Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1869-03-11
Grants Inaugural Address.

CltLzenS OF tHe CHtted OtUteS'
Your suffrage having elevated me
to the Office of President of the
United States, have, in conformi-
ty with the Constitution of our
country, taken the oath of office
prescribed therein. ! have taken
this oath without mental reserva-
ton, and with the determination to
do to the best of my ability all that
it requires of me. The RESPONSE
bilities of the position l feel, but
accept them without fear. The Of
fee has come to me unsought. ]
commence its duties untrammeled
| bring to it a conscientious desire
and determination to fill it to the
best of my ability, to the satisfac-
ton Of the people. On all the lead
ing questionsuagitating the public
mind, / will always express my
views to Congress, and urge them
according to my judgment; and
when / think it advisable will exer-
else the constitutional privilege of
interposing a veto to defeat meas
ures which l oppose; but all laws
will be faithfully executed, whether
they meet my approval or not. /
shall on all subjects pursue the pol
icy of enforcing laws that ars en-
acted, but will recommend none to
be enforced against the will of the
people. Laws are to govern all
alike-thOse opposed to, as well as
those who favor them. l know of
no method to secure tie repeal of
bad or obnoxious laws so effective
as their stringent execution.
The country having just emerged
from a great rebellion, many ques-
tions will come before it for settle
ment in the next four years, which
preceding administrations have new
er had to deal with. In meeting
these it is desirable that they sho'd
be approached calmly, without pref
udice, Nate, or sectional pride, re-
membering that the greatest good
to the greatest number is the object
to be attained. This requires secu-
rity of person and property, and
freedom of religious and political
opinions in every part of our com
mon country, without regard to To-
cal prejudice. Laws to secure these
will receive my best efforts for their
enforcement.
A great debt has been contracted
in securing US and our posterity the
Union. The payment of this, prin-
cipal and interest, as well as the re-
turn to a 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 |
provided for. To protect the ma
tional honor, every dollar Of Gov
ernment Indebtedness should be
paid in gold, unless otherwise ex-
pressly stipulated in the contract.
Let it be understood that no repu-
diator Of one fartbing of our pub
lie debt, will be trusted in public
place, 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 bearing less inter
est than we now pay. To this
should be added a faithful collec-
ton ofthe revenue, strict account
ability to the Treasury tor every
dollar collected, and the greatest
practicable retrenchmentin expend-
iture in every department of Gov
ernment.
When we compare the paying ca
pacity of the country now, with ten
States still in poverty from the eff
fects of war-but soon, / trust, to
emerge into greater prosperity than
ever before-with its paying capac-
ity twenty-five years ago, and cal
eulate what it probably will be
twenty-five years hence, who can
doubt the feasibility of paying ey-
cry dollar then with more ease than
we now pay for useless luxuries
Why, it looks as though Providence
had bestowed upon us a strong
box, the precious metals locked up
in the sterile mountains of the far
West, which we are now forging
The key to unlock, to meet the
very contingency that is now upon
is. Ultimately itmay be necessary
% increase the facilities to reach (
.hesc riches, and l. mW he necessa
a, aiso, that the General Govern
ueHt should give Its aid 70 secure 4
lsssgccss bu. rdaJ Should only
\ a doli .olisatlon to