Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-12-09
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

Fel1o,e Citizens Of the Senate and
House Of Representatives.:
A year of peace and general pros
perity to this nation has passed
since the last assembling Of Con-
.gress. We have, through a kind
providence, been blessed with abun-
T-dant crops, and have been spared
from complications and war with
foreign nations. In our midst COM
parative harmony has been restored.
REBEL VIOLENCE.
1t is to be regretted, however, that
a free exercise of the elective fran
achise has by violence and intimida-
ton been denied to citizens, in ex-
ceptional eases, in several of the
States lately in rebellion, and that
the verdict of the people has there
by been reversed.
RECONSTRUCTION NEARLY COM
PLETED.
,r The States of Virginia, Mississippi
pi and Texas have been restored to
representation in our national coun-
ellis. Georgia is the only State now
without representation; and she may
confidently be expected to take her
place there also at the beginning of
the new year. Then, let us hope,
will be completed the work of re-
construction.
irsr- PROSPECTIVE PROSPERITY.
-. With an acquicsccncc on the part
Of the whole people in the national
obligation to pay the public debt
created as the price of our Union,
1 the pensions to our disabled soldiers
and sailors, and their widows and
" orphans, and i'll the changes to the
. constitution which have been made
necessary by the great rebellion,
there is no reason why we should
not advance in material prosperity
and happiness as no other nation
ever did after so protracted and de-
vastating war.
&c. OUR RELATIONS WITH FRANCE.
100 Soon after the existing war broke
out in Europe, the protection of the
u. S. Minister in Paris was invoked
in favor Of the North Germans dimi-
ciled in French territory. Tnstruc-
lions were issued to him to grant
the protection asked. This has
been followed by an extension of
, American protection to citizens of
Saxony, IIcsse and SAKE Coburg-
Gotha, Columbia, Portugal, Uru-
quay, the Dominican Republic,
Ecuador, Chill, Paraguay and
Venezuela, in Paris. The charge
q was onerous, and one requiring con-
slant and severe labor, as well as
the exercise of patience, prudence
: and good Judgment. 1t has been
performed to the entire satisfaction
of this government, and, as / am
officially informed, equally so to the
. satisfaction Of the government of
, North Germany. AS soon as 7
z learned that a Republic had been
proclaimed in Paris, and that the
people of France had acquicsed in
the change, the Minister of the
United States was directed by tele-
graph to recognize it, and to tender
my congratulations and those of
the people of the United States.
The re-cstablishment n France of a
system Of government disconnected
with the dynastic traditions of
Europe appeared to be a proper
subject for the fclicitation of Ameri-
cans, Should the present struggle
result in attaching the hearts of the
French to our simpler form of rep
.resentatiye government, it will be a
subject of still further satisfaction
to our people. While we make no
effort to impose. our institutions up
on the inhabitants Of other countries.
and while we adhere to our tradi-
'tional neutrality in civil interests
elsewhere, we cannot be Indifferent
to the spread of American political
ideas in a great and highly civilized
country like France. We were ask
cd by the new government to use
our good Offices Jointly with those
Of European powers in the interest
Of peace, Answer was made that
the established policy and the true