Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1869-03-11
Grants Inaugural Address.
CITIZENS OF rnE UslrEp srAres:

1Our suffrage haViag elevated NE
TO the office Of President Of the Uni
ted States, / have. IN conformity
with the Constitution Of our country.
taken the oath of Office prescribtd
therein. have takes this oath with
out mental reservation, and with tie
| determination to do to the best of my
ability all that it requires of me.
The responsibilities OF the position
feel, bus accept them without fear.
The office has come to me unsought
commence its duties untrammeled.
| bring to it conscientious desire
and determination to fill it to the
best of my ability, to the satisfaction
OF the people. On all the leading
questions agitating the public mind,
l viii always express my views to
Congress, and urge them according
to my judgment; and when think
it advisable will exercise the consti
tutional privilege of interposing q
veto to defeat measures which I op
pose; but all laws will be faithfully
executed, whether they meet nv ap-
proval or net. ] shall on all Sub
jects pursue the peliey of enforcing
laws that are enacted, bat will re-
commend none TO be enforced against
the will of the people. Laws are to
govern all alike-those opposed
to as we'll as those who favor
\ them. / know of no method
to secure the repeal of bad or OBJ
noxious laws so effective as .heir
stringent execution.
The country having just emerged
from great rebellion, many ques
tions will come before it for settle
ment in the next four years, which
preceding administrations have never
had to deal with In meeting these
it is deslrable that they should be ap
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 and
property, and freedom of religious
and political opinions in every part
of our common country, without re-
gard to local prejudice. Laws to sc
cure 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, princi-
pal and interest, as well as the re-
turn to 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 pro
vided for. TO protect the national
honor, every dollar of Government
Indebtedness shonld be paid in gold,
unless otherwise expressly stipulated
in the contract. Let it be under
stood that no repudiator of one farth-
ing of our public debt, will be trust
ed in public place, and it will go far
toward strene thening credit which
ought to be the best in the world.
and will ultimately enable us tc re-
place the debt with bonds bearing
less interest than we now pay. To
this should be added faithful col
lection of the revenue, a strict ac
countability to the Treasury for
every dollar collected, and the great.
est practicable retrenchment in ex-
penditure in every department of
Government.
When we compare the paying ca
pacity of the country now, with ten
States lin poverty from the effects
of war-but soon, trust, to emerge
into greater prosperity than ever be-
fore-with its paying capacity TWEEN
ty-five years ago, and calculate 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 use,
less luxuries? Why, it looks as
though Providence had bestowed |
upon US strong box, the precious
metals locked up in the sterile noun.
tains of the far West, which we are
now forging the key to unlock, to
meet the very contingency that is
now upon us Ultimately it may be
necessary to increase 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
10 pay secures precisely the same
sort of dollar we use now, and not
before.
Whilst the question OF specie pay
ments is in allegiance, the prudent
business man is careful about con-
tracing debts payable in the distant
future The nation should follow
the same rule. Prostrate commerce
is to be rebuilt and all industries en-.
couraged. The young men of the
country-those who from their age
must be its rulers twenty-five years
hence-h have peculiar interest in
maintaining the national honor. A
moments reflection as to what will
be our commanding influence among
the nations of the earth in their dav.
if they are only true to themselves,
should inspire them with national
pride. All divisions, geographical,
political and religious, can ioin in
this common sentiment. How the
public debt is to be paid, or specie
payments resumed, is not SO impor-
tand as that a plan should be adopted
and acquiesced in. A united deter
mination to do, is worth more than
divided councils upon the method of.
doing Legislation upon this sub
ject may not be necessary now, or
even advisable; but it will be when
the civil law is more fully restored
in all parts of the country aa:a. trade
resumes its wonted channels.
1t will be my endeavor to execute
all laws in good faith, to collect all
revenues assessed, and to have them
properly accounted for and economi.
cally disbursed. l will, to the best
of my ability, appoint to Office those
onlU who shall carrx ont a.: