Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-12-08
The Presidents Message.

NEW DIRK, Dec. lHc llcIdlu s"yo
'rhe message OF Grant is a more crcdltable
document, both in poiot CT reasoning aud lite
rary execution than its predecessors from the
same source The President makes it clear
enough that in his view the three principa
causes which have led to the disastrous defeat
of his party are prostratioD of business, the
condition Of the Southern States, and The I'M
successful experiment of reforming the civil
service. This is not directly stated, but it is
necessarily implied in the texture of his views
on those subjects. The sun Of the message, so
far as it has party bearing, is the cOmlnlttal OF
the President to the restoration of u sound cur
rency, an implied promise TO treat the South
with enity and justice, and abandon the civil
service reform unless Congress supports 1t by
legislation. This is the programme of Pres-
dent Grant for reinstating the republican party.
The President has got the Spanish question
into such state that it can be famed into a
fame whenever he thinks it expcdlent, and he
relies on the country to support him in the war
10 Which the abolition Of slavery in Cuba and
breaking the yoke of colonial servltudc will be
the leading ideas Bat Gen. Grant makes a
stupendous mistake ii he thinks he can play
this desperate game with success. Ii he has
"pigeon-holed" our ust complaint against
Spain with such alpurpose he will have cause
to rue the day when he medltated such trick.
The financial recommendations OF the message
are sound 10 principle but defective 10 details. :
The Times considers the Presidents
views on Guances have undergone no change
and his proposition to repeal the legal
tender clause is sound The President i'll
stating he will still sustain Kellogg, does not
say what he will do about Packard or Casey,
which is pity. The Times thinks the Pres
dents reference to Southern matters is pau
advice, given in kindness and trankness. we
are sorry that he announces his intention Of
abandoning the civil service reform unless Con
gress distinctly supports it by legislation. 1t
was an attempt that promised much and
might have been made to yield great DEAL
With his recommendations as to specie pay
ment and free banking we arc 10 entire SYM
patby."
The Tribune considers this the best message
of the President, probably because written un
der the chasteuing of the late elections 1t
condemns his position towards Louisiana but
comments mainly near all the rest OF the
message.
The Sun says the Presidents message is
reasonably sound theoretically, on hard money
and return to specie payments, but the Pres-
idents arguments arc not As urgent as MS
theories are sound, while some OF his plans TOR
retiring our paper money and reviVlng gold
and silver as circulating medium will pro-
woke severe criticisms not only of the lnhatlon-
lists, but Of the hard money men "a we'll
With the exception OF his recommendation or
free banking the views he now expresses con-
cernng currency are but a rClrcratlCn OF his
veto of the green back bill of the last session.
The World says: President Grant and Sec
rotary Bristow are less ln doubt than the re-
publlcan press and politicians, as to the slgnl
ficance of the overthrow Of their party IN the
late elections They have reached clear
opinion, by what meaDs, if by any means, pollt-
cal revolution can be stopped midway and the
Democratic party hindered from taking posses
SLOT Of every department OF the Govern
ment, in actions OF 1876; Immediate steps
towards specie payment taken, not promised
of which the execution Is pcrpetually postpon-
ed and reform Of tariff to the end OF obtain
ing larger revenues by lower duties on fewer
articles This, their concurrent advice, exhl-
bits the President 5 and the Secretary $ appre-
citation at last of the great evils from which the
country is suffering and their admission, that
those evils are Of Legislative origin aud admit
otlegislative remedy; add to these the exorbl-
taucos and usurpatlons OF power on the part OF
the Federal Government and Gen. Grant and
Secretary Bristow will have discovered precise
ly the vulnerable points 10 the republican policy
upon which the democratic assaults has been
concentrated and are irresistible. They advise
Congress to abandon the defence of what Is H.
defeusible aud to Illustrate further Democratic
victories by themselves, now doing what the
despairng people have elected the next Demo
cratic Congress to do.