The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-12-27
The Presidents Message.

To THE SENATE N House OF REPRE-
~sESTATlvES: In submitting my eighth and
last ANIMAL message to Congress, it seems
proper that should refer to and in some
degree r~ec&pitulate the events and official
cc,S OF the past eight years. 1t was my
fortune, Or my 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 attending q Presidential
campaign but twice antecedent to my own
candidacy, and at but one was ] eligible as
9 voter. Under such circumstance it is
but reasonable to suppose that errors Of
judgment must have occurred. Even had
they not, differences OF opinion between the
Executive, bound by an oath to the strict
performance OF his duties, and writers and
dchatcrs must have arisen. 1t is not neces-
sarily evidence OF blunder on the part of
the Executive because there are these differ
ences OF views.
MISTAKES HAVE BEEN MADE,
as all can see and l admit, but it seems to
me oilencr in the selections made OF the as
sistants appointed to aid in carrying out
he various duties of administering the
government. In nearly every case selected
without 4 personal acquaintance with the
appointee, but upon recommendations OF
the representatives chosen directly by the
people, it is impossible where so many
truss are to be allotted that the right
parties should be chosen in every instance,
History shows that no Administrator since
the time OF Washington to the present has
been free from these mistakes, but leave
comparisons to history, claiming only that
I have acted in every instance from q con-
scicntious desire to do what was right, con-
stitutional within the law, and for the very
hes. interests OF the whole people. Fail
ures have been errors OF judgment, not OF
intent.
MY CIVIL cANEEg
commenced, too, at = most critical and'difi-
cult 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 ravolted
against the government, and of tlose re-
naming faithful to the Union a large per-
centage OF the population sympatnized
with the rebellion, and made an "enem.;
ir.&MeNsmost as dangerous as the
r ore honorable zHstEy in the front. The
latter committed errors Of judgment, but
they maintained them openly and courage
ously. The former received the protection
of the government they would see destroyed,
and reaped all the pecuniary advantage to
be gained out of the then existing state of
affairs, many of them by obtaining contracts
and by
SwLSDLING H GOVERNMENT
in the delivery OF their goods. Immediate
" on the Cessation of hostilities the then
noble President, who had carried the coun-
try so far through its perils, fell a martyr
to his patriotism at the hands OF m assas-
sin, The intervening time to my first in
, ssspration was filled up with wranglings
, between Congress and the new Executive
as 10 the best rode Of reconstruction" or,
to speak plainly, as to whether the control
OF the government should be thrown imme-
diately into the hands of those who had so
recently and persistently tried to destroy il,
or whether the victors should continue to
have an equal voice with them In this
control.
RECONSTRUCTION,
IS finally agreed upon, means this, and only
this, except that the late slave was enfran-
chIsed, giving an increase, as was supposed,
= to the Uniop-loving and Cnion-supporting
= NOttS. IL tSc III tIlS lull ClS VI Az VIVA
they would not %disappoint this expecta-
ton; hence, at the beginning OF my first
administration, the work Of reconstruction,
much embarrassed by the long delay, vir-
tual1y commenced. 1t was the work Of the
legislative branch of the government. My
province was wholly in approving their
acts, which l did most heartily, durging the
legislatures of States that had not yet done
so to ratify the fifteenth amendment to the
Constitution.
The country was laboring under an en-
ormous debt contracted in the suppression
of rebellion, and taxation was 50 oppressive
as TO discourage production.
ANOTHER DANCER
also. Threatened us-a foreign war. The
last difficulty had to be adjusted, and was
adju,ted without q war, and in = manner
highly honorable to all parties concerned.
Taxation has been reduced, within the last
seven years, nearly s3oO,0O0,0oO.
THE NATIONAL DEBT
has been reduced in the same time over four
hundred and ~thirty-6ve millions of dollars
by refunding the six per cent. bonded debt
l. for bonds Bearing FIVE and four and one
half per cent. interest respectively. The
annual interest has been reduced from over
one hundred and thirty millions of dollars
in 1869 TO but little over one hundred mil
lions OF dollars in 1876. The balance OF
trade has been changed, from over one hun
dred and thirty millions against the United
States in 1869, to more than one hundred
and twenty millions of dollars in our favor
in 1876. 1t is confidently believed that the
balance Of trade in favor Of the United
States will increase, not diminish, and that
the pledge Of Congress, to resume specie
payments in 1879, will be easily accomplish
ed, even in the absence of much desired
further legislation on the subject. A policy
has been adapted toward
sTHE INDIAN TRIBES
inhabiting q large portion Of the territory
OF the United States, which has been hu-
name, and has substantially ended Indian
hostilities in the whole land except in a
portion of Nebraska and Dakota, Wyoming
and Montana Territories, the Black Hills
region and approaches thereto. Hostilities
there have grown out of the ~avarice Of the
white man, who has violated our treaty
stipulations in his search for gold. The
question might be asked, why the govern
ment has not enforced obedience to the
terms OF the treaty prohibiting the occupa-
ton OF the Black Hills region by the
whites? The answer is simple. The first
immigrants to the Black Hills were re.
moved by troops, but rumors of rich dis
~coveries Of gold took into that region in
creased numbers. Gold has actually been
found in paying quantity, and an effort to
remove the miners would only result in the
dissection OF the bulk of the troops that
might be sent to remove them. All diff
Guilty in this matter has, however, been re-
moved, subject to the approval of Congress,
by 4 treaty ceding the Black Hills and ap-
proaches to settlement by citizens. The
subject OF Indian policy and treatment is
so fully set forth by the secretary Of the
interior and the commissioner Of Indian
affairs, and my views so fully expressed
therein, that l refer to their reports and rec
concentrations as my own. The relations
of the
UNITED STATES WITH roRE1GH POWERS
continue on a friendly footing. Questions
have arisen from time to time in the foreign
relations of the government, but the United
States have been happily free during the
past year from the complications and en-
ba~rrassments which have surrounded some