Year: 1866

lutte supremacy of the National Govern
ment, as defined and limited by the Con-
stitution of the United States, and the
permanent integrity and indissolubility OF
the Federal Union as necessary conse-
quence. And second, it has put an end,
finally and forever, to the existence OF
slavery upon the soil or within the Jurls-
diction of the United States. Both these
points became directly involved in the
contest, and controversy upon both was
ended absolutely and finally by the result.
In the third place, we deem 1t OF the Ut
most importance that the real character OF
the war, and the victory by which it was
closed, should be accurately understood
The war was carried on by the Govern
ment of the United States in maintenance
of it's own authority and in defence Of its
own existence, both Of which were me-
naced by the insurrection which it sought
to suppress. The suppression OF that IN
surrection accomplished that result. The
Government Of the United States MAIN
tanned bv force of arms the supreme au-
thority over all the territory, and over all
the States and people within It's Jurlsdlc-
tion. which the Constitution conters upon
it. But it acquired thereby no new power;
no enlarged jurisdiction; no rights, either
of territorial possession or of civil authorl-
ty, which it did not possess before the re-
bellion broke out All the rightful power
it can ever possess is that which is con-
ferred upon it, either in express terms, or
by fair and necessary application, by the
Consultation of the United States.


It was that power and that authority
which the rebellion sought to overthrow,
and the victory of the Federal arms was
simply the defeat of that attempt. The
Government of the United States acted
throughout the war on the defensive. 1t
sought only to hold possession of what was
already it's own. Neither the war nor the
victory by which it was closed changed, IN
auy wav, the Constitution of the United
States. The war was carried on by virtue
ofits provisions, and under the lipitations
which they prescribe, and the result of the
war did not either enlarge, abridge, or IN
any way change or affect the powers 1t
confers upon the Federal Government, or
release that Government from the restr'c-
tions which it has imposed. The Constltu-
ton of the United States is, today, pre-
cisely as it was before the war, the
supreme law of the land, anythingin in the Con-
stitution or laws of any State to the con-
trary notwithstanding" And, to-day, also,
precisely as before the war, call the pow
ers not conferred by the Constitution upou
the General Government, nor prohibited
bv it to the States, is reserved to the seve-
raj States, or to the people thereof"


This position is vindicated not only by
the essential nature of our Government
and the language and spirit of the Consti
tuition, but by all the acts and the language
ofour Government in all its departments
and at all times. From the outbreak OF
the rebellion to its final overthrow, in every
message and proclamation Of the Execu-
tive, it was explicitly declared that the sole
object and purpose of the war was to main
tain the authority Of the Constitution and
to preserve the integrity OF the Union:
And Congress, more than once, reiterated
this solemn declaration, md added the as
surance that, whenever this object should
be- attained, the war should cease; and all
the States shonld retain their equal rights
and dignity unimpaired. It is only since
the war was closed that Other rights have
been asserted on behalf of one department
of the General Government. 1t has been
proclaimed by Congress that, in addition
to the powers conferred upon it by the
Constitution, the Federal Government may
now claim over the States, the territory
and the people involved in the insurrec'
ton, the rights of war, the right OF con-
quest and of con6scation the right to ao-
rogate all existing Governments, instltu-
tions and laws, and to subject the territory
conquered, and its inhabitants, to such
laws regulations and deprivations as the
legislative departments Of the Govern
ment may see fit to impose.


Under this broad and sweeping claim,
that clause oft Constitution which pro-
vides that ''no State shall, without its con-
sent, be deprived of it's equal suffrage in
the Senate of the United States" has been
annulled, and ten States have been re-
fused, and still are refused, representation
altogether in both branches OF the Federal
Congress and the Congress in which only
a part of the States and of the people OF
the Union are represented has asserted the
right thus to exclude the rest from repre-
sentation and all share in making their
own laws, or choosing their own rulers,
until they shall comply with such condi-
tions and perform such acts as this Con-
gress, thus composed, may itself prescloe:
That right has not only been asserted, but
it has been exercised and is practically
enforced at the present time. Nor does it
find any support in the theory that the
States thus excluded .are in rebellion
against the Government, and therefore
nPecluded from sharing its authority
Tbey are not thus in rebellion. They are


IL :: an ottitnda of LOYALTY TO-