The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-12-08
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PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
To the senate and House Of Representatives:
In submitting my eighth and last an
nual message Co Congress. il seems prop
er that I should refer to and in some de-
gree recapitulaie the events and official
Acts Of the past eight yenrs.
RETRosPEcrIvE.
II was nv fortune, or misfortune, to
be called Ia the Office Of Chief Execn
tive without any previous political
training. From tho age Of seventeen ]
bad never even witnessed theeScItemeui
attending n Presidential campaign bn
twice autsceIent to my own candidacy,
and at but one Of them was ] eligible a.
n voter Under such circumstances, il
j. but reasonable TO suppose that error
Of judgment must have occurred. Even
had they not, differences of opinion be-
tween the Executive, bound by an oath
to the strict performance Of his duties,
and writer's and debaters, must have
arisen. ID is not necessarily evidence Of
bluoder on the part Of the Executive
because there are these differences OF
views. Mistakes haye been made, as all
can see, and ! admit, but il seems to me
ofteuer in the selections made Of assist
ants appointed to aid in carrying out the
various duties Of administering the
Government--in nearly every case se-
lected without personal end, or &C.
quaintance with tho appointees, but up.
on recommendations Of representatives
chosen directly by the people. II is i'm
possible where 80 many trusts are to be
allotted that righ, parties should be
chosen in every instance. History shows
that no administration from the time of
Washington to the present has been free
from these mistakes; but leave compar-
isons to history, claiming that ] have
acted in every instance from a conscien.
tious desire to do what was right and
constitutional, within the law, and for
the very best interests Of the whole peo-
pie. Failures have been errors Of judg-
ment, not Of intent.
Ny civil career commenced at most
critical and difficult time, less than four
years before the country had merged
from n conflict such as no other Natior
had ever survived. Nearly one.half %
the States hal rcvoltsd against III,
Government, and Of those remaining
faithful to the Union large perccntag,
81 the population sympathized with th,
rebellion. and made an enemy in th,
rear almost NJ dangerous as the NOR,
horrible enemy in the front. The latte
committed errors Of Judgment, but the,
maintained them openly and courage
ously. Tho former received the protec
! ton Of the Government they would So
destroyed, and re'pcd all the pecuniar
advantage To be gained ont Of the the
by obtaining contracts and by swindin
the Government in the delivery Of thei
goo'is.
Immediately on the cessation Of no,
tilties, the then nohle President wh
had carried the country az far ,hroug
IT, perils, fsll n martvr to hi- patrioiisr
NJ the hands Of IN ,s-,sain The inte
vening time to nv first inauguartio
was 6lled up with wranslings betwee
Congrsss and thelnew Executive as to II
best mode Of reconstruction, or, 20 spea
plainly, as to whether the control of Il
Government should be thrown immet
lately into the hands Of those who ha
recently and pcrsisien,ly tried to destrC
il, or whether the victor. should conti
ne to have an equal voice with them
this control Of reconstruction: az final
agreed upon, il means this and only tn
except that the late slave was sntranc
ised, giving an increase, as was suppose
TO the Union-loving and Union-suppoi
ing votes. il free in the full sense
tho word they would not disappoint u
expectation. Hence at the beginning
my frat administration the work of
construction was much embarrassed
the long delay virtually commenced.
was the work Of the legislative bran
Of the Government. Ny province "
wholly in approving their acts. which
did most heartily, urging the Legis
lures Of the States that had not done
TO -ratify the Fifteenth Amendment
the Constitution The country was
boring under an enormous debt, CO
tracted in the suppression of the reb
lion, and taxation was 80 oppressive az
discourage production Another dam
which also threatened us was forei
War The last difficulty had to be
adjusted, and was adjusted, wiihou
War, and in n manner highly honora
to all parties concerned.
Taxes have been reduced within
last seven yenrs nearly $500, 900, 900, n
the National debt has been reduced
the same time over S435 100000.
= refunding the six per cent, bonded 4
for bonds bearing FIVE and four and O
half per cent, interest respectively,
annual interest has been reduced fr
over $I30.0O0,000 in 1869 to but Iii
over sl00,O00,0OO in 1876. The bala
Of trade has been changed from over
hundred and thirty millions against
United States in 1869, TO more than
hundred and twenty millions of doll
in our favor in 1876. 1t is cociider
believed that the balance OF trade
favor o. the United States will increi
and not diminishi and that the plec