The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1869-03-11
inaugural of President Grant,
March 4th, 1869.

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CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES
Your suffrages having elected me to the
office of President of the United States, l
have, in conformity with the Constitution
of our country, taken the oath OF office
prescribed therein. / have taken this oath
without mental reservation, and with the
determination to do the best OF my
ability, all that it requires of me.
The responsibilities of the position l
feel, but accept them without fear. The
office has come to me unsought; l COM
mence its duties untrammeled. bring
to it conscientious desire and determine
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 I think it advisable
will execute the constitutionalpriTilege of
interposing a veto to defeatmeasures 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 allke-those opposed to as well as those
in favor of them. | know no method to
secure the repeal of bad or obnoxious laws
so effective as their stringent execution.
The country having just emerged from
a great Rebellion many questions will
come before it for settlement in the next
four years. which preceding Administra
tions have never had to deal with. In
meeting these it is desirable that they
should be appreciated lmly, without
prejudice, hate, or sectional pride, remem-
bering that the greatest good to the
greatest number is the object to be attained
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 this end will receive
my best efforts for their enforcement
A great debt has been contracted in
securingto us and our posterity the Union
The payment Of this principal and inter
est, as we'll as the return to a specie basis
as soon as it can be accomplished with
out material detriment to the debtor class
or to the country at large, must be provided
for. @
To protect the national honor every
dollar of the Government indebtedness
should be paid in gold, unless otherwise
expressly stipulated in the contract. Let
it be understood that no repudiator OF one
farthing of our public debt will be trusted
in public places and it will go far toward
strengthening credit which ought to be
the best in the world, and will ultimately
enable us to replace the debt with bonds
bearing less interest than we now pay. To
this shall be added faithful collection
of the revenue; strict accountability to
the Treasury for every dollar collected,
and the greatest practicable retrenchment
in expenditures in every department of
Government
When we compare she 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
capacity tweaty five years ago, and calcu-
late what it pregably will be twenty-five
years hence who can doubt the teaslblll-
ty of paying every dollar then with more
ease than we now pay fer useless luxuriese
Why it looks as though Providence had
bestowed uponus strong box, the preci-
ous metals locked up i'll the sterile: noun
tains of the far West, which we axe now
forging the key to unlock, to meet the
veGy 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
General Government should give it's aid
to secure this access. But that should only
be when dollar of obligation to pay Sc
cures precisely the same sort of dollar in
use now, and not before
While the question of specie payments
is IN allegiance, the prudent business man
is careful about contracting debts paya-
bic In the distar5 future;. the nation should
follow the same rule. A prostrate COM
meree is to be rebuilt, and all Industries
encouraged. 'Ehe young men of the
colaatry-those who form this age and
must be rulers twenty-five years hence
have peculiar interes5 in maintaining
the. national honor A moments refec-
tion upon what will be, our commanding
influence among the nations of the earth
in their day,if they are only true to them,
selves, should inspire them with national
pride All divisions, geographical, polit-
cal, and religious, can join In the common
sentiment.
How the public debt is to be paid, or
specie payments resumed, is notso impor
can't as that plan should be adopted and
aquiesced in A united determination to
do, is worth more than divided counsels
upon the method of doing. Legislation
on this subject may not be necessary now
nor even advisable, but it will be when
I civil law is more fully restored in al
parts of the country, and trade resumes
its wonted channels. It viii BE my en-
deavor to execute, all laws in good faith