The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1869-03-11
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
OF
ULYSSES S. GRANT.

CITIZENS OF THE UNITED SfAT1s:--
Your suffrages having elevated me tt
the Office of President Of the United
States, l have in conformity with th,
Constitution Of our country taker
the oath of Office presented therein
l have taken this oath without men
tai reservation and with the determi
nation to do, to the best of my abiii
ty. all that it requires of me. The
responsibilities of the position | feel
but accept them without fear. The
Office has como to me unsought. !
commence its duties untramellcd. l
| bring to it conscientious desire and
determination to fill it to the best of
my ability, and to the satisfaction OF
the people.
On all leading questions agitating
the public mind, ! will always express
my views to Congress, and urge them
according to my judgment, and whom
l think it advisable, l will exercise
the Constitutional privilege of inter-
posing veto to defeat measures
which ] oppose, but ull laws will be
faithfully executed whether they
meet my approval or not.
l shall on all subjects have policy
to recommend--but none to enforce
against the will of the people. Laws
are to govern alike those opposed to
as well as those who favor them. l
know no method to secure the repeal
Of bad or obnoxious laws so effective
as their stringent execution.
The country having just emerged
from great Rebellion many ques-
tions will come before it for settle
ment in the next four years, which
preceding administrations have never
hau to deal with. In meeting these
it is desirable that they should be ap-
preached calmly, without prejudice,
hate, or sectional pride; remember
ing that the greatest good to the
greatest number is the object to be
attained. This requires security of
person and property, and for relig-
ious and political opinion in every
part of our common country with
out regard to local prejudice. Laws
to secure these will receive my best
efforts for their enforcement.
A great debt has been contracted
in preserving to us and our posterity
the Union. Tho payment Of this,
principal and interest, as well as the
return to specie basis as soon as it
can be accomplished without mate
rial detriment to the debtor class, or
to the country at large, must be pro-
vidcd for. TO protect the National
honor every dollar of Government
Indebtedness should be paid in gold
unless otherwise expressly stipulated
in the contract.
Let it be understood that no repu-
diator of one farthing of our public
debt will be trusted in public place,
and it will 90 far towards strength
ening 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, strict ac-
countability to the Treasury for eve
ry dollar collected, and the greatest
| practicable retrenchment in expendi-
lures in every department of the
Government
When we compare the paying ca
pacity 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 be-
fore, with its 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 then with moro ease than
We now pay for useless luxuries P
Why it looks as though Providence
had bestowed upon us as in strong
box, the precious metals locked up in
the sterile mountains of theiar West
which we are now forging the key to
unlock, to meet the very contingency
which is now upon us. Ultimately
it may be necessary to increase the
facilities to reach these riches, and il
may be necessary also that the Gen
eral Government should give its aid
to secure tins access, but that should
only be when q dollar of obligation
to pay secures precisely tho same
sort of a dollar to use now, and not
before. While TIE question of specie
payment is in allegiance, the prudent
business man Is careful about con
tracing debts payable In the distant
future. The nation should follow the
same rule.
A PROSTATE commerce to be rebuilt
and all the industries encouraged, tn.
young men of the country, those wht
from their age must be its rulers
twenty-five years hence, have pc
caliar interest in maintaining the ma
tional honor, q moments reflection
as to what will be our commanding
| influence among the nations of th'
earth in their day, if they are only
true to themselves, should inspire il
them national pride. All divisions
geographical, political, and religious
can JOIN in this common sentiment.
How tho public debt is to be pait
or specie payments resumed, is no
SO important as that plan should b
adopted and aequiesced in. A unitee
determination to do is worth NOR
than divided counsels upon the meth
cd of doing. Legislation upon thi
subject may not be necessary now
nor oven advisable; but it will b
when the civil law is more fully re
stored in all parts Of the country, am
trade resumes its wonted channels
1t win be my endeavor to collec
all revenues assessed, and TO hav
them properly accounted for an
economically disbnrsed. l will, t
the best Of my ability, appoint to o
fec those only who will carry ont thi
design.
In regard @ foreign policy woal
deal with nations rs equitably as La
requires individuals to deal with eac
other. and would protect law abit
) ing citizens, whether of native or {
foreign birth. wherever his rights al
jeopardlzed or the flag of our countr
, floats. ] would respect the rights /
all nations, demanding equal respe'
for our own. Ii others depart trol
this rule in their dealings with us "