Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1875-12-16

INDUCES III some pleasant mention q
the advancement Of our country from
it's infancy to its centennial, AND OF the
nations great success in progress and
civilization; of its wonderful achieve
ments in arts, science and all the con-
comitants of advanced betterment OF
all the people. And in this connection
he urges that all citizens should be
educated sufficiently to cast vote with
right intelligence Of the value OF the
elective franchise, which is PROPOSE
tien no reasonable person will question
though it was not acted upon III the
reconstruction policy of the Presidents
own party. The absence Of snch cd
ucated intelligence is, the President
thinks the primal danger to our counS
try's prosperity aud the per'nanenee Of
its free institutions, and in such belief
he recommends All amendment to the
constitution requiring the several states
to establish and forever maintain tree
public schools adequate to, a, least, the
documentary education OF AL children,
| irrespective of color, sex, nationality or
religion; torbidding, however, Tie
teaching in such schools the iiculcatlon
OF pagan or athcistic tenets, OF the
bestowal of school funds to any rellg
! ious denomination for educational pur-
poses. He also objects to the accumu
lation of vast amounts of untaxed
church property, and says that, that
class of property in the United States
in 1876 amounts to $1,090,000,0o0,
He recommends the taxation OF all
such property, exempting only ceme'
teries and limited ediices for churches
These subjects have always in this
country heretofore been regarded as
belonging peculiarly to the State and
local governments, and at no tiGie have
they received more general and willing
| attention in the States than at present.
Stating that our relations with for~
eign powers are satisfactory and friend
| ", the President takes occasion to res
mark that Congress should SO legislate
as to prohibit citizens Of the United
States from owning slaves in any other
country, and he hopes such ccnsumma-
ton may ultimately embrace citizens OF
all nations. 81 .t.-.
Chilli has made reparation in some
long standing cases Of outrage on our
commercial marine. Mention is made
or the Hawaiian reciprocity treaty, and
of tie Virginius indemnity, which has
been ST. tiled by Spain. r.
In regard to Cuba, the President
thinks thers, is no evidence OF near
termination o. the conflict there. and
that there still exists that continuous
disregard of laws of civilized warfare
and humanity which has characterized
the internecine strife during the past
seven years. He adverts to the com
mercial Importance of Cuba to the
world at large, and asserts bis belie1'
that the nations have right to inter
fere sufficiently to establish its g,f9ern
ment on secure basis, but he cons'd-
ers the recognition of Cuban inde-,
pendence impracticable at present. and
be believes the United States and all
other nations must soon consider the
necessity of mediation and intervention
in the premises. A considerable por~
ton of the message is devoted to this
subject. =s
lie indorses the recommendations
made in the annual report OF the Sec,
rotary of War, including system of
annuities for families of deceased Off
GERS by funding monthly deduction
from the pay of those officers while in
service; a return to the old system OF
mileage; an approval Of torpedo ex~
periments, and permanent organlza-
ton of the signal service corps.
The condition of the navy is stated
as being satisfactory. 1t does not cons
tain much iron cruising power, but it
has considerable number of iron clads
of the monitor class, which though not
cruisers, are of excellent effect for
operations on our coast and for safe
defense of our harbors. The navy in~
eludes more than fifty war ships, fifteen,
of them being iron clad.
In referring to Postoffice Department
affairs, the President recommends the
exclusion from the mails Of merchants
disc of all kinds, and the limitation of
transportable matter therein only to
those articles which should be properly
classed as mailable.
The President says that although
government efforts to protect the rights
of indians in the Black Hills have
been successful, the next year will ex-
hibit large increase Of immigration
thither. The condition of the Indian
Territory is practically unchanged, but
the President may hereafter make some
suggestions as to legislation for the
government Of that Territory.
The grasshopper plague is supposed
to have diminished the sale of public
lands during the year, there being de
crease in the sales Of 2,459,60l acres
as compared with those Of the previous
year. The surveyed area of public
domain is 6sO,253,O94 acres, leaving
1,154,471 1852 acres yet to be surveyed.
The management and disposition of
this vast farm of "Uncle Sam are recs
commended to the careful consideration
Of Congress.
As to pensioners, the message states
that during the past year 1857 names
have been added to the payrolls and
1877 dropped, showing a decrease of
1920. But notwithstanding this de-
crease of pensioners, there has been an
increase in pay to the amount of 3d.
1913, which was induced by the
greatly increased average rate of pen
sions allowed by the last Congress.
During the last fiscal year there was
paid for account Of pensions $29. $685.
1I6 There are on the rolls 234, 1921
persons, of whom 210,s63 are army.
pensioners, (of these 1O5,47S being in.
.l;ls \ and 10A QQE aro Widows aid