Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1867-12-07

and says IL will increase the burdens Oh sas
alton, and may bankrupt us. we mus;
not" he adds, 'delude ourselves. 1t VIII
reourire strong standing army, and propa-
bly, more than 100000 per year 70 main
tain the supremacy of negro governments
when they are established. Inc money tnus
thrown away, if put into sinking fund,
would pay the national debt in Is years. 1t
is vain to hope the negroes will maintain
their own ascendency."
He discusses the extent to which the Pre- |
sident may go toward protecting the Con.
stitution aud opposing the unconstitutional
acts of Congress, and says it has caused him,
much solicitude, and he believes that Execu-
tive resistance to unconstitutional acts might
in high times of party excitement lead to
civil war. The Executive would copccde
much to preserve the peace, but there may
he times when he would have to take stand
regardless of the consequences. The So
called Reconstruction acts do not come
within the purview just mentioned, though
clearly unconstitutional. The people are
not wholly disarmed of the power of self
defense. In all the Northen States they still
and the late results of the ballot shows, he
says, that his faith in the people was not
misplaced.
The Civil Tenure bill is next discussed and
denounced as unconstitutional and extra
judicial, and promotive of fraud in prevent.
ing the removal of dishonest officers.
| The President than elsborately discusses
the financial question, and invites to it the
carly consideration of Congress- In COM
pairing the currency circulation of seven
years ago with now, he says that "thc strik-
ing facts make it the obvious duty of the
Government to take such measures as will
enable the holder of its notes and those OF
the National Banks to convert them without
loss into specie or its equivalent necessarily
follow. This would depend on 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
equivalent, 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 20 at some
length, and the President declares that equal
and exact justice requires that all of the
creditors of the Government should be paid
in a currency of equal value, not gold for
one and paper for another. He favors the
measure of retiring our paper currency that
the return of gold and silver may cease to
be articles of traffic, and ruturn to our
avenues Of trade. ut is unreasonable to
expect" he says, "a return to a sound cur
rency SO long as the Government, by con-
tinuing to issue irredeemable notes, fills the
channels Of circulation with deprecated
paper"
The attention of Congress is earnestly
invited to the necessity of thorough revision
of our revenue system, and the large reduc-
tion in the number of articles taxed is ur.
ged.
The President says that peace has been
secured with the Indians, but that he has
no official details from the Commissioners
: The reports of the Interior, Navy, War
and Post. Office Departments, are briefly al
,. luded to, but the figures have been publish
ed already.
Regarding foreign affairs, the Presiden
says Mexico is relieved from foreign inter
position, and that peace reigns in Contra
' and South America. The United State
,, were creditable represented at the Pari
Exposition, and at a General Conference o
: all nations there universal system of golt
coinage was agreed on. Of the Alabam
> claims the President speaks as follows: IN
a arrangement has been reached for the settle
. ment of our claims for British depreciation
:, upon the commerce of the United Statss
y l have felt it my duty to decline the propo
. sition Of arbitration made by Her Majesty
. Government, because it has hitherto bee
y accompanied BY reservations and limitation
' incompatible with the rights, and interest
:, of our country. 1t is not to be apprehende
/. that Great Britain will persist in her refuss
= to satisfy these just and reasonable claim:
!. which involves the sacred principle of nor
= intervention, principal henceforth no
- more important to the United States tha
. to all other commercial nations" The Pre-
=. sidcrt says that treaty has been conclude
- with the King of Denmark for the cessio
of the islands of st. Thomas and St. John
to the United States. The President ask
- pay for Alaska of Congress.
. The President concludes as follows: Th
- - abuse of our laws by the clandestine prose
) cution of the African slave trade from Anne
a lea ports, or by American citizens, has o
'SS together ceased, and under existing circun
y stances no apprehensions of its renewal
!. this part of the world are entertained. Ur
~ der these circumstances it becomes que
, tion whether we shall not propose to II,
- Majesty's Government suspension, G
!. discontinuance of the stipulations for mair
- tanning naval force for the suppression
r 'r that trade.