The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1870-01-01
CONDITION OF THE COUNTRY.

The first annual message OF President Grant
was delivered to Congress December 9th. We
make this synopsis:
CONDITION OF THE COUNTRY.
Emerging from a rebellion of gigantic magni-
tude, aided as it was by the sympathy and assist
ance of nations with which we were at peace,
eleven States of the Union were four years ago
left without legal State Government. A debt
had been contracted American INNER was
almost driven from the seas the industry of one
half the country had been taken from the control
of the capitalists and placed where all labor
rightfully belongs, in the keeping Of the laborer.
The work of restoring State Governments loyal
TO the Union, of the protecting and fostering OF
labor, and providing means for paying the interest
on the public debt, has received ample attention
from Congress.
The freedmen, under the protection which they
have received, are making rapid progress in
learning, and no complaints are heard of a lack
OF industry on their part when they receive fair
remuneration for their labor.
The means provided for paying the interest on
the public debt, with all other expenses of Gov
eminent, are more than ample. The loss OF our
mmer is the only result of the rebellion which
has not received sufficient attention from you.
MISSOURI, VIRGINIA AND TEXAS.
1t is to be hoped that the acts of Legislatures
Of these States, when they meet, will be such as
TO receive your appreciation.
THE CURRENCY QUESTION.
Among the evils growing out of the rebellion,
and not yet referred to, is that of an irredeemable
currency. 1t is an evil which l hope will receive
your most earnest attention. 1t IS a duty, one
of the highest of the duties of the Government,
to secure to the citizens n medium of exchange of
an unyarying value. This implies a return to a
specie basis, and no substitute for it can be
devised. It should be commenced now and
reached at the earliest practical moment consistent
with a fair regard to the interest of the debtor
class. Immediate resumption, if practicable,
would not be desirable. 1t would compel the
debtor class to pay beyond their contracts the
premium on gold at the date Of their purchase,
and would bring bankruptcy and ruin to thou
sands.
CUSTOM DUTIES.
The revenues Of the country are greater than
the requirements, and may with safety be reduced;
but as the funding of the debt, IN four or four
and a half per cent. bonds would reduce the
annual current expenses largely, and thus after
funding justifying a greater reduction of taxation
than would now be expected, | suggest the post
ponement of this question until the next meeting
of Congress; [when It'll may be advisable to
modify taxation and the tariff in instances where
unjust or. burdensome determinations are made
by the present laws.
THE NATIONAL TREASURY.
The report of the Secretary of the Treasury
shows the receipts of Government for the fiscal
year ending June so, 1869, to be 1910, 943,747,
and the expenditures, including interest, etc., to
be 1921 AGO ,597. The estimates for the ensuing
year are more favorable to the Government, and
viii no doubt show a large decrease of the public
lebt.
@ THE CUBAN QUESTION.
As the United States is the freest ofail nations,
20, too, its citizens sympathize with all peoples
.truSglfhg for liberty and self-government ; but,
while SO sympathizing, it is due to our honor
that We should abstain from enforcing our views
upon unwilling nations, and from taking an in
Derested part in irritating questions between diff
nations, or between Governments and their
Our course should always be in con-
forIaity with strict justice and law-international
and local.
The people and Government. of the United
States entertain the same warm feelings and SYM
pathies for the people of Cuba in their pending
struggle that they manifested throughout the
previous struggles between Spain and her colonies
in behalf of the latter but the contest at no time
has assumed the conditions which amount to war
n the sense of international law or which would
show the existence of a political organization Of
sufficient TO justify a recognition of
heir belligerency. The principle is maintained,
that this nation will be its own Judge as
20 the rights of belligerency, either to a people
to free themselves from a Government
hey believe to be oppressive, or to independent
nations at war with each other. The United
States have no disposition to interfere with the
existing relations of Spain to her colonial possess
'ions on this continent. They believe that in due
line Spain and other European Powers will find
heir interest in terminating those relations, and
n establishing their present dependencies as in
REPRESENTATIVES Of the family of
Nations. These dependencies are no longer re-
as subject to transfer from one European
to another. When the present relations
If the Colonies cease, they are to become indie
'endent Powers. exercising the right of choice
md of self-eOntrOl in the determination of their
uturs condition and relations with other Powers.
oUR REL4T1oEs AERO .'. aH'
Tie coed Offices If the l'DjteG ates tO hriuC {