Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1869-03-09
President Grants Inaugural Address

citizens OF the United states:
Your suffrages having elevated me
to the office of President of the
United States, I have, in conformity
with the Constitution of our country,
taken the oath of office provided
therein. have taken this oath with
out mental reservation, and with the
determination to do, to the best of
my ability, all that is required of me.
The responsibilities of the position /
feel, but accept them without fear
The Office has come to me unsought.
| commence its duties untrammeled.
| bring to il conscientious desire
and determination to fill it to the best
of nay ability, and to the satisfaction
of the people.
HE WILL OBEY THE LAWS.
On all leading questions agitating
the public mind, will always express
my views to Congress, and urge them
according to my judgement, and
when think it advisable will exer
else the constitutional privilege of
interposing veto to defeat measures
which oppose but all laws will be
faithfully executed, whether they
meet my approval or not. shall on
all subjects have apolicy to recomend,
none to enforce against the will of
the people laws are to govern all
alike, those opposed to, as well as
those who favor them. / know
of no method to secure the repeal
of bad or obnoxious laws so effective
as their stringent execution.
THE GREATEST GOOD TO THE GREATEST
NUMBER.
The country having just emerged
from great rebellion, many ques-
tons will come before it for settle
ment in the next four years, which
the preceding administrations have
never had to deal with. In meeting
these it is desirable that they should
be approached calmly, without pred
judice, hate or sectional pride, re-
Wondering that the greatest good to
the greatert number is the object to
be attained. This requires security
ofperson and property and federation
for 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 TO- their enforceme nt.
THE MATT oNAL DEBT MUST BE PAID IN
COIN.
A great debt has been contracted
in securing to us and our posterity
the Union. The payment of thi.
principal interest, as we'll as the re-
turn to specie basis, as soon as il
can be accomplished without mater
ial detriment to the debtor class OF
to the country at large, must be pro-
vided for.
Wemust protect the national honor
Every dollar of the Government in
debtedness should be paid in gold,
unless otherwise expressly stipulated
in the contract. Let it be under
stood that no repudiator of one far
thing of our public debt will be trusts
ed 10 public places; and it will go far
toward strengthening a credit which
ought to be the best in the world,
and will ultimately enable US to re-
place the debt with bonds bearing less
interest than we row pay. I'd this
should be added faithful collection
of the revenue, a strict accountable
ity to the Treasury for every dollar
collected, and the greatest practica-
BILE retrenchment in expenditure in
every department of the Govern
ment. When we compare the pay
ing capacity of the country now,
with ten States still in poverty from
effects of war; but soon to emerge, l
trust, into greater prosperity than
ever before, with it's paying capacity
twenty-five years ago, and calculate
what it will be twenty-five years
hence, who can doubt the feasibility
of paying every dollar with more
ease than we now pay for useless
Injuries :?