The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-12-08
PRESIDENT GRANTS MESSAGE
Delivered N the First Session of tho
Forty Fourth Congress, Dec. Z, 1875.


Forty Fourth Congress-, Dec. Z, 1875.
Toth Senate and House Of Representatives
In submitting my seventh annual message
to Congress in this centennial year of our ma
tional existence as free and. independent
people, it affords me great pl a. ure to recur to
the advancement that has Teen made from the
time OF the colonies one hundred years ago.
We were then 4 people Numbering only three
million. Now we number more than forty
millions. Then Industries were confined al
most exclusively to tillage of the soil. Now
manufactures absorb muchot the labor of the
country. Our Liberties remain unimpaired
The bondsMen have been freed from slavery,
We have tetolne possessed of the respect if
not the friendship Of all civilized nations Our
progress has been great i'll all the arts, in
SCIENCE, agriculture, commerce, navigation
and in general education the prog,ess is
have become thirty-eight, including Colorado,
which has taken the initiatory STEPS to te-
come a State, and eight territories, including
the Indian territory and ALASKA and excluding
Colorado, making territory extending from
the Atlantic to the Pacific, and on the south
OH the west from the Mississippi river to the
Pacific ocean.
One hundred years ago the cotton gin, the
steamship, the railroad, the telegrap PHI, the
rraping, moving and modern printing ma
chin-s, and numerous other inventions ct
scarcely less value to our business and Lapli-
hess, wer,. entirely unknown.
In l776 manufactures scarcely existed even
III Dame in all this vast TERRITORY. In 1870
more than two millions 1f persons we en-
ployed i'll manufactures producing more than
s.! lO0, O00, 900 OF produce annual nearly equal
to our national debt. From nearly the Who'll.
OF the population of l776 bling engaged in one
occupation, that OF agriculture, in 1870 so nu-
merous and diversified had become the occu-
pations OF our people, that less than six mil
lions, out oil more than forty millions we're 50
engaged.
The extraordinary effect produced in our
country by a resort to such occupations has
given birth to markets for pr*ducIs Of fertile
lands distant from the seaboard and markets
OF the world. The American system Of work.
Ing various and extensive manutlc tori 5 next
to the farm and the p.>ture, and adding con-
meeting railroads and steamboats,, has produced
IN our distant country a result not equallea by
the most intelligent Of other nations. The in
gently and Skill OF American manufacturers
have been demonstrated at home and abl Dad
in a manner most t,ttering to their PRIDE But
for the extraordinary genius and ability of our
mechanics, the achievements OF our agricultu-
ralists, manufacturers and transporter> through
out the country, would have been impossf-
bic Of Abatement.
The progress of the miner has also been
great o. coal our production was small
Now many millions Of tons are
mined annually. So with iron, which
OF or products halt century ago, we now
produce more than the world consumed at
the beginning of the national exi~tene. Lead.
zinc and copper, from bling articles Of I'm i>orts,
W" may expect to tie large exporters in the
near future. The development Of gold an!
silver mines throughout the Territories has not
ONLY been remarkable, but has y large influence
upon the busirss OF all commercial nations.
Our merchants in the last hundred years
have had success and have estab!i he'd
a reputation str erprise, sagacity,
pr''gre>s and integrity, unsurpassed bv tie
people Oi Older nationalities. This good name
is not confined to their homes, but goes out
upon every sea and into every p 1t where
commerce enters.
With equal pride We can point to our pro-
gresS in al, the learned roeSsiuns
AS we are now about to enter upon our Sec
ond centennial, commencing our manhood as
a nali"n, it is well to look lack upon the past
ard study what will be lest to pre- serve and
advance gu" future greatness. Firm the fall
OF Adam for lis transgres ions to the D est,
day no nation has ever been fee from threat
ened danger to its prosperity and happiness.
We should look to tie dangers threatening us
ana remedy them 20 far rs l.e in our power
POPULAR EDUCATION.
We are Republic wherein one man is as
good IFS another L+lor> the law Under such u
form O. governm' Mt it is oi the gre .trst npor.
lance that all should lie possessed OF
education and intelligence enough to cast
vote with right understand NJ oi its meaning
Large association OF ignorant men cannot
Tor any considerable per cd oppose a
successful Resistance to tyranny and oppres-
SON. From thu education OF the few they vii,
inevitably sink iuto acque>c~me 70 the will
OF intelligence, wheihe directed 10y the
dema@oSue or The priests craft. Hence the
education Ut the masses becomes OF the first
institutions. They are worth presrrv.n :,
because they have secured the greatest good to
tn greatest proportion o. population of any itru
OF government. Indeed all other f,rtrs Vi gov
eminent approach it lust in proportion To
tile general d fusion OF e,iucalioil, and indie
pendence o! thought aud action. 4
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.
As the primary Steps, therefor, to our ad.
vancement in ali that has marked our pro-
earnest consideration and ,nst earnest y re-
commend It that u constitutional amendment
lie su' mitted to the legislatures Of tie severa.
States Tor rattle ti0n, making it the duty of
each OF the several 8 ates to establish and
forever maintain Tree public schools al :
equate to the et,uca'inn OF all
thu children in the 'udi1n+.ltary branches with
in their respective limits, irrespective OF sex,
Color. birthplace Or religion; tor
biou:ing the teaching in said schools
ct igio:s, theistic or pagan tenels and pro-
hibsing the g 'anting OF ANY school taxes or
any part thereof either t,y legislative, nlunici
pal or other authority. for the benefit of any
other object Of any nature Or kind whatever.
CHURCH PROPERTY.
III connection with this important question,
would al o call your attention /" the import
continue, will prot, lily lead to great trouble in
ID l&,f fin. L,