The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1876-12-07
suPRLM M II NJ II
Presidents Message.
To The Senate and House Of Representatives.:

A GLANCE BACKWARD.
In submitting my eighth and last annual
message to Congress, it seems proper that
il should refer to and in some degree re
capitulate the events and official acts Of
the past eight years. 1t was my fortune,
or misfortune, to be called to the Office of
ChiefExecutiye without any previous polit-
ical training. From the age of seventeen
had never witnessed the excitement at
tending Presidential campaign but twice
antecedent to my own candidacy, and at
but one of them was / eligible as voter.
Under such circumstances it is but reason
able to suppose that errors of judgment
must have occurred. Even had they not,
differences of opinion between the Execu-
tive, bound by an oath to the strict per
Torrance of his duties, and writer's and
debaters must have arisen. 1t is not neces-
sary evidence Of blunder on the part of
the Executive because there are these differ
ences of views. Mistakes have been made
rs all can see, and / admit, but it seems to
me oftenest in selections made of assist
ants appointed to aid in carrying out the
official duties of administering the govern
ment. in nearly every case selected without
. personal acquaintance with the appoint
zee, but upon recommendations of Repre-
resentatives chosen thereby by the people.
1t is impossible, where0 so many trusts are
allotted, that right parties should be chos
en- in every instance. History shows that
no administrations from the time of Wash
ington to the present, has been free from
mistakes.
LEAVE COMPARISONS TO HISTORY,
claiming only that / have acted in every in
stance from Q conscientious desire to do
what was right and constitutional With
in the law and for the very best
interest of the VIII ole people. Failures have
been errors Of Judgment, not of intent
NY civil career commenced at the utmost
critical and difficult time; less than four
years before, the country had emerged from
a conflict such as no other nation had ever
survived. Nearly one half of the States
had revolted against the government, and
in those remaining faithful to the Union
large percentage of the population sym
psthized with the rebellion and made an
enemy in the rear almost as dangerous as
the more terrible enemy in the front. The
latter committed errors of Judgment, but
they maintained them openly and courage
ously. The former received the pro-
lection of the government they would
see destroyed and reaped all the pc
cuniary advantage to be gained
out of the then existing status of affairs.
many Of them by obtaining contracts and
by swindling the Government in the de
livery of their goods. Immediately on the
cessation of hostilities the then noble
President who had carried the country so
far through its perils fell a martyr to his
patriotism at the hands of an assassin
The intervening time to my first inaugura
ton was filled up with wrangiings 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 I
ately into the hands of those who had |
recently aud persistentlv attempted to de- |
stroy it, or whether the victors should con.
tinue to have an equal voice with them in
this 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
Union loving and Union supporting votes
of the free, in the full sense of the word
Hence at the beginning Of my first ad.
ministration the work of reconstruction,
much embarrassed by long delay, virtually
commenced. It was the work of the leg.
islative branch of the government. NY
province was wholly in approving their
acts, which did most heartily, urging that
the Legislatures of States that had not
done so, ratify the Fifteenth Amend,
ment to the Constitution. The country
was laboring under an enormous debt,
contracted in the suppression Of the rebel
lion, and taxation was so oppressive as to
discourage production. Another danger
also threatened us, foreign war. The
last difficulty had to be adjusted, and was
adjusted without war, in manner highly
honorable to all parties concerned.
THE TAXES HAVE BEEN REDUCED
within the last seven years nearly $780,.
100000, and the national debt has been
reduced in the same time over 1896, 900, 900.
By refunding the six per cent. bonded debt
for bonds bearing five and four and one. half
per cent. lnteres. respectively. the annual
interest has been reduced from over $780,.
900, 900 in 1869, TO but little over $780, ,
100000 in 1876.
THE BALANCE OF TRADE HAS BEEN CHANGED
from over $3.50, 100000 against the United !
States in 1869 to more than l20,000,000
in our favor in 1876. 1t is confidently be-
ieved that the balance of trade in favor of
he United States will increase, not dimin. !
sh, and that the pledge of Congress to re
'ume specie payments in 1879 will be read I
ly accomplished. even in advance of the
laox, al
'ubject. O
THE INDIAN QUESTION. c
A policy has been adopted toward the J
indian tribes, inhabiting a large portion of !. 2
he territory of the United States, which has =
,een humane, and has substantially ended !.
he Indian hostilities in the whole land, ex- =
ept in a portion of Nebraska, Dako q
a, Wyoming and Montana territories. the a
Black Hills region and approaches thereto. II
iostilities there have grown out of the av. !
nice of the white man who has violated VI
ur treaty shpulatious in his search for
old. The question might be asked why
be Government has not enforced obedience al
D the terms of the treaty prohibiting the "
of the Black Hills region by q,
7hites? The answer is simply: The first q;
nuiefauto W Tue Didch Hills were removed n,
y troops, but rumors and fresh discoveries r
gold took into that region increased n
umbers. Gold had actually been found e.
paying quantities. and the effort to re 70
love the miners would only result in the L.
Of the bulk of troops that n
light be sent there to remove them. All /.
ificulties in this matter have, however, in
cen removed. subject to the approval of in
ongress by a treaty ceding the Black q
ills and approaches to settlement by hf
tizens. The subject of the Indian policy n
I'd treatment is so fully set forth by the Of
ecretary of the Interior aud the Commits i,
onor of Indian Affairs, and my views are Of
fully expressed by them that | refer to Of
cir reports and recommendations as N
y own. q,
FOREIGN RELATIONS.
The relations of the United States CO
th foreign powers continue on friendly tn
citing. Questions have arisen from time tie
time in the foreign relations of the gov. an
nment, but the United States have been cls
ppily free, during the past year, from the
Implications and endorsements which
We surrounded some of the foreign Pow -