Year: 1866

ted States, feliow-cltIZens OF one coun-e
tay, bound by the duties and obliga-
tions of a common patriotism, and hav-
ing neither rights nor interests apart
from a common destiny. The duties
that devolve upon us now are again the
duties of peace, and no longer the du-
ties of war. We have assembled here
to take counsel concerning the interests
of peace-to decide how we may most
wisely and efectually heal the wounds
the war has made, and perfect and per-.
petuate the benefits it has secured, and
the blessings which, under wise and
benign Providence, have sprung up in
its fiery track. This is the work, not of
passion, but of calm and sober Judge
ment, not of resentment for the past Of
fences prolonged beyond the limits.
which justice and reason prescribe, but
ofa liberal craftsmanship which tole-
rates what it cannot prevent, and builds
its plans and its hopes for the future
rather upon a community of interest
and ambition than upondistrust and the
weapons of force.


III. In the next place, we will call up
on you to recognize in their full signif-
icance, and to accept with all their le-
gitimate consequences, the political re-
suits of the war just closed. In two
, most important particulars the victory
achieved by the National Government
has been final and decisive. First, it is
established beyond all further contro-
versy, and by the highest of all human
sanctions, the absolute supremacy of the
National Government, as defined and
limited by the Constitution ofthe Uni
ted States, and the permanent integrity
and indissolubility of the Federal Union
as necessary consequence 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 di-
rectly involved in the contest, and con-
troversy upon both was ended abso-
lutely and finally by the result.


III. 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 accurate
ly understood. The war was carried
on by the Government of the United
State in maintenance of its own author
ity and in defence of it's own existence,
both of which were menaced by the in
surrection which it sought to suppress.
The suppression of that insurrection
accomplished the result. The Govern
ment of the United States maintained
by force of arms the supreme authority
over all the territory, and over all the
States and people within its jnrisdic-
tion, which the Constitution confers up
on it but it acquired thereby no new
power, no enlarged jurisdiction, no
rights either of territorial possession or
Of civil authority which it did not pos-T
sess 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 necessa-
ry implication, by the Constitution 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 de-
feat 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 al
ready 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 Government
or release that Government from the
restrictions, which it has imposed.


The Constitution ofthe United States
is to-day precisely as it was before the
war, the ssupreme law of the land,
anything in the Constitution or laws of
any State to the contrary notwithstand-
ing - and to-day, also, precisely as be
fore the war, all the powers not conferred
by the Constitution upon the General
Government, nor prohibited by it to the
States, are reserved to the several
States, or to the people thereof"


This position is vindicated not only
by the essential nature of our Govern
ment, and the language and spirit Of
the Constitution, but by all the acts and
the language of oar Government, IN all
it's departments, and at all times from
the outbreak of the rebellion TO its final
overthrow. In every message and proc
lamation of the Executiveit was sexplic-
lilly declared that the sole object and
purpose of the war was to maintain the
authority of the Constitution and te pre-
serve the integrity ofrhe Union; and
Congress more than once reiterated
this solemn declaration, and added
the assurance that whenever the object
should be attained the war should cease,
and all the States should retain their
equal rights and dignity unimpared


1t 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 insurrection.
the rights of war-the right of conquest and
of confiscation, the right to abrogate alt
governments, institutions and laws. and TO,
= subject the territory conquered and its infl
habitants to such laws, regulations and ds-
privations as the legislative department of
the Government may see ut to impose
5 Under this broad and sweeping claim, that
Z clause of the Constitution which provides
that mo State shall without its consent be
deprived of its equal suffrage In the Senate of
the United States, has been annulled, and
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