Year: 1866

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House Of Representatives:


TO express gratitude to God, in the


name Of the people, for the preser-


vation of the United States, liz my


first duty in addressing you. Our


thoughts next revert to the death of


the late President by an act of par


ricidal treason. The grief Of the


nation is still fresh; it finds some


solace,,in the consideration that he


lived to enjoy the highest proof of


it's confidence by entering on the


renewed term of the Chief Magis-


tracy, to which he had been elected;


that he brought the civil war sub


stantially to n close; that his loss


was dcplored in all parts Of the I'm


ion; and that foreign nations have


rendered justice to his memory


His removal cast upon me a heavier


weight of cares than ever devolvod


upon any one Of his predecessors,


To fulfill my trust l need the sup


port and confidence Of all who are
associated with me in the various


departments of ofGovcrnment, and the


support and confidence Of the people


There is but one way in which | can


hope to gain their necessary aid; it


is, to state with frankness the prin-


ciples which guide my conduct and


their application to the present state


of affairs, we'll aware that the effic-


iency of my labors will, in great


measure, depend on your and their


undivided appreciation.


The Union Of the United States
of America was intended by its au-
thors to last as long as the States
themselves shall last. "THE UNION
SHALL BE PERPETUAL" are the words
of the Confederation. "To FORM
MORE PERFECT UNION" by an ordi-
nance of the people of the United
States, the declared purpose Of the
Constitution. The hand of Divine
Providence was never more plainly
visible in the affairs of men than
in the framing and the adopting of
that instrument, 1t is, beyond COM
parison, the greatest event in Amer
lean history; and indeed is it not, Of
all events in modern times, the most
pregnant with consequences for ev-
cry people on the earth? The mem
bers of the Convention which pre-
pared it, brought to their work the
experience of the Confederation, of
their several States, and Of other Re-
publican Governments, old and new;
but they needed and they obtained
a wisdom superior to experience
And when orits validity itrequired
the approval of a people that occu-
pied a large part Of continent and
acted separately in many distinct
what is more wonder
full than that, after earnest conten-
tion 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 within
itself ample resources for its own
preservation. 1t has power to en-
force its laws, punish treason and
ensure domestic tranquility. In case
of the usurpation of the Government
of a State by one man, or an oil
garchy, it becomes a duty of the
United States to make good the guar
antee to that State of a republican
form of government, and so to main
tain the homogeneousness Of all
Does the lapse of time reveal de-
fects? A simple mode Of amend
ment is provided in the Constitution
itself, so that it's conditions can al
ways be made to conform to the re-
quiremen is Of the advancing civili-
zation. No room is allowed even
for the thought of possibility of
its coming to an end. And these
powers of self-preservation have
always been asserted in their COM
plete integrity by every patriotic
Chief Magistrate-by Jefferson and !
Jackson, not less than by Washing
ton and Madison. The parting ad-
vice of the Father of his Country,
while yet President, to the people of
the United States, was, that "the
free Constitution which was the
work Of their hands, might be sa-
,redly maintained;" and the inaug
ural words of President Jefferson |
held up "the preservation of the
Government, in its consti-
tutional vigor, as the sheet anchor
Of our peace at home and safety |
abroad" The Constitution 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 Constitution, which had no
model in the past, should not have
fully comprehended the excellence
Of their own work. Fresh from a
struggle against arbitrary power,
many patriots suffered from harras-
sing fears of an absorption of the
State Governments by the General
and many from dread
that the States would break away
from their orbits. But the worry