trate foes. She holds aloft the glorious banner, its stars still
undimmed, and with her mild but penetrating voice, she still proclaims
the principles of universal freedom to all who may choose to claim it;
and with the sublimity of the most exalted human charity, she invites
even the fallen enemy--the misguided betrayers of their country--to
return to her bosom and share the protection of her generous
institutions. In the hour of her triumph she seeks no bloody vengeance,
but tenders a magnanimous forgiveness to her repenting children, wooing
them back to the shelter of re-established liberty and vindicated law.
All hail to the republic in the splendor of her coming triumph and the
renewal of her beneficent power!

It has not been within the ability of reckless treason and armed
rebellion to break down the Constitution of the country and permanently
destroy its institutions; so will it be as far beyond the capacity, as
it ought to be distant from the thoughts of the men now wielding the
Federal authority, to operate unauthorized changes in the fundamental
law which they have solemnly sworn to support. The strength of the
people has been put forth, through the Government--their blood has been
profusely poured out, for the sole purpose of maintaining its legitimate
ascendency, and of overthrowing and removing the obstacles opposed by
the hand of treason to its constitutional action. To uphold the
supremacy of the Constitution and laws, is the very object of the war;
and it would be a gross perversion of the authority conferred and a
palpable misuse of the means so amply provided by Congress, to use them
for the purpose of defeating the very end intended to be accomplished.
Neither the legislative nor the executive department of the Government
could legitimately undertake to destroy or change the Constitution, from
which both derive their existence and all their lawful power. It is true
that pending a war, either foreign or civil, the Constitution itself
confers extraordinary powers upon the Government--powers far
transcending those which it may properly exercise in time of peace.
These war powers, however, great as they are, and limited only by the
laws of and usages civilized nations, are not extra-constitutional; they
are expressly conferred, and are quite as legitimate as those more
moderate ones which appropriately belong to the Government in ordinary
times. But when there is no longer any war--when the Government sha