Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-12-17
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
To the Senate and House of Representatives

| sage 10 congress III tOlS CCnle0nlal year Ol
! our national existence as a free aud inde-
| pendent people, 1t affords me great pleas
ure TO reCur TO the advancement that has
| been made from tho time of the colonies
LOO years ago.
THE PROGRESS OF a CENTURY.
| We were then people numbering only
| three millions Now we number more than
| forty millions. Their industries were con-
| fined almost exclusively TO the tillage of
| the soil. Now manufactures absorb much
| of the labor of the country. Our liberties
| remain unimpaired. The Oondsmen have
| been freed from slavery. We have become
| possessed Of the respect, if not the friend
ship, of all civilized nations. Cur prog
| ress has been great in all the arts, in sci
| ence, agr culture, commerce, navigation,
| mining, mechanics, law, medicine, &c.
| And in general education the progress is
| likewise encouraging. Our thirteen States
have become thirty-eight, including Colo
| RADIO, (which has taken the initiatOry steps
| to become a State,) and eight Territories,
| including the Indian Territory aud Alaska,
| and excluding Colorado, making terrific
| ry extending from the Atlantic to the Pa
| citic. On the south we have extended TO
| the Gulf of Mexico. and in the west from
| the Mississippi TO the Pacific. One hun
| dred years ago the cotton gin, the steam
| ship, the railroad, the telegraph, the reap
| ing, sowing, and modern printing machines,
| anu numerous OlleT lnNtullOuS Vi SCdTttly
| less value to our business and happiness,
| were entirely unknown. In l776 manulac-
| tories scarcely existed even in name in all
| this vast territory. In 1870 more than Two
| millions of persons were employed in man
| uflctories, producing more than Two bill
| lion one hundred million dollars Of prod
| ucts in amount annually-nearly equal to
| our national debt. From nearly the whole
| of the population of 1776 being engaged in
| that one occupation Of agriculture, in 1870,
| 50 numerous and diversified had become
| tho occupations of our peoplethat less than
| six millions out of more than forty millions
| were 50 engaged. The extraordinary elect
| produced in our country by resort to di-
| versitied occupations has built market
| for the products Of fertile lands distant
| from the sea-board, and the markets ut the
world. Tho American system of locating
| various aud extensive manufactures next
TO the pow and the pasture, and adding
| connecting railroads and stednbDats, has
| produced in our distan. interior country
| result noticeable by the intelligent parts Of
! all commercial nations. The ingenuity and
| skill of American mechanics have been
| demonstrated at home and abroad in
| manner most flattPrng to their pride. But
| for the extraordinary genius aud ability of
| our mechanics, the achievements oi our
| agricuturists, manufacture and transporta.
| ton throughout the country would have
| been impossible of attainment The prog
|
| coal our production was small now many
| millions Of tons are mined annually. SO
| with iron, which formed scarcely an appre-
| ciable part of our products half century
| ago, we now produce more than the world
| consumed at the beginning Of our national
existence. Lead, zinc, and copper, from
| being articles of import, we may expect to
| be large exporters of in the near future.
The development of gold and silver mines
in the United States and Territories has not
| only been remarkable, but has had large
| influence upon the business of all CONNER
| cial nations. Our merchants in the last
| hundred years have had success, and
| have established 4 reputation for enter
| prise, sagacity, progress, and integrity un-
| surpassed by the people of Older nationals
/ ties. This good name is not confined TO
| their homes, but goes out upon every sea
| and into every port where commerce en-
| ters. With equal pride we can point TO our
| progress in all of the learned professions.
| AS we are now about TO enter upon our sec.
| ond centennial, commencing our manhood
| as a nation, ii is well to look back upon the
past and study what will be best TO pre-
| serve our present aud advance our future
| greatness. From the fall of Adam for his
| transgresson 10 the present day no nation
has ever been free from threatened danger
to its prosperity and happiness. We should
| look 10 the dangers threatening us, and
remedy them so far as lilies in our power.
| We are n republic whereof one man Is as
| good as another before the law. Under
| such form OF government 1t is OF the great
est importance that all should be possessed
| of education and intelligence enough to
cast a vote with a right understanding OF its
meaning. A large association OF Ignorant
men cannot for any considerable period OPP
| pose a successful resistance to tyranny ana
oppression from the educated few, but will
inevitably sink into acquiesence TO the VIII
of intelligence, whether directed by the
| 4 t,xy TNpin
education of the masses becomes of the
first necessity for the preservation OF our
institutions. They are worth preserving,
because they ave secured the greatest
good TO the greatest proportion OF The pop
ulation of any form of government yet de-
vised. All other forms of government ap-
prOach ii just in proportion to the general
diffusion of education and independence OF
thought and action.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL FUNDS "A
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT RECON-
| MENDED.
As the primary step, therefore, TO our adj
vancement in all that has marked our prog
ress in the past century, suggest Tor your
earnest consideration, and most earnest
recommend ii, that a constitutional amend
ment be submitted TO the Legislatures oil
| the several States for ratification, making
| it the duty of each Of the several States IL
establish and forever maintain free public
schools adequate to the education OF all the
| children in the rudimentary branches with
| in their respective limits, irrespective Of
sex, color, birthplace or religion, forbid
ding the teaching in said schools of rellg'
ious, atheistic, or pagan tcnets and prohib
iting the granting of any school funds, ol
school taxes, or any part thereof, either by
legislative, municipal, or other authority
for the benefit, or in aid, directly or lndi
rectly. of any religious sect or denomina
| in aih mr. for the hpppht OF any
other object of any nature or kind whalev
er.
THE TAXATION OF CHURCH PROPERTY.
In connection with this important ques
tiun W ould also call your attention 10 th'
importance of correcting an eNil that, /
S | permitted to continue, Will probably lea(
$ 10 great trouble in our land before The clos'
= of the nineteenth century. 1t Is the accum
| ulHliou Of vast amounts Of unlaNed churcl
property. In 1850, believe, the ehurcl
property OF the United States which pai'
0 no lax, municipal or state, amounted U
about SS3, ,000, coo. In 1860 the amount hat
doubled. In 1875 it is about sl,OOO,O 200, ,OOO
= By 1900, without check, is is safe to say thi
property Will reach sum exceeding s3,
900 600, 900. So vast sum receiving all In
protection and benefits OF governmen
without bearing its proportion OF the bur
dens and expenses OF the same VIII not b
looked upon acquiescently by those VIII
=. have TO pay taxes. In growing country
"A where real estate enhances 50 rapidly vii
lime as in the United States, there is scarce
s Iva limit 20 the wealth that may be ac
Guired by corporations, religious or other
? wise, if allowed to retain real estate Will
- ont taxation. The contemplation of so vas
a property as here alluded to, without tax
atom, may lead 10 sequeslratiOn wlthor
, constitutional authority and through BLOOD
}. | would suggest the taxation Of all proper
A., ty equally, whether church or corporation
ne exemptng only the last resting place
strictions, church edifices.