St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1869-03-12
Supt. of Common Schools
st. .Iohnsburv, March ,. 1869.


Supt. of Common Schools.
st. .IOhnsburv, March ,. 1869.
President Gt'uHt's inaugural.
CU,c1,> oi Mc Tndcd States Your
~nifra%o- havin" elevated me To the office
! OF president OF the United States, | have,
/ III conformity with the constitution OF
/ our country, taken the oath of office
prescribed therein. | have taken this
oath without mental reservation, and
with the determination to do TO the best
oi my ability all that it requires of me.
II" Responsibilities OF the position | feel,
hu. accept thcm without fear The
office has come TO me unSounht. | COM
mcncc lis duties Untrammcled. and bring
TO II Il conscientious desire and determin-
atIon To till II. to the best Of my ability,
TO HE satisfaction OF the people. On all
leading questions ag!lalln" the public
mmd | viii always express my views to
congress, and urgc them, according 10
my judgment and when think 1t ;id-
NI-abic viii exercise the constitutional
privilege "i intcrpo>ing Il veto to defeat
measures which | oppose. But all the
laws viii hr faithfully executed. whether
they meet my approval or not. | shall
"n all >uIj ,c'>, have Il policy TO recon-
mrnd. but none to enforce against the will
ot the people. the laws are to govern
allnc-thuec opposed TO. ;l5 we'll a. those
in favor OF them. know no method TO
secure the repeal of bad or obnoxious
Laws - effective as their stringent cxccu-
tion.
The country having Just emerged from
Il 4rcAt rebellion, many questions will
come before IT tor settlement in the next
tour years which preceding administra-
uou- never had 10 dead with. liz meet
in these, it l. desirable that they should
hr approached calmly. without prejudice,
hate. or sectional pride. remembering
that the greatest good TO the greatest
number l. tie object 10 he attained. This
requires security ut person and property,
and tor rch9iou, and political opinion in
every part ot our common country. with
ont regard To local prejudice. All the
laws To secure tins end will receive my
y grcat debt has been contracted in Sc
curing 10 u and or po>terity the Union.
The payment of thi~. principal interest.
a. well ~ the return To 4 specie basis as
soon a~ it can be accomplished without
material detrimcnt TO the debtor class or
t" the country at large, must be provid-
rd tor. 10 protect the rational honor,
every dollar OF government Indebtedness
should be paid in gold, unless otherwise
expressly stipulated III the contract. Let
it he understood that no rcpudiator of
one iarlhing of the public debt shall he
trusted in Il public place, and it will 20
tar towards strengthening a credit which
ought 10 lie the tc>t i'll the world, and
viii ultimately enable Us to replace our
debt with bond, Erarin. les, interest than
We now pay. To tins should be added
faithful collection of the revenue. a strict
accountability To the treasury for every
dollar collected. and the "rcatc>t prlcti-
cable rctrcnchmcnt in expenditure in
every department OF the government.
When we compare the paying capacity
OF the country now, with ten states still
in poverty from the effects OF the war
but soon 10 emerge, trust, into greater
prosperity than ever bciore-with Its
paying capacity twenty-five wears ago,
and calculate what it will probably bc
twenty-five wears hence, who can doubt
the feasibility of pay ing every dollar then
with more case than we row pay for use
less luNurieS ! Why, ii looks as though
Providence had bestowed upon us Il
strong box OF the precious metals, locked
up in the sterile mountains of the far
west, which we are now forging the KEY
to unlock, 10 meet the very contingency
that Is now upon Us Ultimately it may
be necessary to increase the facilities TO
reach these riches, and it may he neccs-
sary also for the general government TO
give It's aid 10 secure this access but
that should only be when dollar OF Oh
legation 70 pay secures precisely the same
sort of dollar to use and not before
While the question of specie payment Is
III abeyancc, the prudent business
man Is careful about contracting
debts payable in the distant future.
The nation should follow the same rule
y PROSTATE commerce is to be rebuilt.
and all industries encouraged. The young
men oi the country-thUse vino from
their aye must be It's rulers % years
hcnce-havc peculiar interest in main
tanning the national honor. \ moments
reflection as TO what will be our COM
mandlng influence among the nations Of
the earth i'll their day, If they are only
true to themselves, should inspire them
with national pride. All divi>lons-ge-
ographlcal, political and religious-can
JON in this common sentiment How
the public debt is to be paid. or specie
payments resumed, is not 50 important as
that plan should be adopted and ac-
quicsccd in. A united determination TO
do Is worth more than divided councils
upon the method of doing Legislation
upon this subject may not he necessary
now, nor even advisable; it will be when