The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-12-08
PRESIDENT GRANTS FIRST MES
SAGE.
what she Press says of ~.

e GLOW do you Ike tne meesaRef
This was an inquiry heard very often last
night, and propably In seven cases out Of
: ten the answer was 81 like II very well.'
There were those who objected that II was
not strong enough on the Alabama question;
that II was too cold towards the Cubaus; that
II was not sound on the Viz iuia question;
that It was Inconsistent 10 the action pro.
! posed for Georgia, and also inconsistent In
holding that England must be held for
damages for prematurely recognizing the
coufederates, while on the Cuban question,
coucedlng ali claimed by the British Govern
ment, when he saws. "This nation Is its own
Judge when TO accord the rights Of bellg.
erency."
The prevailing eommon-sen view, how.
ever, was that u was cool message-brlef,
perspleuous, and giving facts, figures aud
reasons Ia a comprehensive. statesmanlike
manner.
Iron the ws.hipE on Chrouclsl
The tone OF the message In its entire scope
10 so broad and NATIONAL distinct from the
hne-spun theories OF the dangerous dtalec-
ticlans who for the last thirty years have
poisoned the heart and soul OF the people BY
their false readings Of the Constitution OF the
country-that we feel In reading II that II IL
the utterance OF q man at once strong In his
own convictions and In the confidence OF his
countrymen. The heresy OF secession, In.
vented for q base purpose by bold men, pre-
!
be false, feared to say so; and to save their
places aud to serve their ambition yielded to
Ii like slaves. Now we have an honest ell
zen In tho Presidency, who has won the
right to speak the truth on all questions,
doing 80 without reserve, and with equal
simplicity and moderation.
| tFrym the New York Herald,
The Presidents message 70 before our
readers Marking . new departure In the
Government, 1t 10 q message Of surprising
Importance. As the nrst full and deliberate
| exposition OF the views OF General Grant,
broadly defining the landmarks Of his Ad-
ministration on our domestic and foreign
affairs, we think 1t forsshadows In our great
soldier our nrst statesman Of his day. 1t is
the message Of an honest, earnest, clear.
headed, practical man, fully inspired with
the grandeur and glorious destiny Of the
country; bat fully alive also to the uecessi.
ties and precautions suggested from the
present conditions Of our domestic and
foreign relations.
Tn. p,.s. Liam p. S..i%o.' So.
merit Of brevlty, and 1t Is to be hoped may
become q model In that respect for the COM
municaiions OF his successors. Often the
annual report Of the President to the two
houses has occupied near about page Of
|. this paper. Even the comments OF the press
upon his statements, recommendations aud
arguments have somstlmes been about as
long as the present document. We are glad
to be relieved In this message from surplus.
, , age and tedious yerbiage, and the example
thus set might be safely followed, not only
by General Grants successors, but by some
OF the heads OF departments and bureaus in
their accompanying annual reports. Facts,
figures and reasons, In as brief compass as
possible, are all that the public demand.
General Grant, In a word, has set practical
eI lnple Of retrenchmont and reform In this
matter which Is worthy Of general official
Imitation.
tHrom tn. Phil.dslphis Ipanirsr
The official utterances Of the President on
these stated occasions are properly consld-
cred oracular, as presaging the course Of &C.
ton the existing Govern ment means to pur-
sue. Especially will the present message
excite wide attention from the fact that the
Chief Executive, more than any Of his pre-
> decessors, has constantly maintained u
marked silence regarding the policy the Ad-
ministration was likely TO pursue In govern.
!, has now been broken, and II Is found that
he whom little while ago we estimated a.
a soldier only, 10 In his new position equal l.
. able to cope with the most difficult and per
. picking problems Of government.
The message Is remarkably clear and Wig
orous. Even he who runs may read III
? meanings. With one exception, 1t Is dlrec
and to the point In every paragraph, and Gu
tirely free from the circumocutlons thai
give length aud completely to too many
State papers. Its language is remarkably
Q unaffected, terse and well chosen.
tR,on the PhIl.d-lphia Ags.l
, Tho message 10 not as short as war
promised, nor Is II as explicit as might be
desired. It falls too much into those gcner
, siitics and platltudes By which the real lues'
II tPron the ssv York srId.l
President Grant makes II too evident thai
the preparation OF public documents Is al
a employment In which he Is not at home
His manner OF writing is feeble and llmpIng
and the substance and tissue OF his Idea,
} give an appearance OF repeating with imper
: feet apprehension views borrowed from
others, rather than the digested results o.
independent reflection. His long introduc
. ton detains attention without rcwardlng II
) as the statistical statements aud Historical
4 recital Of which 1t consists convey no Ia
formation. There is nothing In this par
OF tho message which every member OF Con
!, gress and every reader of the document doe
l not know as we'll as the President. Wher
d we pass from the porch into the building W
!. end II an lll-arranged structure made up, 70
tho most part, Of materials selected o
: abridged from the reports Of the heads of tn
departments. In reviewing such documer
d II 10 only necessary to touch upon such POT
C tious as convey something noteworthy o
- new.
o tProm tn. New York TlmD
A sense Of gratitude and pride may wei
1t be awakened In any nation which is Invite
TO contemplate so bright and hopeful re
!, view Of its affairs A. that which Presiden
u Grant 10 provldentlally enabled to lay befor
q us. His message 10 one Of good new
throughout. He presents to US the plctur
D OF a people who have been encompassed wit
n vast difficult ties, but are rapidly shaking o
the burdens which they entailed.
The President has not attempted to ador
q his message with any rhetorical artihcel
IN He gives . comprehensive and buslness-lik
summary OF tho Information which the grea
body OF citizens desire to possess. He omit
nothing OF importance and introduces uoth
e Ing which 10 superfuous.
Prom tue N.w York Tribune
Tho frst annual message OF Presldeu
Grant Is somewhat shorter than annual mes
sayes have usually been for the past fort
10 or hfy years, and this Is an Important re
y commendstlon, though by no means 1t
n greatest. We trust the apprehension evel
Il OF General Frank P. Blair, IT,, that tn
"a President would seek to Initiate Louis Sapo
y, Icon, and make himself by usurpatIon an
d military force = despot for life, will DO dis
ID sipaled by the frankness with which he re
to minds members Of Congress that he auI
u. they must soon return TO private lSfe..
" On tho whole, while we may not fur
D. concur In every Recommendation, We rsgar
er this as one OF The wisest aud most Judlclou
NJ messages ever transmitted to Congress, an
confidently predict for u the hearty AZ
DC prevail and concurrence OF the America
d people.
!. rFrom iLe Richmond Dispatch.
- The late hour at which the message come
Il 10 hand does not enable us to make an analy
. sis Of II. We refer our readers to the tee
n graphic department fer the opinions enter
4. tained Of 1t at the Federal capital. We con
:, fess our surprise at Its recommendations con
- corning Georgia. The sending back tina
+ State TO the original proposition ID a mattel
. somewhat infringing principles ind!speusa
BILE to a confederacy Of States existing cvcl
upon very moderate basis. If the pro
=. posed interference with Georgia be interpret
cd as no moro than proper, and within III
= purvIew OF the power OF Congress, then, in
Iced, tue States are At an end even In th,
&c mildest form of their existence.
/. We cannot regard the future without con
Germ, Notwithstanding that Virginia passc
~ and has every DruADeCt of being