Year: 1866

CeHcnI anu peFptludlo tldI Culoil


which is egain the object of our COM


mon love, and thus secure the bless


ings of liberty to ourselves and our


postefity.


i. In the first place, we invoke you


to remember. always and everywhere,


that the war is ended and the nation


is again at peace. The shock of con-


tending arms 10 longer assails the


shuddering heart Of the Republic


The insurrection against the supreme


authority Of the ma ion has been sup


pressed, and that authority has been


again acknowledged, by word and act,


in every State, and by every citizen


within its jurisdiction. We are no


longer required or permitted to regard


or treat each other as enemies Net


only have the acts Of war been discon-


tinued, and the weapons Of war laid
aside, but the state of war no longer


exists, and the sentiments, the passions,


the relations of war have no longer


lawful or rightful place anywhere


throughout our broad domain. We


are again people of the United States,


fellow-citizens of one country, bound


by the duties and obligations of q
common patriotism, and having Meth
er rights nor interests apart from
common destiny. The duties that de-
volve upon us now are again the du-
ties of peace, and no longer the du-


ties Of war. We have assembled here
to take counsel concerning tho inter-
ests Of peace-to decide how we may
most wisely and eaectually heal the
wounds the war has made, and per-
feet and perpetuate the benefits it has
secured, and the blessings which, un-
der a wise and berign Providence,
have sprung up in the fiery track
This is the work, not Of passion, but
of calm and sober judgment, not Of
resentment for past ofienses lrolong-
ed beyond the limits which justice and
reason prescribe, but of a liberal
craftsmanship which tolerates what it
cannot prevent, and builds its plans
and its hopes for the future rather
upon community of interest and
ambition than upon distrust and the
weapons Of force.


ii. In the next place wo call upon
you to recognize in their full signifi-
canoe, and to accept political results
of the war just closed. In two most
important particulars the victory
achieved by the National Government
has been final and decisive. First, it
has established beyond all further con-
troversy, and by the highest Of all hui
man sanctions, tho absolute supremacy
of the National Government, as de-
fined and limited by the Constitution
OF the United States, and the perma-
rsorv sn,vt5rt,y s.--tnaissoruNa,ivy-
the Federal Union as necessary con-
sequence and, second, it has put an
end finally and forever to the existence
of slavery upon the soil or within the
jurisdiction Of the United States.-
Both these points became directly in
volved in the contest, and controversy
upon both as ended absolutely and
finally by the result.


Ill. In the third place, we deem it
of the utmost Importance that the real
character of the war, and the victory
by which it was closed, should be ac-
understood. The war was
carried on by the Government Of the
United States in maintenance Of its
own authority, and in defence of its
own existence, both of which were
menaced by the insurrection which it
sought to suppress. The suppression
OF that insurrection accomplished that
result. The Government Of the Uni
tod States maintained by force Of arms
the supreme authority over all the
tsrritory, aud ovsr ah the States and
people within its jurisdiction, which
the Constitution confers upon it (; but
it acquired thereby no new power, no
enlarged jurisdiction, no rights either
of territorial possession or of civil au-
tdority which it did not possess before
the rebellion broke out. All the
rightful power it can ever possess is
that which is conferred upon it, either
in express terms or by fair and neoes-
sary implication, by the Constitution
of the United States. 1t was that
power and that authority which tho
rebellion sought to overthrow, and
the victory of the Federal army was
simply the defeat Of that attempt
The Government of the United States
acted throughout the war on the de-
fensive. 1t sought only to hold pos
session of what was already its own.
Neither the war nor the victory by
which it was closed, changed in any
way the Constitution of the United
States. The war was carried on by
virtue Of its provisions, and under the
limitations which they prescribe and
the result Of the war did not either
enlarge, abridge, or in any way
change or effect the powers it confers
upon the Federal GoverhrIent, or re-
lease that Government from the re-
structions which it has imposed.


The Constitution Of the United
States is to-day precisely as it was
before the war, the supreme law of
the land, anything in the Constitution
or laws of any State to the contrary
Notwithstanding" and to-day, also,
precisely as before the war, call the
powers not conferred by the Consti-
tuition upon the General Government,
nor prohibited by il to the States, or
to the people thereof"


This position is vindicasod not only
- a a 4
ment, and the language and spirit o
the Constitution, but by oil the acts
and tho language of our Government,
in all its departments, and at all
times, from the outbreak of the rebel
lion to its final overthrow. In every
message and proclamation of tho
Executive it was explicitly declared
that tho sole object and purpose of
tho war was to maintain tho authors


N ~ 49,