The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1869-03-11
Tha fnancnrnti0n.


ing affairs of the kind that ever took
place in Washington City. There were
more people present than on any former
occasion of the kind. The oath of Office
was administered by Chief Justice
Chase, after which President Grant
delivered the following inaugural Ad-
dress:
CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES:
Your suffrage having elevated nae to
the office of President of the United
States, | have, in conformity with the
Constitution of our coantry, takon the
oath of Office presented therein. | have
taken this oath without mental reserva-
ton, 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
nae unsought. / commence its duties
untrammeled, 1 bring to it a con-
seientious desire and determination to
fill it to the best Of nay ability, to the
satisfaction of the people. On all the
leading questions agitating the public
mind | will always express my views
to Congress; and urge them according
to my Judgment, and, when l think It
advisable, will exercise lhe Constitu-
tional privilege Of interposing veto to
defeat measures which | oppose; but
all laws will be faithfully executed,
whether they meet my approval or not.
l shall on all subjects pursue the policy
of enforcing laws that are enacted, but
will recommend the passage of none to
be enforced against the will of the peo.
pie. Laws are to govern all alike
those opposed to as well as those who
favor them. | know no method to Sc
cure the repeal Of bad or obnoxious
laws so effective as their stringent exc
cution.
The country having just emerged
from a great rebellion, many questions
will come before it for settlement in the
next four years, which preceding ad-
ministrations 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 to
the greatest number is the object to be
attained This requires security Of
person, property, and free religious and
political opinion in every part of our
common country, without regard to
local prejudice. Laws to secure these
will receive my best efforts for their
enforcement.
A great debt has been contracted in
securing us and our posterity the Union.
The payment of this, principal and in
terest, as well as a return to a specie
basis, as soon as it can be accomplished
without material detrimentto the debtor
class or to the country at large, must be
provided for, To protect the national
honor, every dollar of Government in
debtedness should be paid in gold, un-
less otherwise expressly stipulated in the
contract. Let it be understood that no
repudiator of one farthing of our public
debt will be trusted in public place, and
it will go far toward 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
interest than we now pay. To this
should be added faithful collection of
the revenue, a strict accountability to
the Treasury for every dollar collected,
and the greatest practicable retrench-
ment in expenditure in every Depart
ment of Government When we COM
pare the paying capacity of the country
now, with ten States still in poverty
from the effects of war, but soon to
emerge, | trust, into greater prosperity
than ever before, with its paying ca
pacity twenty-five years ago, and cacu-
late what probably will be twenty-five
years hence, who can doubt the FEAST
bility of paying every dollar then with
more ease than we now pay for useless
luxuries2 Why, it looks as though
Providence had bestowed upon us a
strong box-the precious metals locked
up in the sterile mountains of the far
West, which we are now forging the
key to unlock, to meet the very con-
tingency that is now upon us. Ulti-
mately it may be necessary to increase
the facilities to reach these riches, and
it may be necessary, also, that the
General Government should give its
aid to secure this access But that
should only be when a dollar of obliga-
ton to pay secures precisely the same
sort of dollar to use now and not before.
Whilst the question Of specie payments
is in allegiance, the prudent business
man is careful about contracting debts
payablein the distant future. The nation
should follow the same rule A PROSTATE
commerce is to be rebuilt, and all in
dustries encouraged. The young men
of the country, those who, from their
age, must be its rulers twenty-five
years hence, have a peculiar interest in
maintaining the national honor A mo-
ments reflection as to what will be our
commanding influence among the ma
tions of the earth in their day, if they
are only true to themselves, should
inspire them with national pride, All