The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1869-03-11
MISCELLANY.
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
OF
PRESIDENT GRANT.

Citizens ofthe United States'-Your
suarages having elected me to the Office
of President of the United States, l
have, in conformity with the constitu
tion of our country, taken the oath OF
Office prescribed therein. I have taken
this oath without mental reservation
and with the determination to do, to
the Best of my ability, all that it re-
quires Of me.
The responsibilities of the position
feel, but accept them without fear. The
Office has come to me uusought. L
commence its duties untrammelled. l
bring to it conscientious desire and
determination to FIJI it to the best of my
ability to the satisfaction of the people.
On all leading questions agitating the
public mind, I will express my views to
Congress: and urge them according to
my judgment, AMI when I think it ad-
visable, will exercise the constitutional
privilege of interposing veto to defeat
measures which I oppose; but all laws
will be faithfully executed, whether
they meet my approval or not.
shall on all subjects have a policy
to recommend, but none to enforce a.
gainst the will of the people. Laws are
to govern all alike, those opposed to, as
we'll as those who favor them. l know
no method to secure the repeal of bad
or obnoxious laws so effective as their
stringent execution.
Tho country having just emerged
from great rebellion, many questions
will come before it for settlement in the
next four years which preceding admin
istrations have never had to deal with.
In meeting these, it is desirable that
they should be approached calmly, with
out prejudice, hate or sectional pride
remembering that the greatest good of
the greatest number is the object to be
attaiued, of person, property and for
religious aud political opinion in every
part of our common country, without
regard to locel prejudices, Laws to Sc
cure these ends will receive my best ef.
forts for their enforcement.
A great debt has been contracted in
securing to us and our posterity the
Union. The payment of this principal
and interest, as well as the return to
specie basis as soon as it Gun be accom-
plished without material detriment to
of the debtor class or to the country
at large, must be provided for
To protect the national honor, eve
ry dollar of government indebted
ness should be paid in gold, Unless 9th.
erwise expressly stipulated in the con-
tract.
Letit be understood that no repudia-
tor Of one farthing of our public debt
will be trusted inpublic place, and it will
60 far towards Strengthening a credit
which ought to be the best in the world
and will ultimately enable US to replace
the debt with bonds bearing less inter-
est than we now pay. To this should
be added faithful collection of the rev.
enue, strict accountability to the treas
pry for every dollar collected, and the
greatest practicable retrenchment in ex-
perditure in every department of the
government. When we compare the
paying capacity of the country now with
ten States still in poverty f:on the
effects of war, but soon to emerge,
thrust, in greater prosperity thai ever
before, with its paying capacity twenty
five years ago, and calculate what it
probably will be twenty-five years hence
who can doubt the feasibility of paying
every dollar then with more ease than
We nowpay for useless luxuries. Why,
it looks as though Providence had be-
slowed upon us strong box ; the pre-
cious metals locked up in the sterile
mountains of the far West, which we
are now forging the key to unlock to
meet the very contingency that is now
upon US.
Ultimately it may be necessary to in
crease the facilities to reach these riches
and it may be necessary also that the
general government should give its aid
to secure the access. But that should
only be when a dollar of obligation to
pay secures the dollar to us nov, and
not before. Whilst the question ol