The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-12-07
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1869.
7BE PRESIDENTS MESSAGB.

dent will exercise tranquillizing and benet-
oial influence upon the country. While it
evades no important question, and abounds
in suggestions, it contains nothing calculated
to excite alarm and foreshadows no new
dangers
It's references to foreign questions justify
the belief of Grants supporters that while he
would jealously guard the national honor and
ensrgetically protect and promote the national
interests, he would carefully avoid unneces-
sary wars, and spare no proper efforts 10
maintain peace with distant nations, while he
was establishing it at home. He has neither
forgotten, forgiven, nor misunderstood the
policy pursued by Great Britain during the
late civil war. His frequent illusions to this
subject, and his earnest condemnation of the
Johnson Clarendon treaty, show that it has
made deep impression upon him. And yet
he manifests no feeling of vengeance. He
invites an amicable and fair adjustment, but
he gives utterance to the sentiments of mil
lions of his countrymen when he says that "a
sensitive people, conscious of their power,
are more at ease under great wrong wholly
unatoned, than under the restraint of a set
Element which satisfies neither their ideas of
Justice nor their grave sense of the grievance
they have sustained"
In regard to Cuba he has evidently resolved
that while he will enforce the neutrality laws
and protect our interests in the West Indies,
he will leave to Congress, where it properly
belongs, under existing circumstances,
the responsibility of deciding whether the in
surgents shall be recognized either as belliger-
ents or as an independent nation. Whatever
may be our wishes or our sympathies, we
cannot conceal the fact that the Cubans
have not made such an irresistible show of
strength as would fairly entitle them to de-
mand recognition from our Executive, and
the best claim that can be established in their
behalf is that their long-continued resistance
to the Spaniards may justify Congress in
awarding it.
Another illustration of Grants determine
ton to avoid unnecessary broils with foreign
countries is given by his reference to the
bogus claimants to American citizenship,
who, after being naturalized here, return to
their native homes in Europe, reside there
for years, and after having practically dis
carded their allegiance to the United States
being pressed into military service. We had
an overabundant supply of sneaks of this de-
scription in our own land at the time of the
draft, who besieged the British consuls for
certificates of British citizenship, after having
claimed in time of peace that they were
thoroughly Americanized; and the Pre-
sidents familiarity with these proceed
ings has no doubt strengthened his contempt
of the false sentimentality which would
jeopardize the national peace to protect men
who are alike unfaithful to all governments
and ready to change their allegiance with
every change of circumstances. While it is
our true policy to protect at every hazard
all bona .tide citizens, adopted as well as
native, it is folly to jeopardize our welfare for
the class whom he Justly places beyond the
pale of our sympathies
Although the message does not dwell at lengt
upon the leading domestic questions of the
day, there is no want of explicitness. The
President favors resumption of specie pay
ments, but deems it neither practicable nor de-
sirable to enforce premature resumption, and
the business interests of the country will
breathe freer and deeper after the policy he
recommends is fully understood. While he
does not discuss the vexed question OF
free trade or protection, he exhibits
an earnest desire to at once extend
the commerce of the country and to cherish
its vast manufacturing interests. He init
mates that he will probably send special
message to Congress hereafter, directing at
tention to various plans for the extension of
our commerce, which he deems the interest
most seriously injured by the war, and in
most need of immediate assistance. But he
wisely looks to the West Indies, Mexico,
South America, aud to Asia as the fields OF
the future expansions of our shipping interests,
rather than Europe, which is becoming less
and less dependent upon our agricultural pro,
ducts, while our demand for European manu-.
features diminishes. In this connection the
ship canal over the Isthmus of Darier
becomes o work of vast national Importance
and while it is not proposed to burden the
Treasury with any portion of the cost of its
construction, it is highly proper that the Gov
ornment should have the preliminary surveys
made and grant every needed diplomatic aid.
Reconstruction, which was lately an absorb.
ing and overshadowing topic, is now so we'll
advanced that it possesses only secondary i'm
portAnoe The references to it in the Message,
however, show that the President is deter.
mined 20 fully redeem the Republican pledges
Of the last campaign. While he is anxious
topromote the prosperity of the South, and
roady 10 forgive past offenses, he is resolved
TO crush any new symptoms of rebellion, and