The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1876-12-07

PRESDEN7YS rMESSAGE. /
EA AUE WtI EFTEEt#
"reminiscences by the President.
The Indian Question
Considered.
Alabama and, Boundary Line
Commissions.
Alabama, Mexican, and Venezuela
Claims.
Administrative Events.
PRESIDENTIAL "REMINISCENCES.

To the Senate and House of Representatives
In submitting my eighth and last an
nual message to Congress, it seems pro
per that l should refer to, and in some
degree irecapitulate, the events and
official acts of the past eight years.
1t was my fortune, or misfortune, to
be called to the Office of Chief Executive
without any previous political training
and from the age of seventeen had
never even witnessed the excitement at.
tending a Presidential campaign but
twice antecedent to my own candidacy,
and at but one of them was eligible
as voter. Under such circum-
stances it is but reasonable to sup
pose that errors of judgment must
have occurred. Even had there not, diff
ferences of opinion between the Execu-
tive, bound by an cath to the strict per-
formance of his duties, and writers and
debaters, must have arisen. 1t is not
necessarily an evidence of blunder on
the part of the Executive because there
are these differences of views. Mistakes
have been made, as all can see, and
admit, but it seems to me oftener in Sc
lections made of assistants appointed to
aid in csrrying out the. various duties of
administering the Government, in nearly
every case selected without personal ac-
quaintance with the appointee, but upon
the recommendations of representatives,
chosen directly by the people. 1t is i'm
possible, where 60 many trusts are TO be
allotted, that the right 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
comparisons to history, claiming only
that / have tried in every instance
from conscientious desire to do what
was right, constitutional, within law,
and for the very best interest of the
Whole people. Failures have been errors
of Judgment, not of intent.
My civil career commenced at the
most critical and difficult time. Less
than four years before, the country had
emerged from conflict such as no other
nation had ever survived. Nearly one
half of the States had revolted against
the Government, and of those remaining
faithful to the Union large percentage
of the population sympathized with the
rebellion, and made an enemy in the
rear almost as dangerous as the more
honorable enemy in the front. The
latter committed errors of Judgment,
but they maintained them openly
and courageously. The former received
the protection of the Government they
would see destroyed, and realizing all
the peeuniary advantage to be gained
out of the then existing state of affairs,
many of them by obtaining contracts
and by sWindling the Government in
the delivery of their goods Immediately
on the cessation of hostilities 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 intervening time to
my first Inauguration was filled up
with wranglings between Congress
and the next Executive as to
the best mode of reconstruction, or, to
speak plainly, as to whether the control
of the Government should be thrown
Immediately in the hands of those who,
but recently and persistently, tried to
destroy it, or whether the victors should
continue to have an equal voice with
them in this control. Reconstruction,
as finally agreed upon, means this and
only this, except that the eolored slave
was enfranchised, giving an increase, as
supposed, to the Union-loving and Union
supporting votes. If free in the full
sense Of the word, they would not disap-
point this expectation. Hence, at the
beginning of my first administration,
the work of reconstruction was much
embarrassed by the long delay.
Virtually commenced, it was the work
of the Legislative branch of the Gov
eminent. Ny province was wholly in
approving their acts, which / did most
heartily, urging the Legislatures of the
States that had not done SO to ratify the
Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitu-
ton. The country was laboring under
an enormous debt, contracted in the sup
preston of rebellion, and taxation was
so oppressive as to discourage produc-
tion. Another danger also threatened
us-a foreign war was imminent, and
the difficulty had to be adjusted. 1t was
adjusted without war, and in a man
ner highly honorable to all parties con-
eerned.
Taxes have been reduced. within the
last seven years, nearly $500, 900, 600.
The National debt has been reduced, in
the same time, over $685., 900, 900. By
refunding the six per cent. bonded debt
for bonds bearing 5 and Al per cent. in
terest respectively, the annual interest
has been reduced from $430, ,000, 900 in
1867, to but little over 100000, 600 in
1876. The balance of trade has been
changed from over $130, 0,OOO, 900
against the United States in
1869, to more than $120,OOO, 900
in 1876. 1t is eonfdentially believad
that the balance of trade in favor of the
United States will increase, not diminish,
and that the pledge of Congress to re-
sumo specie payments in 1879 will be
easily accomplished, even in the absence
of the much desired further legislation
on the subject.
THE INDIAN QUESTION.
A policy has been adopted toward the
Indian tribes inhabiting large
portion of the territory of the
United States, which has been humane
and has substantially ended the Indian
hostilities in the whole land, except in a
portion of Nebraska and Dakota, Wyo-
ming and Montana Territories, the
Black Hills region and approaches there
to. Hostilities there have grown out of
the avarice of the white man, who has
violated our treaty stipulations in his
searh for gold. The question might be
asked why the Government has not en-
forced obedience to the terms of the
treaty prohibiting the occupation
of the Black Hills by whites.
The answer is simple. The
first emigrants to the Black Hills were
removed by the troops, but rumors and
fresh discoveries of gold, took into that
region increased numbers. Gold has &C
tually been found in paying quantities
and the effort to remove the miners
would only result in the destruction ot
the bulk of the troops that might be
sent there to remove them. All diff
Guilty has, however been removed, sub
ject to the approval of Congress. by &
treaty ceding the Black Hills and ap
Il II