Year: 1865

Government, or men who expected prof
, from ths miseries of their erring fellow


cltizens. The powers of patronage ant
) rule which would have been exercised
, under the President, over vast popu


lous, and naturally wealthy region, ar


greater than, unless under extreme neces


sity, | should be willing to entrust to an,
one man; or, unless on occasions of grea


emergency, consent to exercise. The viii
full use of such powers, if continued
through period of years, would have
endangered the purity of the general ad
ministration and the liberties of the States
which remained loyal.


Besides, the policy of military rule O.
yer conquered territory would have i'm
piled that the States whose inhabitants
may have taken part in rebellion had, by
the acts Of those inhabitants, ceased tc
exist. But the true theory is, that all
pretended acts of secession were, from the
beginning, null and void. The States
cannot commit treason, nor SCREEN the
individual citizens who may have COM
mitted treason, any more than they can
make valid treaties or engage in lawful
commerce with any foreign Power The
State attempting to secede place them
selves in condition where their vitality
was impaired, but not extinguished-
their functions suspended, but not des-
troyed


But if any State neglects or refuses to
perform its Offices, there is the more need
that the General Government should
maintain all its authority, and, as soon as
practicable, resume the exercise of all its
functions On this principle | have ac-
ted, and have gradually and quietly, and
by almost imperceptible steps, sought to
restore the rightful energy of the General
Government and Of the States. To that
end, Provisional Governors have been ap-
pointed for the States, Conventions call
ed, Governors elected, Legislatures as
sembled, and Senators and Represen Ia
tives chosen to the Congress of the Uni
ted States. At the same time, the Courts
of the United States, as far as could be
done, have been reopened, so that the
laws of the United States may be en
forced through their agency. The block
ade has been removed and the custom
re established in ports of entry, so that
the revenue of the United States may be
collected. The Post Office Department
renews its ceaseless activity, and the Gen
eral Government is thereby enabled to
communicate promptly with its officers and
agents. The courts bring security to per-
sons and property the opening Of ports in
vites the restoration of industry and com
merce the post Office renews the facili
ties Of social intercourse and of business.
And is it not happy for us all that the
restoration of each one of these functions
of the General Government brings with
it blessing not a sure promise of har
mony and renewed attachment to the
Union that, after all that has happened,
the return of the General Government
is known only as beuefcence


I know very we'll that this policy is at
tended with some risk that for its sue
cess it requires at least the acquiescence
of the State which it concerns that it
implies an invitation to those States, by
renewing their allegiance to the United
States, to resume their functions as States
of the Union But it is a risk that must
be taken in the choice of difficulties, it
is the smallest risk !; and to diminish,
and. if possible, to remove all danger, |
have felt it incumbent on me to assert
one other power of the General Govern
ment-the power of pardon. AS no State
can throw defence over the crime Of
treason, the power of pardon is exclusive
ly vested in the Executive Government
of the United States. In exercising that
power, [ have taken every precaution to
connect it with the clearest recognition of
the binding force Of the laws Of the Uni
ted States, and an unqualified acknow-
Judgement Of the great social change of
condition ia regard to slavery which has
grown out of the war


The next step which | have taken to
restore the constitutional relations of the
States, has been an invitation to them to
participate in the high Office of amending
the Constitution Every patriot must
wish for general amnesty at the earliest
epoch consistent with public safety. For
this great end there is need Of concur
renee of ali opinions, and the spirit OF
mutual Cancellation. All parties in the
late terrible conflict must work together
in harmony 1t is not too much to ask,
the name of the whole people, that, on
the one side, the plan of restoration shall
proceed in conformity with willingness
to cast the disorders of the past into oh
llvion, and that, on the other, the evi,
dence of sincerity in the future mainten
ance of the Union shall be put beyond
any doubt by the ratification of the pro
posed amendment to the Constitution
which provides for the abolition of slave
ry forever within the limits Of our coun
try. So long as the adoption of this a
mendmeut is delayed, so long will doubt
and jealousy, and uncertainty prevail
This is the measure which will cface th'
past this is the measure which most Ger
tainly call population, and security t.
tbose narts of the Union that need then