Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-12-03

ilizaton have made such progress tina
recourse to punishment 80 cruel ant
unjust would meot the condemnation o
all unprejud:cod aud rightminded men
Tho common justice OF this nge, espe
cially in this country, does not consist
in stripping whole States Of iheil
liberties, and reducing all OF their peo
pie, without distinction, TO the condition
Of slavery. He says he is aware that u
is assumed that this syssem Of Govern
ment for the South is not to be perpe'
ual IL the guarantees Of the Ccnsiitu-
ton can be broken Professionally, to
serve temporary purpose, ana IN
part only ofthe country, We can destroy
them everywhere for all time. Arbitrary
measures often change, but they gene
rally change for the worse. II is the
curse of despotism that it has no
hating place. The President then says !;
1t ia manifesily and ayowedly the, OBJECT
Of these laws to confer the privilege oil
voting ON negroes, aud TO disiranchlse
such number Of whites as TO give the
former n clear majority in the elections
| in Southern States. This, to the minds
of some persons, is so important that a
violation of the Constitution is Jusuhed
as the means OF bringing IL about;
We are not permitted to do evil
that good may come, but in this case
the end is evil The subjuCation OF these
States to negro domination would be
worse than the military despotism under
which they are now suffering. The
blacks in the South are entitled TO be
we'll and humanely governed, and have
the protection of just laws for their
rights of person and property; and'
if it were practicable at this time,
10 give them government Of their
own, it is questionable to do so, but now
they arc permitted to elect legislators,
to organize State governments aud elect
State officers. No independent govern
ment has ever been maintained by ne
groes i,
The message goes on to argue the
danger of the elective franchise, and
SAYS. Four millions of degraded slaves
Yesterday cannot be made intelligent
freedmen to-day. The President is
willing to Join in any plan to better the
condition of the negroes and all their
rights, save transferring to them
our political inheritances. The Presl-
dent alludes to the uncounted millions
that the Congressional plan has cost,
and says it will increase the burdens OF
taxation, and may bankrupt u.s. We
must not delude ourselves. 1t will re-
quire strong standing army, and prob
ably more than seventy millions per.year
to maintain the supremacy of the
negroes when established. The
money thus thrown away, if put
into sinking fund, would pay the
National debt in fifteen years. It's vain
TO hope the negro will maintain his own
ascendaucy. He discusses the extent to
which he may go toward protecting the
Constitution and opposing the unconsti'
tutional acts of Congress, and says it has
caused him much solicitude, and he be-
lieyes the Executive resistance to un'
constitutional acts,in high times of party
excitement, might lead to civil war. The
Executive would concede much to pre-
serve the peace, but there may be times
when he would have to take stand |
regardless of consequence The so-called |
reconstruction acts do not come within tn
provision just mentioned, though clearly |
The people are not
wholly disarmed of the power of self
defense. In all the Northern States they |
still hold in their hands the right OF pro-
lection, and the late results OF ballot |
show, be says, that his faith in the people
was not misplaced.
THE Civil Tenure bill is next dis
cussed and denounced as uncoustitu.
tional and extra judiciary, and pro.
motive of fraud in preventing the
removal Of dishonest officers. The
President then deliberately discussed the
financial question, and invites to it the
early consideration of Congress in COM
pairing the currency circulation of seven
years ago with now. He says that
striking facts made it the obvious duty
of Government to take such measures as
will enable holders of its notes and those
of the National Banks to convert them
without loss into specie or its equivalent
A reduction of our circulating paper me-
dium need not necessarily follow. This
would defend the law of demand and
supply, though it should be borne in
mind that, by making legal tender and
bank notes convertible into coin or its
their present specie value
would be enhanced 100 per cent. The
varied issues of our bonds, and the
gold and paper interest Of the same
Is alluded to at some length. The Presi
dent declares that equal and exact justice
requires that all the creditors of the
Government should be paid in currency
Of equal value-not gold for one and
paper for another. He iavors the measure
Of retiring our paper currency, 30 that
gold and silver may cease to be articles
Of traffic, and return to our avenues of
trade. 1t is unreasonable to expect a
return to sound currency so long as the
Government, by continuing to issue ire.
1eemable notes, fills the channels Of cir.
culation with deprecated paper. The
attention Of Congress is earnestly invited
to the necessity of a revision of our reve.
nue. systehl, and reductionin the number
of articles taxed is urged. The Presi.
dent says peace has been secured with
the Indians, but that he has no official
details from Commissioners.
The reports of the Interior, Treasury,
War and Postofice Departments are
briefly alluded to, but the figures
have been published already.
Regarding foreign affairs, the Pres
ident SAYS Mexico is relieved from
foreign Intervention, and peace again
reirns in Central and South America.
The United States were creditably repre-.
sented at the Paris Exposition, and at
the General Conference of Nations
the universal system of gold coinage
was agreed on.
OF the Alabama claims the President
speaks as followsi No arrangement has
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