Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-03-12
The Presidents Message.

0ran1 (Wn1ch we puoiisned last week was
evidently written by him, and may therefore
be looked at as giving without color or eva
zion his views on public questions.
The presidential policy that this utterance
seems to foreshadow, may be summarized in
the following PROPOSITIONS:
l. The extension of the territory and The
institutions of the United States.
2. Equal civil rights to all citizens
3. The construction of cheap routes of
transit from the West to the seab0ard.
4. A continuation of the peace policy in
dealing with the Indians.
5. An adherence to civil service reform.
The FREEMAN has so often expressed it,
opinion in opposition to any enlargement
toward the South of the territory and roru-
lation of the United States, that there is ~
need to discuss that point in these columns.
We regret, however, that the President
should have suggested territorial extension
In this message: and inasmuch as he int
mates that be shall not take the initiative in
such measures, it would, it seems to us, hav,
been just as we'll to have said nothing about
it. Until our present family of States is 50
far peaceful and law-abiding as to render 4
standing army unnecessary to maintain
peace in our own borders; until presider-
tial election can be go peacefully and success
fully conducted as to allow all the States OF
the present Union voice in choosing the
President; the ignorant, superstitious, tuy-
bulent, revolutionary, Spanish-speaking pee
pies at the South of US, had better remain
as now beyond the boundaries of the Unitei
States.
It is hardly necessary for us to say that
We do not share in the Presidents opinion
that the time is near when the people Of the
whole earth will speak our language and Be
under our government. The English speak
ing people number, perhaps, at the outside
limit one hundred millions of the human
race, or perhaps one-twelfth of the entire
population of the globe, and the English
language will hardly be the spoken tongue
of the whole human family in any future
time short of the prophetic periods of the
apocalypse. 1t would, perhaps, be rash to
venture the assertion that a republican ad-
ministration would not usher in the milien-
mum, and that Washington would not lie
the New Jerusalem of the apocalyptic V.s-
ion; yet we are obliged to confess that re-
cent developments and legislation in G. ngress
do not incline US to look hopefully for sucl.
an event IN the near future. Undou btedlv
the Credit Mobilier crowd, and the friends
of increased salaries would be rejoiced to
move their quarters into city whose gates
were pearls, whose walls were garn shed
with precious stones, and whose principal
material was pure gold: for such city
would furnish opportunities for plumber thai
would leave Cakes Ames both without
profession and without customers neverthe
less, we are constrained to believe that tn,
present tendency OF politicians and politics
is not toward the milennial epoch. Ii j;
probably not given to Presidents even to fl
that day by any certain prediction.
The Presidents adherence to equal civil
rights and to civil service reform was to b
expected and it is only in his determination
to insist upon the new departure in the mat
ter of appointments to office that the reform
in the civil service has the least chance Of
fair trial. Interested politicians do not sur
render without a desperate struggle tb
power of controlling appointments and re
movas: and the President will need all hi
doggedness of determination to enable hin
to resist the crowd OF ofice-seekers
So far as the government can properly ia
vor the construction of cheap routes of trar
sit from the West to the sea board, the Pres
dents recommendation on that point is time
II. If, however, he means, by that part c
his message, to express the opinion tina
such routes ought to be constructed at Il
expense of the United States treasury, U
cannot subscribe to the doctrine. The none
at any time put into the treasury OF IL
United States is collected from the whole PEE
pie, and should not be taken out and expent
ed for the benefit of a part of the peopl
Transportation from Chicago to Boston
now nearly or quite as cheap as from Mon
pelier to Boston, and we fail to see a reasC
why government aid should be given
cheaper the former transportation, and Ii
to cheaper the latter We do not fail
see, however, that this question will assun
especial prominence in the next Congress
and schemes will be pressed which, if adOp
N in ba no blt
dred millions or more. This will involve,
course, increased taxation, which will bril-
with it increased cost of living, and inereas
expenditure of every kind and we feG
also, increased corruption and extravagan
in the administration of public affairs.
one doubts the sincerity of purpose viii
Influenced the President to make such su
gestion, but the wisdom of the propositi
is not to be judged by the honesty of t
man who makes it. Cheap transr ortation
desirable object, out it may be purchas
at quite too large a sacrifice of economy
administration, and of independence a
self-reliance among the people.
The new administration being now fair
in operation. and the excitements of a poll
cal campaign having subsidized, the peol
are left, we trust, free to exercise their iut
ment upon measures of public policy a
nothing could be more fortunate for
country than, that the people should 70
time discard partisan spectacles, and Il
upon men and measures with a sincere
sire to approve only what is clearly
the public good.
The INCREASE OF SALARIss-The incre
of salaries voted at the close Of the rec