National Republican., 1873-12-03
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

. AunScNss'
The fifth annual message Of the President,
and the FIRST of his second administration,
was sent to Congress yesterday, and will be
found In other columns this morning. Dur
Ing the past two months the country, In view
Of the many vital questions Of public
though. aud discussion which have been
before II, has anxiously awaited the views
OF tho President as communicated to Con-
grcss, for now and sudden complications had
ariscn-compllcatlon at home and abroad
Involving peace or war, and bearing upon
every material interest Of the republic. The
eyes Of the whole people have been turned
toward the Executive Mansion and the Cap
itol since last September Business has been
at stand still; trade and industry have Lam
guished; mills and factories have suspended
work, throwing hundreds and thousands Of
people out Of employment, and pre-
saying gloom and disaster during the
whole Of the season, which is peculiarly
severe npon the classes directly affected.
Then, again, there was within q month the
little cloud upon our foreign horizon threat
ening war, and stirring every patriotic i'm
pulse as 1t has not been stirred In nearly ten
years. So far as these two great questions
arc concerned, the message is message Of
hopc and Of peace. In the one portion we
have an entire absence Of sensation. There
Is NO blustcr about what the Administration
has done. The satisfactory settlement of the
difficulty that threatened 80 many direful
consequences; the triumph Of the Admins
tration, acting through the Department Of
State, Is told so simply and unobtrusively
that the impulse to make light of the whole
subject Is irresistible. Tie President had
q magnificent opportunity for the display
of what We term "buncombe." A Presi-
dent less strong in the confidence Of the
country, less secure In the knowledge that he
was supported by the whole people, would
have undoubtedly appealed TO the passion Of
the hour, and made the crowds on the street
corners cheer and wave their hats. That he
has not done so, that he has not used the
stage tricks Of the mere politician, but con-
tented himself with the plain, unvarnished
tale Of what has been and what may be
done, will win for him the approval Of all
whose approval is worth more than the fleet
Ing huzzss Of the crowd.
There Is material for q hundred editorials
In tho message, and any attempt TO compress
the various topics discussed In 1t within the
usual limits Of modern newspaper article
would be simply ridiculous. The financial
question occupies the largest share of con-
siderAtion. OF course there will DO some
sharp criticism upon the views and sugges4
tions thrown out by the President; but one
portion In II at least will meet with hearty
commepdation, viz: that the great need Of
he. tna Al n anaata nm y.
mcnt, Is more elastic currency. The Presi-
dent seems 10 think that although we
are nearer to specie payment now than
We have been al any time since Its suspen-
sion ut the beginning Of the war, specie pay
mcnt Is In the very nature Of things impos-
siblc rs long as we are importing more than
W. are exporting. The advocates of the
crazy doctrine that the way to resume is to
resume will not be pleased, and will, IN all
probability, blame the President that he has
not recommended some wild experiments
which would, II tried, leave us in worse
condition than VIC arc now. This portion Of
the message will command universal atten-
tion. The President has suggested one rem
sdy for the evils and difficulties Of the sltu-
alton. II devolvcs upon Congress to find q
better one. The question OF transportation
10 only second to that Of the finances.
The ono has direct bearing upon the
other, and Is so closely connected with 1t,
that the two can hardly be separated. A year
ago the message contained some suggestions
upon the subject, TO which, unfortunately
no attention whatever was paid by the branch
Of Congress which should he Z charged itself
with that duty. The gentlemen Of the House
were SO busily engaged In investigating one
another and In Increasing their compensation
that they left II TO the Senate In special ses-
sion 10 appoint committee to report upon
II. Let us hope that that report, when 1t shall
be presented, will not be thrown aside and
Its recommendations ignored that we shall
not have the same folly repeated. There Is a
large humber Of new men In the House, and
II the old members, either through stupidity
Vr an incapacity TO appreciate the real needs
Of the country, shall fail US they failed year
ago, there will be magnificent chance for
some such man as Mr.. Tremaine to do val
liable service TO the country.
The President has mapped out good deal
OF work for the gentlemen on Capitol Hill,
and II they desire To retain their seats and to
preserve the Republican party the best thing
they can do Is to attend to 1t. They should
remember that the majority Of them were
elected In Presidential year; that they were
elected because General Grant headed the
ticket, and that seyenty-hye per cent. of
them would be defeated tomorrow II they
were to present themselves to their constitu-
ents. This may seem to be mere reckless
assertion, but every sign In the political
heavens bears 1t out, and the elections Of
October furnish the conclusive proof. The
spirit that is abroad In tho West fills
the air Of the East. Congress for nearly
Two yoars-the Republican majority in
CongIess-has been destroying the party,
oyeriDg II with pdlnm and disgrace.
lhA AlI..InI.LraIlnI. nl.aa Ina .nNnl II