Year: 1869

WASHINGTON, April 1.-The following message O


the President was received by Congress o'clock th


afternoon:


To the Senate and House of Representatives.


While am aware that the time in which Congress;


proposes now to remain in session is very BRIEF anG


that its desire, far is consistent with the public


interest," is to avoid entering upon the general business


of legislation, there is subject which concerns SC


deeply the welfare Of the country that deem it my


duty to bring before you. have no doubt that you


will concur with me in the opinion that it is desirable
to restore the States which engaged in the rebel


lion to their proper relations to the Government and


the country at early period the people of those
States shall be found willing to become peaceful and
orderly communities to adopt and maintain such con-
stitutions and laws will etfecually secure the civil
and political rights of ell persons within their borders
The authority of the United States, which has been
vindicated and established by its military power,
must undoubtedly be asserted for the absolute pro-
lection of all its citizens in the full e eioymeut of
the freedom and security which s~the object of a
republican Government, but whenever the people
OF ii rebelllous State ready to enter in good


faith upon the accomplishment Of this ject in entire
conformity with the constitutional authority of Con-
gress it is certainly desirable that all of rrita-
ton should be removed as promptly as possible, that
perfect Union may be established and the coun


try restored to peace and prosperity The convention
OF the people OF Virginia, which met in Richmond on
Tuesday, December 8, 1867, framed constitution for
that State which adopted by the convention the
lIth OF April, 1865, and desire respectfully to call
the attention of Congress to the proprety of providing
by law for the holding of an election in that State some
time during the months of May and June next, under
direction of the military commander of the district at
which the question OF the adoption of that constitution
shall be submitted to the citizens of the State and if
this should seem desirable, would recommend that
separate vote be taken upon such parts as may be
thought expedient, and that at the same time and
under the same law and authority, there shall be
election for the officers provided for under such
constitution, and that the constitution or such parts
thereof as shall have been adopted by the people, be
submitted to Congress the first Monday Of Decem-
Der next for its consideration that if the same is
approved the necessary steps will have been taken
for the restoration Of the State Of Virginia to its proper
relations to the Union. am led to make this recon-
mendation from the confident hope and belief that the
people OF that State ready to cooperate with
the national Government in bringing again into such
relations to the Union it ought as soon as possible
TO establish and mantan and give to all its people
those equal rights under the law which was inserted
in the Declaration of independence in the words one
OF the most illustrlous Of its sons


desire also to ask the consideration of Congress to
the question if there is not just grounds for believing
that the constitution framed by convention of the
people of Mississippi for that State, and once rejected
might not be again submitted to the people Of that
State in like Manner and with the probability of the
same result. u s GRANT