Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1869-12-15
PRlSIDLlhI'S NESSAGE.
WAsHINGToN- Dec. 6

IS with gratitude to the Giver Of all goot
iof the many benefits we enjoy We ar,
blessed with peace at home, and are withou
entangilng alliances abroad to forebodt
trouble, with q territory unsurpassed in fer
UNITY, OF an area equal to the abundant sup
port of five hundred millions of people
and abounding IN every variety of use
fnl mineral IN quantity sufficient tt
supply the world for generations, with
exuberant crops and with a variety
OF climate adapted to the production o1
every specie of earth's riches, and suited
to the habits, tastes and requirements ot
every living thing; with a population Of
forty millions of free people, all speaking
one language; with facilities for every NOR
tai to acquire an education; with institu.
tions closing to none the avenues to fame,
or any blessing or fortune that may be COW
eted; with freedom of the pulpit, the press
aud the school,; with revenue flowing into
the national treasury beyond the
requirements of Government sup.
ply. Harmony is being rapidly
restored within our own borders. Manu-
L ctures hitherto unknown IN our country
are springing up IN all directions producing
degree Of national independence une-
qualed by at of any other power. These
blessings, and countless others are IN
y
keeping for the brief period of our tenure
of Office. IN short time we must each OF
rs return 20 the ranks of the people, who
have conferred upon us our honors, and
account to them for our stewardship. I
earnestly desire that neither you nor | may
be condemned by free and enlightened
constituency, nor by. our own con-
science. Emerging from re-
bellion OF gigantic magnitude, aided
as it was by the sympathy and as
sistance OF nations with which we were at
peace, eleven Ststes of the Union were
four years ago left without legal state
governments; a debt had been contracted
American commerce was almost driven
from the seas; the industry of one-half
the country had been taken from the con-
troll of the capitalist and placed where all
labor rightfully belongs, in the keeping of
the laborer. The work of restoring the
state governments loyal to the Union,
of protecting and fostering free labor and
providing means for paying interest on the
public debt has reed ample attention from
Congress; although your efforts have not
met with the success, in all particulars, that
might have been desired, yet on the whole
they have been more successful than could
have been reasonably anticipated. Seven
states which passed ordinancesof secession
she Union. The eighth, Georgia, held an
election, at which she ratified her consti-
ution, republican in form, elected gov
Tnor, members of Congress, a state legis-
ature and all other officers required. The
governor was duly installed and the legis-
ature met and performed all the acts
herein required of them by the
reconstruction acts of Congress. Subse-
Iuently, however, IN violation of the coz
'titutionwbich they had just ratified, as
iincc decided by the Supreme Court of the
tate, they unseated tie colored members
If the Legislature, and admitted to seats
,ome members who are disqualified b. the
bird clause of the fourteenth amendment
the constitution an article which they
themselves had contributed to ratifv. Un
Ter these circumstances, I would submit to
on whether it would not be wise without
lelay to enact q law authorizing the COVER
.er of Georgia to convene the members
riginallY elected requiring each
aember to take the oath prescribed by the
sconstruchon act, and none to be admitted
rho are Ineligible under the third clause of
le fourteenth amendment. The freedmen
nder the protection which they have re
aiVed are making rapid progress in learn
ag. and no complaints are heard for lack
industry on their part, when they re-
CiFS tftAI ISGluuStdLIJi1 lOE buSiG tdOOrs
The means provided for paying the in
crest on the public debt with all other
expenses of the Government are
more than ample. The loss of our COM
nerce is the only result of the late rebel
ion which has not received sufficient at
tention from you. To this subject I call
your earnest attention. will not now sug-
gest plans by which this object may be eff
fected, but will, if necessary, make it the
subject Of a special message during the
session Of Congress.
At the March term Congress, by joint
resolution, authorized the executive to Or
der an election in the states of Virginia,
Mississippi aud Texas, to submit to them
the constitutions which each had previous
~ in convention framed and submitted,
the Constitution, either entire or in separate
parts, to be voted upon, at the discretion
of the Executive. Under this authority,
elections were called. In Virginia the elec-
tion took place on the 9th Of July, 1869.
The Governor and Lieutenant Governor
elected have been installed. The Legisla-
ture met and did all required by this reSo
luton and by all the reconstruction acts of
Congress, and abstained from all doubtful
authority. | recommend that her Senators
and Representatives be recognized, and
that the state be fully restored to its place
in Mississippi and Texas, to commence
on the 50th Of November 1869, and to last
two days in Mississippi and four days in
Texas. The elections have taken place, but
the result IS not known. 1t is to be hoped
that the acts of the Legislatures of these
states, when they meet, will be such as to
receive your approval, and thus close the
work of reconstruction.
Among the evils growing out of the re-
bellion, and not yet referred to, is that of
an lrredeemable currency. It is an evil
which, | hope, will receive your most
earnest attention 1t is a duty, and one of
the highest duties, of the Government to
secure to the citizens a medium of
exchange of fixed unvarying val
ne. This implies a return to a
specie basis, and no substitute for it can
be devised 1t should be commenced now,
and reached at the earliest practicable mo-
ment, consistent with a fair regard to the
interest of the debtor class. Immediate re-
sumption, if practicable, would not be de-
sirable. 1t would compel the debtor class
to pay beyond their contracts the premium
of gold at the date of their purchase, and
would bring bankruptcy and ruin
to thousands. Fluctuations, however,
in the paper value of the measure
of all values, gold. is detrimental to the in
tSieStS VI tiaue, II adhes man Oh ousI-
ness an involuntary gambler, for in all
sales when future payment is to be made,
both parties speculate as to what will be
the value of the currency 70 be paid and
received. | earnestly recommend to you,
then, such legislation as Will insure grad
ual return to specie payments, and put an
immediate stop to fluctuations in the value
OF currency. The methods to secure these
results are as numerous as the speculations
on political economy. To secure the
latter I see but one way, and that is,
to authorize the treasury to redeem its own
paper at a fixed price whenever presented;
to with old from circulation all such eur
reney deemed until sold again for gold;
the vas resources of the nation, both de-
veloped and undeveloped, ought to make
our credit the best on earth, with a less
burden of taxation than the citizen has en-