The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1869-03-13
of the NcW Frc>E-
dent.
GEN. GRANTS ADDRESS.

$ Your suffrage having elevated me t
: the office of president Of the Unite
e States, | have in conformity with til
y Constitution of our country taken til
oath prescribed therein.
!. | have taken this oath without men
l tai reservation, and with the determine
2 tion to do to the best of my ability al
, that it requires of me. The responsible
f ties of the position | feel, but accept then
without fear. The office has come to m
unsought; I commence its duties untram
. meled. | bring to it conscientiou
desire and determination to fill it to til,
best of my ability to the satisfaction o
the people.
On all leading questions agitating tho
public mind will always express my
views to Congress- and urge them accor
ding to my judgment, and when I think
it advisable I will exercise the constitu.
tional privilege of interposing a veto to
defeat measures which l oppose, but all
laws will be faithfully executed, whether
they meet my approval Or not.
/ shall on all subjects have a policy
to recommend, but none to enforce a.
gainst the will of the people. Laws are
to govern all alike-those opposed to as
we'll as. those who favor them. I know
no method to secure the repeal of bad
and obnoxious laws so effective as their
stringent execution. . s'E
The country havingj just emerged from
a great rebellion, many questions will
come before it for settlement in the next
four years, which preceding administra-
tons have never had to contend with.
In meeting these it is desirable that
they should be approached calmly and
without prejudice, hate or sectional pride,
remembering that the greatest good to
the greatest number is the object to be
obtained.
This requires security of person and
property, and for religious and political
opinion in every part of our common
country, without regard to local prejudice.
All laws to secure these ends will receive
my best efforts for their enforcement.
A great debt has been contracted in
securing to us and to our posterity the
Union. The payment of this principle
and interest, as we'll as the return to a
specie basis as soon as it can be accom-
plished without material detriment to
the debtor class, or the country at large,
must be provided for
To protect the national honor, every
dollar of government Indebtedness should
be paid in gold unless otherwise stipula-
ted in the contract. Let it be under
stood that no repudiator of one farthing
Of our public debt will be trusted in pub
lie place, and 1t will 90 far towards
strengthening a credit which ought to be
The best in the world, and will ultimate
y enable US to replace the debt with
bonds bearing less interest than we now
oay. To this should be added faith
ul collection Of the revenue, strict
accountability to the treasurer for every
lollar collected, and the greatest practi-
:able retrenchment in expenditure in
very department of the government.
When We compare the paying eapaci-
y OF the country now with ten States
till in poverty from the effects OF the
var, but soon to emerge, trust, into
reater prosperity than ever before, with
IS paying capacity twenty-five years
go, and calculate what it probably will
e twenty-five years hence, who can {
oubt~ the feasibility of paying every
ollar then with more ease than We now !
ay for useless luxuries? Why, it looks +
S though Providence had bestowed upon v
S strong box, the precious metals a
'cked up in the sterling mountains of
10 far West, which we are forging the !
ey to unlock to meet the very. contin- i
sncy that is upon us. Ultimately, it h
ay be necessary to INCREASE the tacili-
rs to reach these riches, and it may be t
also, that the government @
lould give its aid to secure this access. o
ut that should only be when dollar of b
litigation to pay secures precisely the
me sort OF dollar to use now and not
fore. Whilst the question of specie d
'yment is in allegiance the prudent bu- y
ness man is careful about contracting d
'bts payable in the distant future. Il
he nation should follow the same rule. v
PROSTATE. commerce is to be rebuilt Il
I'd all industries encouraged. al