Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-12-12

rHF PREsIDENT's MESSAGE.
In point of length, says the Balti.
.,,rs Gazette. the message of Presi-
liant Grant will satisfy the most exact,
;,r of readers 1t, however, the sum
r,sries OF the reports of the several
Departments were eliminated, the
orisinal matter contributed by the
President would be found to occupy a
comparatively small space. OF the
condensed statements of the workings
sf The Departments we have nothing
q. present to say. 1t is with that part
Of the message which may be assumed
70 be the product OF the Presidents
own pen, the result of his most pro-
found reflections, and the choicest ex-
v,sssion OF his matured thoughts, that
"a propose 20 deal. We cannot. We
confess, speak Of it admiringly. 1t is
= dead level OF n,edi ,crity 1t defies
analysis because it contains so little to
snslyze. II treats, indeed, of variety
~ matters, but in mild, hesitating,
,asipid way, as if the President had
eosely grasped them and wus doubt
fuI whether he understood any hing
s,,ous then-as If, in short, their sub
lection 70 the Executive menstruum
hsd made then, au-2reat and little,
important aud unimportant-equally
vspid aud colorless. On the currency
question he is sadly bewildered. He
is Of opinion that if we could keep at
home the gold extracted from our
mines, We could return to specie pay
nsnss. He is equally of opinion that
vs can never return to specie pay
nents until our exports are not only in
excess Of our imports, but also of the
interest We pay on all classes of our
securities abroad. If this be true, we
need not expect to resume specie pay
nents during this generation at least.
he ID clear that more currency is re-
quired to move the crops, and also to
meet the labor payments at the South
but he is equally convinced that no
further imitation Of the currency is de-
sirable. Nevertheless, he would in
a.te the currency by allowing National
banks to issue more notes on deposit
ing with the Treasury United States
bonds of an equal face value. He
does not like to see New York,
OF, Al he says, ''a few commercial
centres" drain the interior States of
sheir currency, and he is opposed to
the payment of interest on deposits
but the only remedy he can suggest
for restoring the circulation to its nat
ural channels is by establishing sys-
TEN Of clearing houses. Finally, he
leaves it to the wisdom of Congress to
devise q remedy. On the Cuban ques-
tion, the message is equally weak and
inoonsequential. Spain, he tells us.
IL doing all she can "to establish the
principles Of universal liberty in the
form Of Republic" and, therefore,
we must deal tenderly with her, and
accept such poor reparation as she is
capable Of making, Notwithstanding
her citizens in Cuba insult our flag
and butcher our people. But if Spain
cannot make all the atonement we have
right to demand, we must remember
that "she has released several thou
sand slaves in Porto Rico" and that
she will, some day or other, liberate
the slaves in Cuba also, if the element
in Cuba which "has seized many Of
the emblems of power" there, will
graciously accord her permission.
Now, with the matter Of slavery in
Cuba, We have nothing to do. Our
duty is to vindicate our own honor,
and put stop to the murder of Amer;-
can citizens. Strange to say, more
over, if slavery in Cuba be, as the
President asserts, the cause of these
s1eessss, by the protocol drawn be
tween the United States and Spain we
are actually assisting to perpetuate the
slavery We condemn; for the Spanish
ioyslists of Cuba are the slave-owners,
for whose atrocities we have called
upon Spain for reparation. In letting
her Of easily, We thus strengthen the
power and influence Of the very men
Who are fighting for slavery, who are
guilty Of the bloody deeds we denounce,
vhS deserve to be punished, and who,
q the President confesses, "are aim
ing 10 rivet still stronger the chains of
slavery and oppression. But, then,
II We are recreant to our own ho Ior,
Aad unjust to our own people; we have
the consolation of knowing that "Cas-
sslar Is our FRIEND" and that "his elo-
qusoee has charmed the world.