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

SAGE.
TO Hss Senate and House Of Il presenia
tires:
In submitting my eighth an,
last annual message to Congress
it seems proper thatI should re
fer to, and.in some degree recap.t
ulate the events and official act,
of the past eight years.
RETROSPECTIVE.
1t was my fortune, or misfor
| tune, to be called to the office ol
Chief Executive without any pre-.
vious political training. From
the age of seventeen / had never
even witnessed the excitemeni
attending Presidential cam
| paign but twice antecedent to
my own candidacy, and at but
one Of themwas | eligible as a
voter. Under such circumstan-
ces it is,but reasonable to sup
pose that errors of judgement
must have occurred. Even had
they not, differences of opinion
between the Executive, bound
by an oath TO the strict perform
Iance of his duties, and writers and
debaters must have arisen.
ABOUT APPofNTEEs.
1t is not necessarily evidence
of blunder on the part Of the Ex-
ecutive because there are these
differences of views. Mistakes
have been madeas all can see,
and | admit them, but it seems
to me oftener in the selections
made of assistants appointed to
aid in carrying out the various du-
ties of administration and the
Government, in nearly every
case selected without a personal
acquaintance with those appoin-
ted, but upon the recommends
ton of the representatives cho-
sen directly by the people. 1t is
impossible when so many trusts
are to be allotted that right par
ties should be chosen in every in
stance. History shows that the
administrations from the time of
Washington TO the present have
not been free from these mistakes;
but | leave comparison to his
tory, claiming only that | have
acted in every instance from a
conscientious desire to do what
was right, constitutional, within
the law and for the very best in
terests of the whole people. The
failures have been errors ofjudgeI
ment, not Of intent.
DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED WHEN HE
WAS FIRST ELECTED.
My civil career commenced at |
a most critical and difficult time.
Less than four years before, the
country had emerged from con-
flict such as no other nation has
ever survived; nearly one-half OF
the States had revolved against
the Government, and of those re-
faithful to the Union,
large percentage of the popula-
tien sympathized with the rebel
lion, and made an enemy i'll the
rear almost as dangerous as the
more honorable enemy in our
'front.'; the latter committee errors
)f judgement, but they main
-ained them openly and courage
)usly. The former received the
protection Of the Government
hey would see destroyed and
'eaped all the pecuniary advan-
ages to be gained out Of the then
existing contracts and by swind-
ing the Government in the de-
livery Of their goods.
.INcoLN's ASSASSINATION RECON-
sTRUCTIog.
Immediately on the cessation
If hostilities, the then noble Pres {
dent, who had, carried the coun
ry sosfar through its perils, fell a
martyr to his patriotism at the |
lands of an assassin. The inter {
'ening time to my first inaugera-
ion was filled up with wrangling !
,etween Congress and the new I
Executive as to the best as to {
rhether the control of the Gov a
rnment should be thrown imme !
lately into the hands of those ;
Tho had recently and persistent 6
Y tried to destroy it, or whether !.
he victors should continue to !
ave on equal voice with them in 9
IS control. Reconstruction, as a
nally agreed upon, means this q
nd only this, except that the y
lte slave was franchised, giving T
nincrease, as was supposed, to
he Union-saying and Union-sup-
orting voters land, if free in the =
Ill sense ofr-the word, they I
ropld not disappoint this expec- .
ation--hence at the beginning of 3
ly first administration the work =
Reconstruction, much embar- /,
Dssed by the long delay, virtual : :
J commenced. 1t was the work I
fine legislature branch of the :,
government; my province was y
holly in approving their acts, j
'hich / did most heartily, urging Y
Il. Legislature Of the States that Y
adRst done 30 torNtify the. Fif q
senth Amendmen@to the COMP ;
T"
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