The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1869-03-11
The Inaugural Address.


CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES -
Your suffrages having elected me to the
Office of President of the United States,
have, in conformity with the Constitution
of our country, taken the oath of Office
prescribed therein. I bave taken this
oath without mental reservation, and with
the determination to do, to the best of my
ability, all that it requires of me-
The responsibilities of the position /
feel, but accept them without fear. The
office has come to me unsou9ht: | COM
mence its duties untrammeled / bring
to it a conscientious desire and determina-
ton to fill it to the best of my ability 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 when 1 think it advisable
will execute 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 a policy to
recommend, none to enforce against the
will of the people. Laws are to govern all
alike-those opposed to as well as those in
favor of them. | know no method to Sc
cure the repeal of bad or obnoxious laws
SO effective as their stringent execution.
The country having just emerged from
great Rebellion, many questions will come
before it for settlement in the next four
years. which preceding Administrations
have never had to deal with In meeting
these it is desirable that they should be
appreciated calmly, without prejudice, hate,
or sectional pride, remembering that the
greatest good to the greatest number is the
object to be attained. This requires secu-
rity of person and property, and of relig-
ious and political opinion In every part of
| our common country, without regard to
local prejudice. All laws to secure this
end will receive my best efforts for their
enforcement.
A great debt has been contracted in Sc
curing to us and our posterity the Union.
The payment of this, principal and interest,
as well as the return to specie basis as
soon as it can be accomplished withoutmate-
| rial detriment to the debtor classes or to
the country at large, must be provided for.
To protect the national honor every dol
lar of the Government Indebtedness should
be paid in gold, unless otherwise expressly
stipulated In the contract. Let it be un.
dcrstood that no repudiator of one farthing
of our public debt will be trusted in pub
| lie 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 replace the debt with bonds
l L 4
To this shall be added faithful collection
of the revenue; strict accountability. to
the Treasury for every dollar collected,
and the greatest practicable retreuchment
in expenditures in every department OF
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
capaciS; twenty-five years ago, and calcu
late 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 p
Why, it looks as through Providence. hae
bestowed upon US strong box: the prec
ious metals locked up in the sterile noun
tains of the far West, which we are nov
forging the key to unlock, to meet the very
contingency that is now upon us.
Ultimately it may be necessary to in
crease the facilities to reach these riches
and it may be necessary also that the Gen
eral Government should give its aid to Sc
cure this access. But that should only b
when dollar of obligation to pay secures
precisely the. same sort of dollar in us'
now, and not before.
While the question of specie payment
is in allegiance, the prudent business mar
is careful about contracting debts payabh
in the distant future the nation shoulc
! follow the same rule. A PROSTATE com
mcrce is to be rebuilt, and all industrie
encouraged. The young men of the coun
try-those who form this age and must b
rulers twenty-five years hence-haye a pc
culiar interest in maintaining the nationa
honor. A moments reflection upon wha
will be our commanding influence anon;