincerely convinced that these views are
correct, l would be faithful to my duty
liz did not recommend the repeal Of the
acts of Congress which place ten of the
southern States under the dominion of
military masters. II calm reflection shall
satisfy a majority of your honorable
bodies that the acts referred to are not
only violations of the national faith but
in direct conflict with the constitution,
dare not permit myself to doubt that you
will Immediately strike them from the
statute book.


The President proceeds to say he has
no desire to save from the just and proper
consequences of their crime those who
engaged in the rebellion, but as mode
Of punishment the measures under con-
sideration are the most unreasonable
that could be invented. Many of these
people are perfectly innocent, and of those
who are guilty with their own consent,
the degrees Of guilt are as various as their
shades of character and temper. But
these acts of Congress confound them all
together in one common doom Indis-
criminate vengeance on classes, sect, par
ties or upon whole communities for Of
fenses committed by portion of them
against the government to which they
owed allegiance, was common in the bar
barous ages but christianity and civiliza
ton have made such progress, that to re-
sort to a punishment SO cruel and unjust
would meet the condemnation Of all un-
prejudced and right minded men. The
principles Of justice Of this age, especial
ly in this country, do not consist in strip
ping whole States of their liberties and
reducing all of their people, without dis.
tinction to the condition Of slavery. lit
SAYS he is aware that it is assumed that
this system ofgovernment Cox the sout!
is not to be perpetual; but if the guar
antecs Of the constitution can be broken
professionally to serve temporary pur.
pose, and in part only of the country
we can destroy them everywhere and fol
all time. Arbitrary measures Otter
change, but they generally change fol
the worse it is the curse Of despotism
that it has no hating place.


The President then says: " 1t is mani
testify and avowedly the object Of these
laws, to confer the privilege Of voting OF
the negroes and to disfranchise such D
number Of whites as to give the former !
clear majority in the elections in Tho
southern States. This, to the minds o


some persoNs, is so important that rev
olution Of the constitution is justified as
the means Of bringing it about We are
not permitted to do evil that good may
come but in this case the end is evil
The subjugation Of these States to Negro
dominion would be worse than military
despotism under which they are now suf


fering. The blacks in the south are en-.
titled to be well and hnmanely governed
and have the protection Of just laws iol
their rights Of person add property. i
it we're practicable at this time to Civ,
them n government Of their own, it |,


questionable TO do so but now they ar'
permitted IT, elect legislators, organic
States and eject Presidents No indepen