New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-06-11

| ntnt OF the publlc debt, tarlH reform, al
nexation of San Domingo, and the gel
eral foreign policy of the government, I'll
administration has met with severe crit
cism and aroused greater debate with
4 than outside of its own ranks. And yet, i
all these the result has been more cordia
| support IN the end than would otherwis
have been attained. The reason is obvious
| Those at the head of affairs are neither Dis
headed, self-willed, nor corrupt; and havt
therefore, been ready to correct errors whe
pointed out, and modify measures or chang
| policies when the necessity is made al
| parent, as we'll as to adhere the more closet
| TO that line of conduct which withstand.
| unshaken, whatever assaults may be mad
| upon iit. This administration can unhes
| tatlnSly point to the work it has already &C
| complished in fultillment of the pledge
| upon which it came into power. 1t has pai
III two years more than $500, 900 of tn
pubic debt, which 1t undertook to put upol
the FOOTING of ultimate extinction. One
twelfth of the whole has thus. in the frs
two years OF this Administration been extin
guished, and thereby in interest alone ST.
0O0,0O0 of the annual burdens have BEEF
nfted from the shoulders of the people
And at the same time $S3,000,0O0 more o
those burdens have been removed by tn
repeal OF internal taxes and foreign imports
~ IlO PAoSCcc VI the DuDll
burdens, first undertaken in earnest wheI
General Grant assumed direction of publ,
affairs. All this reduction has been NOR,
than compensated in the aggregate receipts
OF the public treasury by more faithful
and efficient collection of the remaining rev
enue, and by the growth. of every industr,
under healthy legislation and wise admins
tration, so that the actual receints and est
mates for the present fiscal year show thai
there Will be at its close 500. 900 900 sur
plus over all expenditures, to be applied t.
still further diminution Of the public debt
Ii, therefore, there should be no change al
policy, and no financial disaster. the tour
years OF this administration will close with
constant reduction of taxation. and vet a
yearly extinguishment of Sl00, 100000 of the
pubic debt-in all, One-sixth part of the en-
tire indebtedness of the nation. There is
no parallel to this in the financial history of
any other people. .....l. 49, -
In the matter of public expenditures this
administration has been equally fortunate
in commanding the public confidence. In
addition TO reduction of $50. 000, 900 during
Its flrst year, it has by general law the pres
ent year covered into the treasury and
passed TO the general fund more than twice
that sum which stood in unexpended bal
ances to the credit of the several bureaus.
and hitherto available at any moment for
expenditure, keeping at the same time the
aggregate OF appropriations as low as that
OF the first year
In tariff reform good work has been be-
gun by the addition of more than tifty
articles to the free list, and by a more intel
ligent adjustment of duties, opening the
way for greater work during the next two
years ID bringing raw materials and labor
and consumption into such harmony that
they shall, each in its own field, command
the markets of the country.
The provision for iunding on long time of
more than One-half of the entire public
debt, at a reduced rate of interest. averag-
ing less than five per cent, and thereby saw
ing, when fully carried out in the matter of
interest alone. SIS, 900. 900 annually-now so
far advanced as to insure SUGGESTS one
among the many measures of this admins.
tration, both for relief from public burdens
and for insuring the ultimate extinction of
the public debt, to which its friends NAV
point with confidence and pride.
In matters of reconstruction also-the
most difficult of all the tasks inherited by
this administration-it has not been found
Never since the fall of the States
ill now have they all been restored to their
proper relations to the Union. and been
tully represented in both houses of Congress.
And never since they rebelled anew under
Andrew johnson till now have thew felt
brought home to them the restraining power
If law. The Ku-Kiux, originating In the
license and encouragement of the last ad-
encounters in this the penal
les OF its crimes.
No friend of the present administration
reed. therefore, hesitate for a moment in
,uttlng its claim for continuance of pub
&c confidence upon its past record for no
me that has preceded it has, in two short
ears, accomplished so much worthy of
concentration and support, and in so little
las come short of Its own promises and the
'ublic expectation.
Nor is there less of encouragement in the
eld of labor into which it now enters for
he two years that remain. 1t has already
ecured during the entire period an as
ured majority in both houses of Congress
arge enough for their own health, and for
IS support lii every measure worthy of sue
ess AN indication of abiding confidence
OF accorded to any of its predecessors for
lore than generation. except to that of
Ir. Lincoln. in the midst of the war Ad-
ering strictly to the inaugural. the
trongest convictions of the executive
re surrendered TO the will of the |
eOple. expressed through Congress, that
Inmate appeal on all questions that con- |
4rn the republic. San Domingo will fail |
, distract or divide, for to the people this |
roblem has been referred for solution. In /
Ike manner revenue reform" will come |
to be the resultant of seemingly
scordant and conflicting views of indus
ial and financial policy, to which Penn
'lvania, Illinois and New England will with
acrity adopt both theory and practice.
AT this present writing the labors of the
gh commission are as yet incomplete, to
at any judgment passed on the character
Its work would be premature; but the
untry is well nigh prepared in advance to
I'll It's peace-otterlng as alike honorable
i'd acceptable, and to extend to these who
e carrying on to a successful result those
tf1cult and delicate negotiations the credit
lie to the vast Importance of the questions
volved.
The spring elections have also given
rength to the administration and brought
eakness and confusion to its enemies
he defeat in New Hampshire, no less than
e triumph in Connecticut, bore this double
ut. Warned III season by the one to take
ed as to Its footsteps, the Republican
rty Slrded up its loins for fierce struggle
d final victory in the other, while their
ponents. elated by unexpected success in
Nv Hamshire, threw off disguise, and de-
loped their true character in bloody out
eaks at the South, and unblushing de-
Use OF ku klux outrages at the North.
us did the enormities which were born
their first success render another impos-
lie, and achieved for them an overwhelm-
, defeat. One of the ablest and most
ndid OF the Democrats in the national
lncils remarked, on the morning the tele-
aph announced the result in Connecticut.
1t g. the New Hampshire victory had
ought every Copperhead in the party to
, surface, and had well nigh worked their
n, and another such in Connecticut !
uld have completed it."
Thus candid review of the record on /
S administration during the first two !
lrs of its term, as well as an unbiased {
animation of its unfinished work and sur. S
: of the field before it, leaves no occasion '