Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-12-13
illusions to Foreign, Army, Navy,
Indian and Postal Affairs.
The International Expositiou---
A Permanent Government
Exhibit Proposed,
Etc, Etc.. ETC., Etc.

To the Senate and House Of Representatives..
In submitting my eighth and last annual mes
sage to Congress- il seems proper that should re-
fer to and in some degree recapitulate the events
and official acts OF
THE PAST EIGHT YEARS.
II was nv for une or misfortune to be called to
the office of Chief Executive without any previous
political training From the age OF seventeen |
had never even witnessed the excitement attend
ing Presidential campaign but twice antecedent
to my own candidacy and at but one OF them was
| eligible as n voter. Under such circumstances.
it is but reasonable to suppose that errors OF udg
mcnt must have occurred: even had they not. diff,
ferences of opinion between the Executive, bound
by an oath TO the strict performance OF
his duties. and writer's and debaers, must
have arisen. 1t is not necessarily evidence
of blunder on the part Of the Executive because
there are these differences OF views Mistakes
have been mnde. as all can see. aud admit IT. but
il seems to me oftener in the selections made OF
assistants appointed 70 aid III CARRYING out the
various duties OF administering the Government,
in nearly every selected without personal ac-
quaintance with the appontee, but upon the rec
concentrations of the Representatives chosen d-
many trusts are to be allotted, that the right par
ties 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 I leave comparisons to his
tory claiming only that have acted in every in
stance from conscientious desire to do what was
rgh'. constitutional. within the law. and for the
very best interests OF he people My failures have
been errors of judgment, not OF intent,
NV civil career commenced. TOO. at a most criti-
cal and difficult time. Less than four years before
the country had emerged from conflict such a.
no other milton had ever survived Nearly one
half of the States had yolted against the Govern
ment and of those remaining faithful TO the
Union large percentage Of the population sym
pathizcd with the rebellion and made an enemy IN
the rear almost as dangerous ms the more honora
Bile enemy in the front. The latter committed err
rors Of Judgment but they maintained them
openly and courageonsy. The former received
the protection of the Government they would see
DESTROYED and reaped all the peeaniary advantase
fairs, many Of them BY obtaining contracts aud
by swindling the Government in the delivery OF
their goods.
Immediately or the cessation of hostlities the
then noble President who had carried the country
so far through its perils fell martyr 10 his patri
otism at the hands ol an assassin.
The Intervening time to my first Inauguration
was flied up with wrungling between Congress
and the new Executive rs to the best mode OF re-
construction. Or to speak plainly, "a 10 whether
the control of the Government should be thrown
Immediately into the hands of those who had so
recently and pcrsstently tried to destroy II. or
whether the yictors should continue TO have an
equal voice with them in this control. Reeopstruc
ton, as finally agreed upon. means This, ana only
this except that the late slave was en'rnn-
chised-giyng an increase, as was supposed,
10 the union-loying and Union supporting
yotes. II free in the full sense Of the word they
would not disappoinf this expectation. Hence at
the beginning OF my first Administration the work
OF reconstruction, much embarrassed by the lon.
delay. YiTualy commenced. II was the work OF
the Legislative branch of the Government My
province wholly in approving their acts, which
did most heartily ur-ing the Legislatures OF
States that had not yet done to rtify the Fiji
teenth Amendment to the Constitution. The
country was laboring under enormous debt.
contracted In the suppression OF the rebellion, ana
taxation was so o,,lirt.~sive as to discourage pro.
dnction. Another danger al,D Threatened u.
foreign war. Tho lat .,i'icGliy had TO
be adjusted, and WAS ad,.>ie. without n
war and In a mHrLer 'shly honorable
10 MI parties csrr"rued The taxes
have been reduced WITHIN the last seven years
nearly tno,Ds.pn and ire National asbt has