The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1872-12-05
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

The PRESIDENTS y MESSAGE.
A calmer, more dispassionate Message
than that which we publish this morning,
from the President of the United States
to the National Congress, has never be
fore issued from the White House. Its
suggestions are few, its recomme ndatons
not many. 1t conveys rather by repres
sion than expression the future policy OF
the Administration, for, as it points to no
new paths, the inference is that the old
ones are to be followed. In manner it lacks
nothing that is indispensable, and the
matter of it is excellent
If the country were a vast estate, hav
ing outside aud inside dealings with its
near and distant neighbors, and the Presi
dent were the steward of il all, just such
a document as this Message he would be
l;keyly to send to his empolyer at the
years end As a compendium of the
couutry's history, of its daily doings, OF
its relations with its foreign and domestic
neishbors, of the condition of its army.
navy, and civil departments it is simply
exhaustive-as concise and satisfactory a
state paper as was ever submitted to the
nation.
The tone of it all is one Of remarkable
quietness, and it is only when it refers to
the Cuban revolution and the continuance
of slavery upon that island by Spain that
it warns with the importance of the sub
lect But even then, the President is
critic, not a partisan.
In connection with Mexico the Message
states very distinctly the condition of that
country, and refers dispassionatey to the
difficulties which exist between it and the
the United States, resulting from lawless
jepredations committed upon our citizens
upon the border; but, beyond recommend
ing an appropriation FOR the Com mission
to continue its existing examinations into
the cases of claimants against Mexico
nothing is suggested
The President cites Tie report Of the
Secretary of the Treasury to show that
during the last year, our ocean. carrying
trade has most rapidly decreased, and he
very earnestly commends the whole mat
ter to the immediate attention Of Congress
lie Expresses his belief that an expendi
ture of four or five millions of dollars by
the country for the purpose of re estab
| fishing our merchant marine will be
money well spent.
The Message shows the President to be
in hearty sympathy with the Postmaster
General in regard to the evils of the
franking privilege, and, 10 connection
with the proposition made by Mr.. Cres
well to incorporate the Telegraph with
the Postal Department, the President re
commcnds to Congress the appointment
of a commission TO take into consideration
in what manner the government may best
secure the existing telegraph liues now
owned by corporations. 1t will, there
fore, be seen that, in this matter also, the
President, is fully committed to the plans
of the Postm General.
In speaking of the quiet, yet rapid
decay of our navy, the Message tersely
put this serious business into language so
plain that every one must understand
at is evident" says the President, THAT
"unlesS steps are taken to preserve our
navy, in a very few years the United
Estates will be the weakest nation upon
'the ocean of all the great Powers" The
subsequent recommends that be makes
upon the subject Congress cannot well
afford to disregard.
There is one suggestion that the Presi
dent makes which will be likely to awaken
widespread interest 1t is that in which
he advises the examination of practiea
| BILE route of ian almost continuous land
locked navigation from Maine to the Gull
of Mexico" To this suggestion We
especially call the attention of our readers
The Indian question occupies large
part of the Message, but it is a question
that has been very emphatically settled
long ago in favor of the Presidents peace
policy.
In regard to the Centennial Celebra
ton, the President docs not, as we antici.
pated he would do, recommend to Con.
gress the propriety of making an ap
propiation sufficient to insure its success
He refers to its importance and to the
interest it will create, and there he ends
the subject.
What every one, who is not merely a
politician, will be glad to hear, is, that
the President means to enforce the Civil
Service rules, in order to render the
service as excellent as possible.
The foregoing are the principal points
in the Presidents very exhaustive aud
satisfactory Message - {n0uirer