The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-12-08
. .rh !. pre t Message.

We puolish tuS NV uns .AA G'sss.-sass
message, which was communicated TO Con-
g,ess yesterday. It Is the centennial mes
sage, and opens with brief account OF the
wonderful advancement. OF the nation iu the
hundred years since. its political independ.
ence-in population, wealth, power, com.
merce, and arts Of all sorts. Beginning with
the fall Of ADAM, or . original sin," the
President declares that since that time " no
nation has ever been free from threatened
danger to It's prosperity aud happiness"
and, sagely recognizing the fact, declares
that we should watch vigliansy 10
avoid the evils of the continued
consequences Of ADAMS great sin as far as
Hes 10 our power. However, In this p1rt q
the great centennial paper he omits to do
VIVA, might have been appropriate-sahow
the wonderful advances OF the nation In cor
rup.ion aud vice as.wel. as 10 power and arr.
He might; have given philosophic touch Of
the manner In which we are bringing upon
us toe dangers to our. prosperity and
peace" after the manner of our original
progenitcr, who was also the original sinner.
The President jumps from this branch OF
the subject TO- the matter Of education, open
ing with the remark that in a republic ike
ours, where g one man is as good as anotheT Z.
before the iaw,D all should be educated.
lgorant men, he says, cannot oppose tyran.:ti
ny, whether directed by demagogues or
prieslcraft; and general education is the
best protection to our Institutions
BE proposes that the Constitution shall
be amended so as to pledge every State 10 d
system Of public education adequate 70 tne
education of all children 10 the rudimentary
branches irrespective OF sex, color, birth
place, or religion. He further proposes that
the teaching Of religious, atheistic, or pagan
tene,s shall lie prohibited, and that no part
Of the school-fund shall be appropriated 10
the aid of any religious sects or deromina-
tions.
The President, in this connection, calls at
ten,ion to the accumulation Of vast amounts
OF untaxed church property, aggregating at
this time, he corjectures, 1,o00,ooo,0OO OF
dollars in value. Suggesting that taxpayers
will complain that so much property is un'
taxed while their turtbens are so heavy, he
recommends that taxes be imposed upon all
property, whether church or corporation,
exec ping only grave-yards and church
buildings.
IWhat row would have been raised forty
wears ago had President Of the United
States made these recommendations touch
ing education and church property! These
matters were then thought to be peculiar
concerns of the States. That was the idea
of the Fathers of the Republic; and General
GRANT could not have offered US mere
striking proof of the great advances made
in central usurpation in the course of hun.
drod years after our forefathers had secured
our national independence. The political
change that is thus illustrated ought to have
taken Ion ,er time; but zoe are fast ma
ton j
The President ccngratulates the country
that we are at peace with the world. That
being the state of our foreign relations,
while at home "one man is as good as an
other" we ought to be both happy and jolly.
demnity to the passengers, crew. and all
Americans of the steamer Virginius.. The
agreement stipulated that the sum should be
paid in four instalments, but the President
gives credit to Spain for her promptness in
paying i: all at once.
With regard to the Cuban insurgents the
message shows how long and fruitless the
contest on both sides has been, and tells
what the insurgents must do to entitle them
selves to recoguition-viz., establish gov
crument. This seems to be in the nature of
hist to the insurgents for later in the mes
sage the idea Is conveyed that under this
hint they may conform to the indispensable
conditions Of their recognition, in which
event the President may have occasion to
make further communication to Congress.
The part OF the document on this subject Is
the work of lawyer probably Mr.. FISH.
The President says, however, that if Spain
does not put down the insurrectioD, or so
arrange matters as to put stop to the DAM
age done the interests Of our citizens, Gen.
eral GRANT will during the present session
recommend measures of some sort. And
this seems to be in the nature of hint to
Spain. So that If she would avoid trouble
she must hurry up her war measures against
tue insurgents.
Congress is informed that there Is
steamer on the Bio Grande to stop the SNUG
Cling from the Mexican free Zone."
Several paragraphs of minor interest show
close attention TO business.
The French cable was permitted to land
in the United States with the understand
ing that the privileges granted the company
should be reciprocated by France with re-
gard to any cable from the United States.
But the message states that the French cable
has fallen into the hands Of the company
controlling the British cable, and thus we
have lost the benefit Of the competition which
had been established by the French liEe.
The consolidation made the monopoly more
powerful aud increased the difficulties Of
building competing lines. A direct cable
from the United States to Great Britain has
since been built, and the result was reduc.
ton OF charges upon messages. But that
cable was broken, and for time suspended.
When repaired, however, 1t adhered to the
charges upon the British cable, which had
been increased during the suspension of the
direct line.
The President hopes that other lines will
be established for the public good, and sug-