The national Republican., 1868-12-10
MElSSAGE
PRESIDENT OF THB UNITED MITES
Fsi'op eiiisens efhs sensfs -
and Home AZ R<prfsrnfafir<s


state OF the Union, and 10 Its continued disor-
ganired condition undsf tho various laws
which have been passed upon the subject OF
II may be safely assumed, a. an axiom IN the |
goyetnment Of States. that the greatest wrongs |
nna ssSps,R SRs are 'sS;S e. Sy
ing DEGREES Of despotic fuiers, and that the
timely revocation OF injurious and oppressive |
,ns bss goo M can ee
who has the wisdom and magnanimity to re-
trace his steps, when convinced OF error, will
people.
Our own history-aithoush embracing q pc.
TS@ nos loa
bles are directly traeeable to violations Of the
organic law and excessive legislation. The
Sy 81 81 &. sni p.:s ss
ysss, sPSH, the Sue;n.on q rscoS:,,Ss,i9E
s. no o as %
they should longer remain upon the statute.
book. Statss to which the Constitution guar
been reduced to military dependencies, Ia each
Of which the people have been made subjeotto
the arbitrary win Of the commanding general.
State ssal Be repre.snteS isSa inS uonsses eSin Viz
ginis, mississippi, and Texas are yet excluded
from the two Houses, and, contrary to the
tNpTcht pEONlhious Ol tnht instTumtnt, were
| denied participation In the recent election for
| q President and Vice President Of the United
States. The attempt to place the white pop.
color 10 the South has impaired, Il not de-.
stroyed, the kindly relations that had pre-.
yiously existed between them and mutual
| which, leading In some instances to collision
| and bloodshed, has prevented that eo-opera-
| tion between the two races so essential to the
ern ststss. Nor have the iohabitsnts In those
States alone suffered from the disturbed con.
g. % s599s out e hsss n;oS Con S
been agitsted By grave approximations Of trou.
the nationi i,s intere.ts have been injariously
/ anected by the arrangement OF business and
| labor, and the consequent want of prosperity
Throughout that portion Of the country.
The Federal Constitution-the magma ehdria
| Of American rights, under whose wise and
| salutary provisions we have successfully con.
ducted all our domestic aud foreign affairs,
np ssq
sarth-mnst sssutedly be now adequate to the
settlement Of questions growing out Of the
Thi. great f.st is made most manifest BY the
| condition OF the country whtn Congress as
sembled In the month OF December, 1865.
had spent its entire force; II the Southern
lie, and tRfSpsaoas the %sS Whole 'G country G1n
taken place. BY the Application Of the simple
yet effective provisions OF the Constitution,
The Executive Department, with the voluntary
aid OF the States, had brought the work OF
| testor>tion as near completion as was within
the scope OF Its authority, and the nation was
,,s sns,og.sssd ey the prosp%eet % of g. an early and
Congress, however, interycned, and, refusing
to perfect work so nearly contaminated, de-
sented States, adopted a series Of MEASURES
frustrated ali that hsd been 50 saceessfuIiy'
tion and strife, has III the eountry s - fs4ther
from the attainment Of union Aud frater.
nal feeling than at the inception OF the
needs no argument to show that Legislation
quences should be sSrossted. or % else made 's, 70
conform to the genuine principles OF republi-
Uhder the influence of party passion and
sectional prejudice, other acts have been
Congress has already been made familiar with
my views respecting the "tenure Of once
oili:n Esps,ienee has proved that ITS repeal
try, and that while IL remains In force the
President cannot enioin that rigid aceounta.
honest and sfsieDe Execution az ef he 70 isw. "a
Its revocation would enable the Executive
Department to exercise the power OF appoint.
original desigo OF the Federal Coustitution.
The act OF March 2, 1867, making appropria.
> tions for the support OF the army for the year
I
eontslns provisions which Interfere with the
Presidents constitutional functions as com
nandeI.in.ehief OF the army, and deny to
; selves by means Of their own militia. These
provisions should be at once annulled; for
while the nrst might In times Of great emer
| efforts to employ and direct the common
strength OF the nation for Its protection and
preservation, the other is contrary to the ex
| welLregnlated militia being necessary to the
security OF free State, the right Of the peopi,
hss sss rspssi sSs S d
laws would be accepted by the American
people as at least partial return to the fun
an indication that hereafter The Constitutio,
10 to be made the nations safe and unerrinI
/. guide They can be productive Of no perma
= permitted to stand as SO many monuments o
the deficient wisdom which has characterize,
our recent legislation.
early and earnest consideration OF Congress
Compared with the growth Of our population
The public expenditures have reached al
AMOUNT unprecedented 10 our history.
}. Tho population Of the United STATES in ITO
was nearly four millions OF people. Increas
sssn deSaHs m ss sSSI, per cent
!. | crease Of seven hundred per cent. on the popu
lation In 1870. In 1900 II 10 estimated that |
Of eight hundred and slxty-eisht per cent. Il
seyenty-nine years.
The annual expenditures OF the Federa
'' Government In il9l were four million tw
hundred thousand dollars, In 1920, eightee
million two hundred thousand dollarsi
1850, forty-one millions In 1880, sixty-thre
!. millionsj In 1895, nearly thirteen hundred mi
o. lions; and In 1900 1t 10 estimated by the Seer,
psi. slss ,hsS slli Be % % three az SaSdTs% S'' an
20 seventy-two millions.
By comparing the public disbursements Q
~ 1852, as estimated, with those OF 1871, It wi
u be seen that the Increase OF expenditure sine
eight thousand six hundred and eighteen pe
centum, while the increase OF the populatlo
for the same period was only eight hundre
and sixty.eight per centum' Again: tho .,
penses Of the Government In 1880, the year {
peace immediately preceding the war, wer
only sixty-three millions; while In 1860, tn
year Of peace three years after the war, II
estimated they win be three hundred an
4 | seventy.two millions-an increase OF fou
l hundred and eighty.nine per centum, Will
| | the increase OF population was only twenty
! | one per centum for the same period.
These statistics further show that In lTS
the annual rational expenses, compared wit
/. lar per edPiia, and In 1850 but two dollars pt
y edPhdj while In 1869 they will reach the e,
trayagant sum OF nine dollars and seventy
eight cents per edpiid.
II will be observed that all Of these stat,
ments refer to an 1 exhibit the disburse men
Of peace periods. II may, therefore, be OF Ii
= terest to compare the expenditures OF th
three war peTiods-the war with Great Bri
: ain, the Mexican war, and the war OF the II
bellion.
In 1914 the annual expenses incident to th
war OF 1872 reached their highest amount
y | about thirty-oDe Millions while our popull
al expenditure OF only three dollars and eight
N cents rer capita, In lst7 the expenditure
growing out OF the war with Mexico reAchs
hity-nye millions, and the population abot