The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1873-03-08
.- WASHINGTON, March 4.
I'rssilsst Gsnnsss lnansural address,


Fellow eitiseaa: Hinder prov,.
ilence ] have been called 4 secon.l
time 10. act g the Executive over
. great nation rs M heen nv On
tleavor II tho mat "a main,ain ali
the laws. and % far As LAWN INV
power: 10 act FOR the hest interest
Of the people. Nv best efYorfs
will be atyen In the same direction
in the future. and aided. I trnat
BY four years' expex;ence in the
once.
When nv first term Of the Office
OF the Chief executive began. the
country had not recovered from
the effects Of ! rreat internal rev.
olution. and three Of the formar
States Of the Union had mot been
restored to their Federal relations.
Il seemed 10 me w;ee that No nev
Question should be raised 40 long
a. that condition OF affairs existed
therefore, the past four years. 90
far as / could control events. have
been consumed in the effort to
restore harmony. publ: credit and
an the alta Of nea.e aad ,pro.
rress.
Its nv Irm conviction tia. tho
civilized world il tending to 4 re-
publican. or Government Ly the
people through their chosen Rem
resentatives, and that our great
republic 10 destined to be the 1uid-
ing star to Ill others. Undtr our
republic We support an army less
than that OF any European power
Of any standing and q navy less
than that OF at least four at them.
There could he no extension OF
territory on this continent which
would call Tor an increase Of this
force; but rather might such IN
crease enable 10 10 diminish Il.
The theory ofcoyernr:c,st chang.
CO With general proprcss. Nov
that the telegraph is made avaAa-
bile for commuuica ting thought to-
gether with the rapid transit by
steam, all parts of the continent
are made contiguous for oil pur.
posea of Government; and com
munication between the extreme
limits OF { country are made
easier than ii Was throughout The
old Thirteen States 4. tho Leoinpicc
II our national existence.
The effects OF the late civil strife
have been to free the slave and
mako him . citizen. Yet he is no,
possessed of che civil rights Which
ci,jze nsLip should CARY with It
This is wrong. and should be cor
rected. To tbis co-rec. ion l stand
committed. 90 far as Executive in,
fucnce can avail. Social equality
10 not . subject 70 be leo islated nm
on. Nor she'll ] ask that 40 ythina
he done 10 advance the social
status OF the colored man, excep,
10 give him Z fair chance to deyel.
on what there il cool in him. Give
him access 10 schools. and whcr
he trayols let him feel aeured tha,
his conduct viii regulate the treat
ment and fare he will receive.
The STATE 3 Iasely at war witt the
general government are now hap.
pily united. and NO executives con
troll is exercised in any one of then
that would rot-be xercised ia az,
other State under like circume tan
ccs.
In the first wear of the past ad.
ministration. the proposition came
IN for the admission of Santa Do
mipqo az 1 territory OF the Union
Il was not : question OF ms seek
ing. but was q proposition from th,
people cf San Domingo and which
/ entertained. I believe NO v a.
did then. that il vas the best inter
csts Of this untry, for the peo
pie OF San Domingo and all CON
cerned. that the proposition should
be received favorably. It wal
however, regarded unfavorably
and therefore the subject VA
never brought w again by me.
In the future, while / hold m,
present Office, the subject of The &C
auisition Of territory must hav
the support Of the people before
will recccmmend any rropositio
looking to such acquisition. 1 ga
however, that do not share in tn
apprehension held by many % /
The danger OF the Government be
coming weakened snd destroye
by reason oil its extension II Tel
ritory, commerce, education, an
rapid transit OF thought and mat
ter by telegraph and steam hav
changed all this; and rather b,
lieve that our Great Ruler is pre-
narinO the world in his own ono