New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-03-13
THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 1873.
The Presidents Inaugural Ad.
dress.

seldom an inaugural address has been SO
true and complete reelection OF the charac-
ter, the disposition, and tendencies OF man
as the speech delivered by the President on
the occasion Of his second Inauguration. II
shows him not only as the faithful! servant
of the people, who, as the true citizen oil
great Republic, has always been ready to
obey and carry out their mandates, even
when they ronfiicied with his own fayorite
plans, and his opinions about some measures
through which he thought to promote the
greatness AMI welfare Of the Republic; but
II stamps him cmlnently as one Of the fore
most men in his attitude in reference to pro-
gress and Improvement in every direction.
In this resppct he has shown himself vastly
superior TO MIR. Lincoln. who, with heart
full Of benevolence and humanity, love Of
Justice and respect for the rights of all men,
vet lacked the determination and indepcnd-
eucs to take the lead In inaugurating the
great measures on which in those days the
life, the existence, and integrity Of the ma
ton depended. He consequently fingered
il the rear, carefully felt his way, and
sounded public opinion, and therefore seemed
to Weld rather than to act from his own i'm
pulse. President Grant, On the contrary,
has never hesitated openly to proclaim the
most advanced opinions, to give free utter
ance TO all his promptings Of philanthropy,
Justice, and benevolence, and to urge the
legislation needed to give them substance
aud reality, leaving the responsibility with
the representatives Of the people either to
act on his recommendations or to leave them
unheeded. 1t would be superiiuous to point
In evidence the Presidents advocacy OF
equal civil rights, for no one can read his
speech without noticing particularly that
feature in it, which besides is too much
in keeping with his whole course during
the first term Of his administration, to al
low the least doubt Of his sincerity and
solicitude Oh the subject. The same
kindhearted and benevolent disposition he
has manifested IN recommending a more
humane policy towards the Indians than has
been practiced heretofore, and in making him
self the first steps to inaugurate an era OF
prosperity and peace to those aboriginal
tribes, who, though not put under the ban OF
slavery and the prejudice Of color that rested
on the negroes, yet were neither held to pos
sess any rights which the dominant race was
bound to respect, and generally not treated
much better than wild beasts that may be
hunted down with IMMUNITY. In fact, it is
the first time that a President Of the United
States has shown an earnest and sincere de-
sire 10 improve the condition Of hat rerse-
cuted and ill-treated race.
The only part Of the address to which We
might take exception, is the illusions to the
abuses and ISLANDERS that have been heaped
on the President. Certainly every word he
said on the subject is true every one must
needs remember the vile attacks through
which his antagonists sought to prevent his
reelection; how he was charged with every
kind of villainy and rascality, as well as the
dignifed silence, will be remembered, which
he opposed to those base attacks, CALLING as
they must have been to q man of pure char
acter and noble and honest purpose. Since,
however, the whole of the American people
have brilliantly indicated him by re-electing
him triumphantly right III the face of those
ISLANDERS, the smallest part Of which, if true,
would make him utterly unfit for the high
trust he holds, again, the President in view of
this vindication would better have left this
matter entirely with them and passed it over
in silence as he has done heretofore. On
the whole, the address is one Of the most
concise, unostentatious, most sincere, and
freest from cant that was ever delivered on a
similar occasion.