The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1869-03-05
for.mo.t rlaoes remaining and left the

foremost places remaining and LETT the
dinlomats TO take their chances with
the officers of the army and navy and
the Others, on the steps and portico,
where, perhaps, they Jared better, being
less crowded and having better view
of the general scene. The rain had
ceased, and, though the atmosphere was
damp, the weather seemed to have no
chilling effect upon the general enthu-
siasm. The grounds opposite and the
streets adjoining were packed with hui
man beings. Near General Grant and
a littlei behind him sat Mrs
Grant, accompanied By her sister, Mrs.
Sharp and Mrs. Casey, her sister-in-
law, Mrs. General Dent and her children,
Jennie and Nellie, and Masters Fred and
u S., Jr. The shouts and bursts OF mu-
sic from q dozen bands subsidized as the
President elect and Chief Justice of the
United States rose simultaneously, ana
the latter commenced, in clear and SOL
emn tones, to recite the formula OF the
Presidential oath of office, which Cen
eral Grant reverentially took, when the
boom of cannon and shouts of the vast
multitude sgain broke forth; fartial
quiet having been restored, the fresl-
dent rose and proceeded to read from
manuscript his inaugural address, aS
follows: =
Citizens of tbs United States
Your suffrage having elevated me to
the Office of President of the United
States, / have, in conformity with the
Constitution of our country, taken the
oath of Office presented therein. have
taken this oath without mental res
lervatiou. and with the determination
to do. to the best of my ability, all that
Il rennires of me. The responsibilities
of the position / feel, but accept them
without fear. The office has come to
me unsought; commence its duties
ustrammeied; l bring to it consclen-
tioas desire and determination to ill II,
to the best of my, ability, to the sat
| isfaction of the people. On all Leading
questions agitatiug the public mind, L
will always express my views to Con-
gress and urge them according to my
| Judgment; and, when / think it advisa-
BILE, will exercise the constitutional
privilege of interposing veto to defeat
the measures which l oppose; but all
laws will be faithfully executed wheth.
er 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 we'll as
those who favor them. / know no
method to secure the repeal of bad or
obnoxious laws so effective as their
strinpeut execution. The country hay-
ing lust emerged from a great rebellion,
many questions will come before 1T tor
settlement in the next four years which
preceding administrations have never
had to deal with. In meeting these 1t
is desirable that they should be APP
preached calmly, without prejudice,
hate or sectional pride, remembering
that the greatest good to the greatest
number is the object to be attained.
This REQUIRES security of person, proper
ty and free religious and political opln-
ion in every part OF our common coun-
try, without regard to local 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, principal and in
terest, as we'll as the return to specie
basis as soon as it can be accom-
plished without material detriment
to the debtor class or to the conn
TRY at large, must be provided for.
To protect the national honor, every
dollar of Government Indebtedness
should be paid in gold, unless otherwise
expressly stipulated in the contract.
Let it be understood that no repudia-
ton of one farthiug of our public debt
will be trusted in q public place, and 1T
will 90 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
interest than we now pay. TO this
should be added q faithful collection OF
the revenue, strict accountability to
the treasury for every dollar collected,
and the greatest practicable retrench-
ment in the expenditures in every de-
partment of the Government. When
we compare the paying capacity of the
country now, with ten States still III
poyerty from the effects of the war, but
soon to emerge, trust, in greater pros
perity than before, with its paying ca
pacity five years ago, and calculate
what il probably will be twenty-five
wears hence, who can DOUBT the feast
biity of paying every dollar then with
more ease than we now pay fer useless
Injuries! Why, il looks as though Prov
idence had bestowed upon me 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 US. Ultimately 1t
may be necessary to increase the faGili-
ties 10 reach these riches, and it may be
necessary;also that the general Govern
men should give its aid to secure this &C
cess; but that should only be when dol
lar of obligation to pay securespreclsely
the same sort of dollar to use now and
not before. Whilst the question of specie
payments is in allegiance, the prudent
business man is careful about contract
iug debts payable in the distant future,
The nation should follow the same rule;
a PROSTATE commerce is to be rebuilt,
and all Industries encouraged. The
young men of the country, these who
from their age must be its rulers TWEEN