The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-12-08
Presidents MESSAGE.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 7, 1875.

"a. WASHINGTON, Dec. 7, 1875. y
To the Senate and House OF Represen-
tauVes:
In submitting my seventh annual mes
sage to Congress in this Centennial year q
of our national existence as q free and
independent people, it affords me great
pleasure to recur to the advancement that
has been made from the time of the col I
onies, one hundred years ago. We were
then people numbering only three mil
lions. Now We number more than forty
millions. Then Industries were confined
almost exclusively to the tillage OF the
soil. Now manufactures absorb much Of
the labor Of the country. Our liberties
remain unimpaired. The bondsmen have
been freed from slavery. We have be-
come possessed of the respect if not the
friendship of ell civilized nations. Oar
progress has been great In all the arts. In
science, agriculture. commerce, navlga
tion, mining, mechanics, medicine. etc.,
and in general education the progress is
likewise encouraging. Our thirteen
states have become thirty-eight. includ-
ing Colorado. which has taken the initia,
tory steps to become state, and
eight territories, including the Indian
territory and Alaska and excluding
Colorado, making territory extending
from the Atlantic to the Pacific. On
the south we have extended to the Gulf
of Mexico and in the west from the Mis-
sissippi to the Pacific.
~ ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO
the cottou-g gin, the steamship, the rail-
road, tst telegraph, the reaping. sewing
and modern printing machines and num-
erous other inventions OF scarcely less
value to our business and happiness were
entirely unknown. :"
Ia l776 manufactures scarcely existed,
even in name IN all this vast territory.
La 1870 more than two millions OF persons
were employed in manufactures produc-
ing more than 81. 1907 00,0 900 Of produce,
In amount annually, nearly equal to our
national debt. From nearly the whole Of
the population of l776 being engaged II
the one occupation of agriculture. in 1876
so numerous and diversified had become
the occupation of our people that les'
than 5000 OOO, 600 out OF more than 40,
100000 were so engaged. The extraordl
nary effect produced In our country b!
a resort to such occupations has built
market for the products OF the countr!
more distant than the sea-board-th
markets of the world. The American
system of working various and extensiv
manufactures next to the plan and polio
of adding connecting railroads and steam
boats. has produced 10 our distant cour
try a result not equsled by the intelllgen
parts OF other nations. The
INGENUITY AND SKILL
of American mechanics have been demon
strated at home and abroad, In mannt
most hlttering to their pride. But Il
the extraordinary genius and ability
our mechanics, the achievements OF OF
agriculturalists, manufacturers and tran
norters throughout the country weu
nave been impossible of attainment. IL
progress of the miner bas also been gres
Of coal our production was small. nc
many millions of tons are mined annual
40 with iron, which formed scarcely
annreeiable part of our products hall
century ago. We now produce more Tn
the world consumed at the beginning
our national existence. Aud zinc
conner. from being articles OF lmpo
we NAV expect to be large exporters OF
.ho near future. The development
ooId and silver mines throughout sta
81 ,err;tories has not only been rcma
sSIa Init has had large influence uT
~ husiness of all commercial natlo
o.. merchants 10 the last hundred yei
- establist ed a reputation tor en'
s;so savacity, progress and integrity
s,,rnsssei by the people OF older Natl
sG,ies. This good name Is not conn
20 their homes but goes out upon eV
zoo and into every port where CONNIE
on,ers With equal pride we can pom
onr nrogress In all OF the learned pro
o;ons As we are now about to Ell
so oo onr second Centennial, commend
up oanhood as a nation, 1t Is vel
iook hack upon the past and STUDY
Iii he best to preserve and advance
future greatness. From the iall OF az
for his transgression to the present dal
nation has ever been free from threate
danger to its prosperity and happln
We should look to the dangers threa
ing us and remedy them so far as lie
our power. We are republic whe
one man is as good as another before
law. Under such a form OF goyernn
1t is of the greatest Importance tina
should be possessed OF
EDUCATION AND INTELLIGENCE
TO vote with a right understanding G
meaning. A large association OF
rant men cannot for any consider
period oppose successful resistanc
tyranny and oppression from the educ
few, but will inevitably sink into acQ
ceuce to the will Of intelligence. whe
directed by the demsgOgue or the pr
craft. Here the education OF
masses becomes of the first necesslt
the preservation of our institutions.
are worth resersing, because they
secured the greatest good to the gre
proportion of the population OF
farm of government yet devised.
other forms of government approa
lust in proportion to the general din
Of EDUCATION, and independence OF the
and action is the primitive step ther
10 our advancement 10 all that has
ed our progress in the past eentur
..I