The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-12-06
The Prcsident's Message-A Good State
Paper and n Stanch Party Platform.

| u
American in manner, character, thought and
purpose, and firm believer in our popular
institutions of liberty and equality, as now
reflected from our national constitution, and
such is the character OF his annual Message to
Congress, which we lay before our readers
this morning. As an exhibit of the manage
meat under bis supervision of the government
in our foreign and domestic affairs, there is
much in this Message that is good and encour-
aging, and as foreshadowing Of the general
policy of his administration there is nothing ia
ii calculated to disturb the general confidence
ofthe country. Let us briefly examine it.
Opening with recognition of the blessings
of Divine Providence, as devout as the graft
tude of old King Williams dispatches, the
Message Immediately follows with regret
s'that free exercise Of the elective franchise
has by violence and intimidation been denied
to citizens in exceptional cases in several OF
the States lately in rebellion, and the
verdict of the people has thereby been re-
versed" This is a serious charge. The States
referred to, we suppose, are North Carolina,
Alabama and Texas, and the evidence and
intimidation mentioned are levelled at the
Ku KIux Khan. We know there was during
the summer a terrible uproar in North Carolina
between Governor Holden and the mysterious
Ku Klux desperadoes but we thought that
business tempest in teapot and that 1t had
been settled in com promise. We had heard
Of scenes of evidence and intimidation
ora;pst tha moor hawid al blacks in Alabama
and Texas, but had never supposed they were
50 bad as to call for a special notice in the
Presidents Message. The hint will probably
be followed by some further measures Of
Southern reconstruction, though General Grant
hopes the work will be completed with the
restoration OF Georgia, and we hope so too.
The course of the administration in refe-
renee to the war in France and the French
republic, and in regard to the application from
the provisional French government for the
friendly Intervention of the United States in
behalf of peace, as detailed by the President,
is in some respects very gratifying, and in all
respects, perhaps, satisfactory. We are, how
ever, inclined to think that the time is near,
if not already upon us, when this antedluvian
policy of a Chinese isolation from European
affairs will have to be abandoned by this great
oyershadowing and expanding republic of the
West SO in regard to Cuba we are sorry to
hear that in the State Department cit Is not
understood that the condition of the insur-
rection has materially changed since
the close of the last session OF Con-
gress Still it is pleasant to know
that course Of prosperous negotiations is on
foot which promises the maintenance of our
friendly relations with Spain; and pleasant to
know that ''the long deferred peace conference
between Spain and the allied South American
republics has been inaugurated at Washington
under The auspices Of the Uaited States" and
we are particularly pleased that, in the opinion
of General Grant, ''as the time is not probably
| tar distant when, in the natural course of
events the European political connections
with this Continent will cease, our policy
should be shaped in view Of this probability"
| so as to meet the grand American ideas on this
subject the Monroe doctrine) of Monroe,
Adams and Clay.
" Here, then, we have the key to General
Grants st. Domingo annexation treaty,
rejected by the Senate at the last session. but
in regard to which time has only confirmed
the President in his views. He is satisfied,
too, that if we abandon this project some
European nation will step in and take
our place. The argument Of the Massage for
the acquisition of this splendid island Of St.
Domingo (beginning with the Dominican sec
tion) is very strong; and in view OF the
Importance Of the question joint resolution
is recommended looking to the ultimatum Of
annexation as in the case Of Texas, the identi-
cal policy suggested in our editorial columns
last summer. Doubtless, on the Texas plan
this Dominican scheme will succeed, for we
quite agree with General Grant that sSthe
project has only to be investiga ted to be
approved"
There appears next little difficulty with
Mexico, which, with proper nursing, may
bring forth good fruit. The President says
that s'the injurious effects upon the revenue Of
the United States from the policy Of the Next
can government in exempting from import du-
ties large tract of it's territory on borders"
(the free zone), are not only continued in spite
of our representations, but that it is even pro-
posed to enlarge this free zone and correspond
ingly the facilities to frontier smuggling. The
earnest attention of Congress is called to this
matter, and we would submit that perhaps the
shortest method of disposing of this Stree
! zone" would be to extend ''the flag" over it
| from sea to sea and down, say to Yucatan.
Nothing has been done, and nothing
appears to be doing on those Alabama claims.
The Message, however, asks Congress to
authorize a commission to make out the bill Of
actual cash damages for our ships pluldeved
and destroyed by Anglo-rebe cruisers, to be
held over the head Of John Bull. In reopen