The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1876-12-15

ing that Congress would second
this view, Idirected that all Gov.
erffinept exhibits at the Centen-
NAL Exhibition should remain
where they are. Exhibits, such as
might be injured1y reT aiming in
Il building not intended as a pro
lection in inclepAent weather, or
such as may be wanted by the
department furnishingthem, un-
Ill the question Of permanent ex-
hibitiOn is acted on. Although
the moneys appropriated by Con
gress to enable the participation
ofthe several Executive depart
ments in the International EXhi-
bition of 1876 were not sufficient
to carry out the undertaking to
the full extent at first contempla
ted, it gives me pleasure to refer
TO the very efficient and credita
bic manner in which the Board
appointed from those several de
partments to provide an exhibi-
ton on the part of the Govern
mem have discharged their duties
~with the funds placed at THEN
command, without a precedenttc
guide them in the preparation OF
such a display. The success Of
t~heirlabor was amply attested by
the Sustained attendance which
the contents of the Government
building attracted during the pc
Rod ofsthe Exhibition, both from
foreign, and native people. | am
strongly impressed with the value
of the collection made by the
the Government for the purposes
ofthe Exhibition, illustrating as
it does the general resources OF
the country, the practical eviden
ces of our growth as a nation, and
the suses Of the mercantile arts.
and the application of applied
science in the administration OF
the affairs of the Government.
Many nations have voluntarily
contributed their exhibits to the
United States to increase the in
terest in any exhibition Congress
may provide for. This act of gen
crosby should receive the thanks
of the people, and | respectfully
suggest that a resolution of Con
gress to that effect be adopted.
THE ELECTION OF PRESIDENT.
The attention Of Congress can
not be too earnestly called to the
necessity ofthrowing some great
er safeguard over the method OF
choosing and declaring the cleo
ton Of aPresident Under the pres
entsystem there seems to be no
provided remedy for contesting
the election in any one State.
The remedy is partially, no doubt,
in the enlightenment Of electors.
The compulsory support of the
free school, and the disfranchise-
ment Of all who can not read and
write the English language after
affixed probation, would meet my
hearty approval. | would not
make this apply, however, tothose
already voters, butI would have
itapply to all becoming so after
the expiration Of the probation
fixed on. Foreigners coming to
this country to become citizens,
who are educated in their own
language, would acquire the re-
quisite knowledge of ours during
the necessary time to OBJ
tain naturalization. If they did
not take enough interest in our
language to acquire sufficient
knowledge of it to enable them
to study : the institutions and
laws of our country intelligently,
Iwould not confer on them the
right tomake and enact laws, MOI
to sit with those who do.
I appeal to this message for con
venientreference synopsis Of ad
ministrative events, of all recon-
mendations to Congress by me
during the last seven years. Time
may show some of those recon
mendations MOTTO have been wise
ly conceived, but | believe the
largerIpart will be no discredit tc.
the Administration.
U. S. GRANT.
EXECUTIVE MANSION, Dec. ., 1876.