The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1869-03-07

lHE IFAydbs rHs Abo22goN OF THE FIr-
t FEESTn AslsbMExr.

WssHrNGToN, March 4.S-After taking the
OATH General Grant saids
Your suffrage has elevated me to the
Office of President Of the Mnitad States. 1
have in comfortably with tho constitution of
our country, taken the oath prescribed
- i have taken this oati. without mental
reservation, and with the dissemination to
do to the best of my ability aIl that is re-
quired Of me. The responsihil of the
position feel, but accept them without
fear. The p5lsco has come to me unseught;
commence IFS duties uusrAmmeled. i
bring TO it d coNsri9ncious desire and de-
tarnination To aii is to the best of my
ability to the satisfaction of the people.
On all leading questions agitating the
To- Congress, md urge them ascording TO
my indgHleGl5 and When Thick Il advisable
Iwill exercise the constitutional privilege
lof interpreting veto to defeat measures
which opPogas bat all laws will be faith
fully executed whether they meet my APP
proyal or not.
shall on all subjects have policy to
recommend, but none to enforce against the
will of the people. Laws are to govern all
alike those who oppose as weii rs those
who favor them. Il know no method to.
secure the repeal of bad and atsnoxious
laws so effective as their stringent execn-c
ton.
The country having just emerged from a
great rebellion. many luestions>will come
before it for settlement in the next four
years which preceding administrations have
| never had to contend with.
In meeting them@1t is desirable they
should be approached calmly and without
prejudice, hatcsor sectional pride, remem-
befiag TINT tlfe greatest good to the greatest
numbsr is,tiae object to be obtained.
This requires security of person and prop
erty, and for religious and political opinion
out regard to local prejudice. All laws to
secure these ends viii receive my best eff
forts for their enforcement.
A great deot has been contracted in Sc
curing to us and our posterity the Union.
The payment of this, principle and interest,
as well as q return to q specie basis, as
soon as it can be accomplished without ma
serial detriment to the debtor class, or to
the country at large, must be provided for.
To protect the national honor every dol
lar of Government Indebtedness should be
paid in gold, unless otherwise expressly
stipulated in the contract. Let it be under
stood that no Reputation of one farthlng of
our public debt will be trusted in public
place, and will 60 far towards strengthening
q credit which ought to be tho best in the
world, and will ultimately enable us to re-
place the debt with bonds bearing less in
terest than we now pay. To this should be
added faithful collection of the revenue,
strict accountability to the Treasury for
every dollar collected, and the greatest
practicable retrenchment in expenditures
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 to emerge, trust, into greater pros
perity than ever before, with its paying
capacity twenty-five years ago, and call
culate what it probably will be twenty five
years hence, who can doubt the feasibility
of paying every dollar, then, with more
ease than we now pay for useless luxuries
Why, it looks as though Providence had
bestowed on 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 contin-
gency that is now upon us. Ultimately it
may be necessary to increase the facilities
to reach these riches, and it may be neces-
sary.- also, that the General Government
should give it's aid to secure it's success.
But that should only be when a dollar of
obligation 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 payable in
the distant future. The nation should fol-
low the safe rule. A PROSTATE commerce is
to be rebuilt and all Industries encouraged.
The young men of the country, those who
from their age must be its rulers twenty
I'VE years hence, have peculiar interest In
maintaining the national honor. A mo-
ment,s reflection as to- what will be-
commanding influence among the nafions
of the earth ifie their day, if they are only
true to themselves, should inspire them
with national pride, all divisions, geograpI-
ical, political and religious, can join in the
common sentiment. How the public debt
is to be paid or specie payments resumed.
is not so important, as that a plan should
be adopted aud acquisced in. Admitted de-
termination to do is worth more than divi-
vided councils upon the method of doing.
Legislation upon that subject may not be
necessary now nor ever advisable, but it
will be when the civil law is more fully re-
stored in ali parts of the country, and trade
resumes its woRted channels. 1t will be my
endeayor to execute all laws in good faith,
to collect all revenues assessed and to have
them promptly accounted for and econom-9
ically disbursed. viii, to the best of my
ability, appoint to office those who will
carry out this design.
In regard to foreign policy, I would deal
with nations as equitable law requires indi-