The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-12-07
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

In submitting my eighth and last an.
nual me- sage to Congress, seems proper
that / should refer to and, in some de.
gree, recapitulate the events and official
acts of the past eight years,
RETRosPECTIoN.
1t was my fortune or misfortune to be
called to the office of Chief Executive
without any previous political training
From the age of seventeen, | had neN er
even witnessed the excitement attend
ing Presidential campaign but twice an.
teCedent to my own candidacy, and at
but one of them was l eligible as a voter
Under such circumstances, it is bat rea-
sonbe to suppose that errors of judg-
ment must have occurred even had there
not, differences Of opinion between Ex-
eCutive, bound by an oath 10 the strict
performance of his duties, and writers
and debators must have arisen. 1t is not
necessarily an evidence of bunder on
the part of the Executive, because there
are those differences of view. Mistakes
have been made, as all can see, and adj
nit; but it seems to oftener in the seleC.
tions made ofthe assistants appointed to
aid in carrying out the various duties of
administering the Government, in nearly
every case selected without personal
acquaintance with the appointee, but up
on recommendations of Representatives
chosen directly by the people. 1t is i'm
possible, where so many trusts are to be
allotted, that the right parties should be
chosen in eyeIy instance. History shows
that no Administration from the time of
Washington to the present, has been free
from these mistakes; but | leave COM
parisons to history, claimed only that l
have acted in every instaLCe from con-
scientious desire to do what was right,
constitutional within the law and for the
very best interests of the whole people.
Failures have been errors of judgment,
not of inten.
SOMETHING ABOUT RECONSTRUCTION.
My civil career commenced, too, at a
most critical and difficult time, less than
four years before the country had emer-
ged from conflict such as no other ma
ton had ever survived. Nearly one-half
of the States had revolted against the
Government, and those remaining faith
full to the Uuion large percentage of the
population mypathized with the rebel
lion and made an enemy in the rear al
most as dangerous as the more honorable
enemy in the front. The latter commit
ted errors of judgment, but they main
tained them openly and Courageously.
The former received the protection of
the Government they would see de-
stroyed and reaped the all the pecuni-
ary advantage to be gained out of the
then existing state of affairs, many of
them by obtaining contracts and by swim.
ding the Government in the delivery
of their goods.
Immediately on the cessation of hostil-
ity, the then noble President who had
carried the country so far through its
perils fell martyr to his patriotism at
the hands of an assassin. The ilterYeu-
ing time to my first inauguration was fill
ed up with wranglings between Congress
and the new Executive as to the best
mode of reconstruction, or, to speak,
plainly, as to whether the control of the
Government should be thrown immedi.
ately into the hands of those who had so
recently and persistently tried to destroy
it, or whether the victors should continue
to have an equal control.
Reconstruction as finally agreed upon
means this and only this, except that
the late slave was enfranchised, giving |
an increase as was supposed to the I'm.
ion loving and Union supporting vote
If freemen in the full sense of the word, |
they would not disappoint this expecta-
ton. Hence, at the beginning of my
first administration the work of recon-
struction much embarrassed by the long
delay virtually commenced. 1t was the
work of the legislative branch of the gov
ernment. My province was wholly in
approving their acts, which did most
heartily, urging the legislatures Of States
that had not done so to ratify the FIT.
teenth Amendment to the Constitution.
The country was laboring under an oner-
Gus debt contracted in the suppression of
the rebellion, and taxation was so oppres-
sive as to discourage production. An
other danger also threatened us in a for
eign war The last difficulty had to be
adjusted, and was adjusted without war
and ia a manner highly honorable to
both parties concerned.
FINANCIAL ACHIEVEMENTS.
Taxes have been reduced within the
last seven years nearly three hundred
million dollars and the national debt has
been reduced in the same tine over four
hundred and thirty-five millions of dol
lars by refunding the six per cent, bond
ed debt for bonds bearing five and four
and one half percent, interest respectful
ly. The annual interest has been reduc-
~ ht,,x dao l. 49, .Il,avo
of dollars in 1875. The balance of trade
has been changed from one hundred and
thirty millions against the United States
in 1869 to more than one hundred & twen-
ty millions of dollars in our favor in 1876.
It is confidently believed that the bal
ance of trade in favor of the United States
will increase, not diminish, and that the
pledge Of Congress to resume specie pay
ment in 1879 will be easily accomplished
even in the absence of much desired fur
ther litigation on the subject
THE INDIAN POLICY.
A policy has been adopted towards the
Indian tribes inhabiting a large portion
of the territory of the United States
which has been humane, and has SUBJ
stantially ended Iudian hostilties in the
whole land, except in portion of Ne
bfaska and Dakota, Wyoming and Mon
tana Territories, the Back Hills region
and approaches thereto. Hoslilities
there have grown out of the ayariee Of
the white man, who has violated our
treaty stipulations in his search for gold.
The question might be asked why the
Government has not enforced obedience
to the terms of the treaty prohibiting the
occupation Of the Black Hills region by