Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-12-09
The Presidents Message.

NEW DIRK, Dec. Sine Herald says
"The message Of Graut is more credltabe
document, both 10 point OF reasoning and lite
rary execution than its predecessors trOm the
same source. The President makes 1t clear
enough that in his view the three principal
causes which have led to the disastrous defeat
Of his party are prostratl0n OF business, the
condition Of the Southern States and The un~
successful experiment Of reforming the civil
service. This is not directly stated, but 1t is
necessarily implied 10 the texture OF his views
on those sui jects. The sum of the message,so
far as it has party bearng,ls the commlttaI OF
the President to the restoration Ut a sound cur
rency, an implied promise to treat the South
with cnty and justice. and abandon the civil
service reform unless Congress supports 1t by
legislation. This is the programme OF Presl-
dent Grant for renstating the republican party.
The President has got the Spanish question
into such state that it can be famed into
fame whenever he thinks it expedicnt, and he
relies on the country to support him IN the war
in which the abolition OF slavery III Cuba and
breaking the yoke of colonial servltude will be
the leading ideas. But Gen. Grant makes
stupendouS mistake if he thinks he can play
this desperate game with success. Ii he has
"pgeon- holed' our just complaint against
Spain with such aspurpose he will have cause
to rue the day when he medtated such trick.
The financial recommendations Of the message
are sound in principle but defective IN details.
The Times considers the Presidents
views on finances have undergone no change
aud his proposition to repeal the legal
tender clause is sound. The President 10
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
ident' reference to Southern matters is plain
advice, given in kindness and frankness I'VE
are sorry that he announces his intention OF
abandoning the civil service reform unless Con-
gress distinctly supports 1t 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
meut and free banking We are in entire SYM
pathy.
The Tribune considers this the best message
of the President, probably because written un.
der the Christening of the late elections. 1t
condemns his position towards Louisiana but
commends mainly nearly 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 Fres-
ident's arguments are not as urgent as his
theories are sound, while some OF his plans tor
retiring our paper money and revvlng gold
and silver as circulating medium will pro-
woke severe criticisms not only OF the lphatlon-
lists, but of the hard money men as WE'LL
With the exception Of his recommendation OF
free banking the views be now expresses con-
cerning currency are but a relteratlon OF his
veto Of the green back bill of the last session.
The World says President Grant and Sec
rotary Bristow are less in doubt than the re-
publican press and politicians, as to the slgnl'
ticance of the overthrow of their party in the
late elections. They have reached a clear
opinion, by what means, if by any G,eans, pollt-
ica revolution can be stopped midway and the
Democratic party hindered from taking posses
sion of every department of the Govern
ment in actions of 1876 immediate steps
towards specie payment taken, not promised
of which the execution is perpe,ualy postpon-
ed and reform of tariff to the end of obtain
ing larger revenues by lower duties on fewer
articles. This, their concurrent advice, e1hl-
bits the Presidents and the Secretary's 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
oflegislative remedy; add to these the exorbi-
tances and usurpatious of power 90 the part of
the Federal Government aud Gen. Grant and
Secretary Brstow 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.
defensibIe and to Illustrate further Democratic
victories by themselves, now doing what the
despairing people have elected the next DEMO
(ipnuress m do