New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-12-05

HAWAV6 6VS
tenn must at times work perniciOusly
holds out an inducement to dishonest men
} should such get possession of those offices
to be lax in their scrutiny of goods entered
to enable them finally to make large seiz
ures. Your attention IS respectfully invited
to this subject.
Continued fluctuations i'll the value of gold
as compared with the national currency
has a most damaging effect upon the in
crease and development of the country. in
keeping up prices Of all articles necessary in
every day life 1t fosters spirit of gam
bling. preiudicial alike to national morals
and the national finances. If the question
can be met as to how to give a Il Xed value
to our currency, that value constantly and
uniformly approaching par with specie, "a
very desirable object will be gained.
For the operations OF the army in the past
year, the expense of maintaining it, the IS
Inmates for the ensuing year, and for CONT
nuiDg seacoast and other improvements
| conducted under the supervision of the W ar
Department. refer you to the accompany
ing report OF the Secretary OF War. l cal.
| your attention to the provisions of the act
Of Congress, approved March 3, 1869, which
| discOntinues promotions in the staff corps OF
the army until provided for by law. l rec
ommend that the number Of officers in each
| grade in the staff corps be fixed, and that
whenever the number in any one grade
| falls below the number SO fixed that the
vacancy may be filled by promotion from
the grade below | also recommend that
! when the Office OF chief Of corps becomes
vacant, the place may be filed by selection
| from the corps in which the vacancy exists
| The report OF the Secretary of the Navy
| shows an Improvement III the number and
efficiency vi the naval force, without ma
| terial increase IN the expense OF supporting
it. This is due 70 the policy which has been
| adopted and is being attended as fast as our
material will admit, of using smaller YES
sells as cruisers on the several stations. BY
this means we have been enabled to occupy
at once larger extent of cruising ground.
to visit more frequently the ports where the
presence of our flag is desirable, and gener-
ally to discharge more efficiently the appro-
pirate duties of the navy in time of peace.
without exceeding the number Of men or
the expenditure authorized by law.
During the past year the navy has, in adj
dition to its regular services, supplied the
men and officers for the vessels OF the coast
survey, and has completed the surveys au-
| thOrized by Congress of the isthmus of Darien
and Tehauntepec. and under like authority
has sent out an expedition completely fur
nished and equipped to explore the I'M
known ocean of the north The sugges-
lions of the report as to the necessity for
increasing and improving the material of
the navy, and the plan recommended for
reducing the personnel OF the service to "a
peace standard by the gradual abolition of
certain grades of officers, the reduction OF
others. and the employment OF some in the
service OF tie commercial marine. are well
considered. and deserve the thoughtful at
tention of Congress. | also recommend
that all promotions in the navy above the
rank Of captain he by selection. instead of
by seniority. This course will secure in the
n tapr doc x4..fx A%fi h.I
out an incentive TO young officers to i'm
prove themselves in the knowledge of their
profession. The present cost OF maintain
1nS the navy. its cost compared with that oI
the preceding year and the estimates for
the ensuing year. are contained i'll the ac-
complaining report Of the Secretary of the
Navy.
The enlarged receipts of the Postotire
Department. as shown by the accompany
Ing report of the Postmaster General. eX-
hibit a gratifying increase in that branch
OF the public service. 1t is the index of the
growth Of education and of the prosperity
of the peOple-:wo elements highly condu-
Give to the vigor and stability of republics
with a vast territory like ours, much of il
>parscly populated. but all requiring the
services Of the mail. 1t is not at present
to he expected that this department can be
made self-susiaining. bur IA gradual an
y
fidently relied OF. and the dav is not far
distant when the Postotfice department of
the government will prove a much greater
blessing II the whole people than it
is now. The suggestions OF the Post
master General tor Improvements in
the department presided over by him
are earnestly recommended To your special
attention; especially do | recommend iavor-
able consideration OF the plan for unitin.
the tele grarhc system of the United States !
with the postal system 1t is believed that |
by such Il course the cost of telegraphing |
could be much reduced. and the service Is !
well, if not better. rendered. II would Sc |
cure the further advantage OF extending |
the telegraph through portions of the coun-
try where private enterprise will not con
strtttt It. { 'mmerce trade. and, above all. |
the EFFORTS - bring people widely separ-
ated into community OF interest, are al
ways benefited by RAPID intercommunica-
ton. Education. the grand work of Re |
publican institutions. is encouraged by in
creaslDg the facilities TO gather speedy
news from all parts of the country The
desire t" reap the benefit of such improve
ments Will stimulate education. | refer Won
to the report of the Postmaster General for
full details of the operations Of last year
and for comparative statements Of the result
with former years.
There has been imposed upon the eNecu-
tive branch OF the government the execU-
ton OF the act OF Congless approved April
20. 1871. and commonly known az the In
klux law IN a portion of the State OF South
Carolina. The necessity of the course pur-
sued viii be demonstrated by the report of
the committee TO investigate Southern out
RACES. Under the provisions of the above
act issued proclamation calling the at
tention Of the people OF the United States
to the same, and declaring nv reluctance to
exercise any OF the extraordinary powers
thereby conferred upon ne, except in case
OF imperative necessity, but making known
my purpose to exercise such powers when
ever IT should become necessary to do so.
for the purpose of securing all citizens Of
the United States the peaceful endowment
Of the rights guaranteed to them by the
and the laws. After the pass
age OF this law information was received
from time 10 time that combinations of the
character referred to in this law existed
and were powerful in many parts OF the
Southern States, particularly in certain
counties N the State of South Carolina
Careful investigation was made, and it
was ascertalned that in nine counties of
hat State such combinations were active
and powerful, embracing a sufficient por-
ION OF citizens to control the local author
ty, and having. among other things. the
'hJect OF deprlving the emancipated class
}! the substantial benefits of freedom, and
II preventing the free political action of
hose citizens who did not svmpathize with |
heir own views. Among their operations
we're frequent scourgngs and occasional
'ssasslnatlons, generally perpetrated at
llght by disguised persons, their victims in
Utmost all cases being citizens of different
POLITICAL sentiments from their own. or freed
PERSONS who had shown a disposition to claim