Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1876-12-07
THEPRESIDENT's MESSAGE.
Reorganization Of the Events and tn
Official Acts Of tie Past Eight Year.

reportS or departments were deIiy
ered TO Bongress to-day. Tue mes
sage is us follows:
To The Senate aud House at Repre-
seRtdttreS:
In presenting my eigth and last an
nual message to Congress it seem:
proper that should refer to and il
some degree recapitulate the event,
and Oilici | acts OF the past efyh
years. 1t was my fortune. or misfor.
tune, 10 be called to the office OF Chic
Executive without any previous po
llticiii training. From the age of Il
had never even Witnessed the,x i G
nIeht attending IL Presidential cam
phlSn but twice antecedcnt To my
own candidacy, and ut but one o
them WAS eligible as Il voter. Under
\ such circumstances, il is but reason
able To suppose that errors OF juLg
ment must have occurred; even haC
they hot, differences OF opinion be.
tween the Executive, bound by an
oath TO the strict performance OF his
duties, and writer's and debaters, mus,
have arisen. Ii is not necessarily
evidence of a blunder on the par OF
The Executive because there are these
differences or views. Mistake hav.
been made, as all can See, and Iadmit
10. but 1t seems 10 me oftener in the
selections made of assistants up-
pointed To aid i'm carrying out the
various duties or administering the
Goyernment-in nearly every case
selected without general acquaint-
ance with the appoiniee, but upon the
recommendations OF the Repre- enta
tives chosen directly by the people.
Ii is impossible, where so many trnsts
are TO be allotted, that the right par
ties should he chosen In every in-
stance. History shows that no adj
minlstratiOn. from the time OF Wash.
ington tn the present, has been free
from these mistakes. but leave com
PARSONS to history, claiming only
that have acted in every instance.
from u conscientious desire to 10
what was right, constitutional. within
the law. and for the very best inter
ests or the people. My failures have
been errors of Judgment, not OF intent.
My civil career commenced. Ton, at a
most critical and difficult time. less
than four years before the country
had emerged from Il conflict such as
no other nation hal ever survived
Nearly one half OF the States had re
volfed against the government, ami
~ those remaining faithful to the
Union, large percentage uf the pop
ulation sympaihized with the rebel
lion, anil made
An ENEMY IN THE REAR ALMOST As DAN
GERoUs As THE MORE HONORABLE
ENEMY IN THE FRONT.
The latter committed errors of j1dy.
Ins.nt but they maintained them open
W and conrageousiy. The former
received the protection OF the gov
crnment they would see destroyed.
and reaped all the pecuniary alvan-
tag TO be gainc't ont OF the then
Existing stiits II aff.Iirs -many or
them by obtaining contracts AMI by
swindling the government in the de-
livery OF their gOoIs.
InIncsiia'ely on the cessation or
ho>iilities the then noble President.
sho hal carried the country So far
through It's perils, fell martyr To his
naiiiOtism at the han Is OF AN a,sas-
sin.
The Intervening time 10 my first
inauguration WAS fiIlel up with
vrinvling hetw .en Congress and the
Jew Executive Us tn the best recon-
-truciinn. Or. 10 speik plainly, as 10
hail ts.r It. Il -
'nent should lie thrown Immediately
into the hands OF those who hal so
recently ard pcrsi-rcnily tried to
destroy IL. or whether The victors
should continue to have an equal
voice with them in his control. Re-
construction. rs finally agreed upon.
means this an.i only This. except that
the laie slave was enfranchis-l-giv-
ing nm increase, as was supposed. 10
the Unionloving anil Union support
ing votes III free i'm the full sense OF
the word. they would not disappoinf
This exp~ciation; hence, at the be-
Ginning OF my first administration.
the work OF construction, much
embarrassed by the long delay. vir-
tually commenced. 1t was the work
Ut the Legislative branch OF the gov
',rnment- My province was wholly
in approving their acts. which I did
most heartily, urging the legislatures
NJ States that had MOI yet done 50. TO
''siify the fifteenth amendment to thu
Constitution. The country was la
boring under an enormous debt. con
fracted in The suppression az the re-
bellion. and taxation wns so oppres-
sivc rs to discourage production.
Another danger also threatened us
fafrign war. This last difficulty hal
to be ali listed without "A war. anil in
4 manner highly honorable to all par
ties concerned.
REDUCTION OF TAXES AND OF THE PUBLIC
DEBT.
The taxes have been reduced with
in the last seven years nearly 500,
WW0ip- and the national dent lla-
been reduced in IN. same time ovrr
S435000,0J0 b. refun'liug the six per
c II. bonded dsbt for bonds bar NJ
live and one half five, aud four ANA
me half per cent. interest, respec-
lively. The annual interest has he.
reduced from over $40. 0o0.o90 i'm
l~69 To but little over : i,00J.UOJ in
1876. The balance OF tr;ui.. has bce.i
changed from over $3.50. 900 O)O agaiust
the Unifcd States in 1869 To M IRE
than sl2O00J.0J0 in our favor IN Is 6
liz - confi'i..niiy believed that the
ia ce OF trrlein favor OF Tia. L . il Il
States will increase, not diminish. a al
that The pledge OF Congress To r.
-nme specie payments In 1879 will b,.
easily accomplished. even ia the alb
sence of much desired further l,sisla
tiJn on the subject.
Here follows "a brief statement or
the late conduct OF In,Iiln aft iirs.l
THE RELATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES
WITH roRSIGN POWERS.
continue on friendly footing. Ques
iions have arisen from time To time
IN the foreign relations OF the gov
eminent. 4 the United States has
been happily free during the past
year from the complications and en-
barrassinrnts which have surrounded
some oil the foreign powers. The dip
loniatic cosrespond nee submitted
herewith contains infoi nation as to
certain OF the matters which have oc-
rupied the government. The cordi-
aliry which attends our relations with
the powers OF the earth has been
plainly shown by the general partici-
patton OF for. ign nations i'm the Ex
bifion which has just closed, and by