Year: 1865

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| REPRESENTATIVES,:


To express gratitude to God, in the
name of the people, for the preservation
of the United States, is my first duty in
addressing you. Our thou ghts next re-
vert to tho death of the late President by
an act of parricidsl treason. Tho grief
of the nation is still fresh; it finds some
solace in the consideration that he lived
to enjoy tho highest proof of its conf
dsnce by entering on the renewed term
Of the Chief Magistracy, to which he had
been elected; that he brought the civil
war substantially to close; that his loss
wss dcplored in all parts of tho Union;
! and that foreign nations have rendered
justice to his memory. His removal cast
upon me heavier weight Of cares than
ever devolved upon any one of his prede-
cessors. To fulfil my trust l need the
support and confidence of all who are
associated with me in the various depart.
ments Of Government, and the support
and confidence Of tho people. There is
but one way in which l can hope to gain
their necessary aid; it is, to state with
frankness the principles which guide my
conduct, and their application to the pres
ent state of affairs, we'll aware that the
efficiency of my labors will, in great
measure, depend on your and their undi
vided appreciation.


The Union of the United States of
America was intended by its authors to
remain as long as the States themselves
shall last "The Union shall be pcrpet-
ua'," are the words Of the Confederation.
"To form more perfect Union," by an
ordinance of the people Of the United
States, is the declared purpose of the
Constitution. The hand of Divine Prov
idcnce was never more plainly visible in
the affairs of men, than in the framing
and adoption of that instrument. 1t is,
beyond comparison, the greatest event in
American history, and indeed is it not, of
all events in modern times, the most
pregnant with consequences for every
people Of the earth? The members Of
the convention which prepared it brought
to their work the experience of the Con.
federation, Of their several States, and Of
other Republican Governments, old and
new. But they needed and they obtain.
ed wisdom superior to experience. And
when for its validity it required the ap.
proval Of people that occupied large
in many distinct Conventions, what is
more wonderful than that, after earnest
contention and long discussion, all feel
ipgs and all opinions we're ultimately
drawn in one way to its support?


The Constitution to which life was
thus impaired contains within itself am


pie resources for its own preservation. 1t
has power to enforce the laws, punish
treason, and insure domestic tranquility
In case of the usurpation of the Govern
ment of a State by one man. or au ohgar-
chy, it becomes duty Of the United
States to make good the guarantee to
that State of republican form of govern
ment, aud so to maintain the homogene.
BUSINESS of all. Does the lapse of time
reveal defects? A simple mode of amend
ment is provided in the Constitution it.
self, so that its conditions can always be
made to conform to the requirements Of
advancing civilization. No room is al
lowed even for the thought of a possibili
ty of its coming to an end. And these
powers Of self preservation have always
been asserted in their complete integrity
by every patriotic Chief Magistrate-by
Jefferson and Jackson. not less than by
Washington and Madison. The parting
advice of the Father of his Country,
while yet President, to the people of the
United States, was, that "the free Con
.titution, which was tho work Of their
hands, might be sacredly maintained
and the inaugural words Of President
Jefferson held up "the preservation o
the General Government, in its constitu-
tionoI vieor, - the sheet anchor of on,
peace at home and safety abroad" The
Constitution is the work of "the People
Of the United States" and it should be
as indestructible as the people.


1t is not strange that the trainers OF
the Constitution, which had no model in
the past, should not have fully compre-
hended the excellence of their own work
Fresh from struggle against arbitrary
power, many patriots suffered from har-
RAISING fears of an absorption of the
State Governments by the General Gov
ernment, and many from the dread that
the States would break away from their
orbits. But the very greatness of our
country should allay the apprehension of
encroachments by the General Govern
ment. The subjects that come unques.
tionably within its jurisdiction are so
numerous. that it must ever naturally
refuse to be embarrassed by questions
that lie beyond it. Were it otherwise.
the Executive would sink beneath the
burden; the channels Of justice would be
ohoked; legislation would be obstructed
by excess; SO that there is greater
temptation to exercise some Of the func-
tions of the General Government through
the States than to trespass on their
rightful sphere "The absolute acquies.
cence in the decisions Of the majority"