Andrew Johnson: “There is no military or other necessity, real or pretended, which can prevent obedience to the Constitution, either…”

I transmit the accompanying communications from the Secretary of the Interior, together with the papers to which they have reference.

The danger of a defeat of the popular choice in an election by the House of Representatives is no greater than in an election made nominally by the people themselves.

No power exists in the Constitution authorizing the joint resolution or the supposed law--the only difference being that one would be more palpably unconstitutional and revolutionary than the other.

Feeling constrained to withhold my consent, I herewith return the resolution to the Senate, in which House it originated, with a brief statement of the reasons which have induced my action.