Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1876-12-14
Natiunal Matters.
THE PRRA PRRASsSIBENNFF S MESSAGE.

SS"NoS ~o~'s~~~'SS~'
In submitting my eighth annual message to
Congress, it seems proper that l should refer
to, and in some degree, recapitulate 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. From the age of
seventeen had never even witnessed the ex.
citement attending 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
reasonable to suppose that errors of judgment
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 writers and debaters must have
arisen. 1t is not necessarily an evidence of
bunder on the part of the Executive because
there are these differences of ideas. Mistakes
have been made, as all can see, and [ admit,
but, it seems to me, oftener in the selections
made of the assistance appointed to add car.
rying out the various duties of administering
the government. In nearly every case they
were selected without personal acquaintance
with the appointe, but upon recommendations
of the representatives, chosen directly by the
people. 1t is impossible, where so many
trusts are to be allotted, that the right par
ties should be chosen in every instance. His
tory shows that no administration, from the
time of Washington to the present, has been
free from these mistakes. But leave com.
parison to history, claiming only that have
acted in every instance from conscientious
desire to do what was right, constitutional,
within the law, and for the very best interests
of the whole people. Failures have been er-
rors of judgment, not of intent My civil
career, too, commenced at a most critical and
difficult time Less than four years before
the country had emerged from conflict
Nearly one.half of the States had revolted
against the government, and of those remain
ing faithful to the Union large percentage
of the population sympatbized with the rebel
lion, and made an "enemy in the rear" almost
as dangerous as the more honorable enemy in
front. The latter committed errors Of jadg
ment, but they maintained them openly and
courageously. The former received the pro-
lection of the government they would see des-
troyed, and reaped all the pecuniary advan-
tages to he gained out of the then existing
state of affairs, many of them by obtaining
contracts, and by swinding the government
in the delivery of their goods. Immediately
on the cessation of hostilties the then noble
President, who had carried the country 80 far
through its perils, fell, martyr to his patriot
ism, at the hands of an assassin. The inter-
vening time to my first Inauguration was filled
up with wranglings between Congress and the
new Executive, as to the best mode of recon-
structon; or, to speak plainly, as to whether
the control of the government should be i'm
mediately thrown into the hands Of those who
had so recently and persistently tried to des
troy it, or whether the victors should continue
to have an equal voice with them in this con.
troll. 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 Unionloving and Union.
supporting votes. If free, in the full sense Of
the word, they would not disappoint this ex-
pectation. Hence, at the beginning of my
first administration the work of RECONSTRUCT
ton was much embarrassed by the long delay
virtually commenced. 1t was the work of
the legislative branch of the Government.
My province was wholly in approving their
acts, which l did heartily, urging the Legisla.
lures of the States that had not yet done so
to ratify the Fifteenth amendment to the con-
stitution. . Blk III. 49,,
IL. - '-' FINANCES. t-"
The country was laboring under an enor-
nous debt contracted in the suppression Of
the rebellion, and taxation was so oppressive
as to discourage production. Another danger
also threatened us-a foreign war. The last
difficulty had to be adjusted, and was adjusted