The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1869-03-12
GRANTS INAUGURAL ADDRESS

CfTlZENB or THE UNITED STATEs.-
Your suffrage having elevated me
TO tho Office Of President Of the
United States, 1 have, in conformi-
" with the Constitution ot our
country, taken the oath Of Office
presented therein I hrt, takon
this oath without montHl rcscrya-
ton, aud with the dctrrm, m ION to
do to the best Of my ability nll thr
IL requires of me.
Ihc responsibilities Of tho posi- d.
ton ! feel, out accept them with
out fear. The otics has como TO
me unsoaeht; I commence its duties
untrammelIed; | bring TO Il con
soie Dtious desire and determination
70 fll II 10 the best Of my ability
and the satisfaction OF the people.
On all the leading questions agita
ting the public mind, vii express
my views 10 Congress .nd urgr
Ihcm according to my judgement;
aud, whsn I ,hink 10 advisable. will
exercise the constitutional privi.
legc Of intc'p .si'g veto to defeat
measures which 4 oppose, but all
laws will he faithfully exccutcd,
whether they me-" my approval or
not.
shall on all suhjcrts pnrsuo the
policy Of enforcing ioTa ilat are
enncted, but will Recommend the
| pzssago Of none the cn!oielne Of
wlI,h will BE- against the will ~
:he pSoplO. Laws are to govern nil
alik, those opposed to, az we'll ar
those who favor them. know no
method 10 secure the repeal OF bad
or obnoxious Laws M effective as
their stringent execution
The country having just cmos -yJ
fropra greaL Eqbcplon many gees
tions will come before IL for settle
n nj in tho next four Years which
preceding Administrator have
never had 70, dcnl with. In meeting
thrsc, a. N desirable that that they
should bc approached calmly, with
out prcjndiee, hate, or sectional
pride, remembering that Tie great.
est good to tho greatest Dumbcr is
the object to be attained. This re
quires security OF person and prop
criy, and Tor religious aud political
opinion, in every part Of our com
mon couhtry, without regard To
local prejudice, Laws to secure
these will RECEIVE my best efforts
tor their enforcement. ''
A great debt has been contracted
in securing US and our postcrity the
Union; tho payment OF this, princi.
pal and interest, as we'll ~ tho Pc.
turn to u specie basis as soon H. II
can be accomplished without mate
rial duIriment TO the debtor class
o. TO tho country a. large, muEt be
provided for to protect the National
honor; every dollar of the Govern.
ment Indebtedness should be paid
in gold, unless otherwise expressly
stipulated in the contract.
Let il be understood that nv re.
pudiatOr OF one farthng OF our pub.
lie debt will bo trusted in public
place, and IL will 20 far toward
Strengthening n credit which ought
10 be the best in tho world, and will
ultimately enable Us 10 replace tho
debt, with bonds bearing less intor.
est than we now pay. 10 this
shouhi be added a faithful collection
OF the revenue, strict dceoun;a-
bility to the Treasury tor every
dollar collected, and the greatest
practicable retrenehmont in cxpcn-
dlturo in every department Of the
Government. When ws compare
tho paying capacity Of the country
now with the len StI;os still ~ pow
erty from the effects OF war, but
soon 10 emerge, trust, into a eat
er prosperity than ever before, with
its paying capacity twenty-five
years ,ago and calculate what it
probably will bo twenty-five years
hence, who doubts the feasibility ii
paying every dollar tho n with more
case than We now, pay ior useless
luxuries. Why, 1t looks as though
Providence haL bestowed upon us
IN tho srerIlo mountains of tho Tar
West which we arc now forging
tho key to unlock to meet the very
contingency that Is now upon us
ultimately IL may BIO necessary 10
incroaso the fncIltios 10 reach these
riches, and j: may be necessary al.
50 that the General Government
should give us aid to secure this
access but that should only be,