Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-12-06
THE pREsrpENr,s MEssAaE.

President Grant yesterday submitted
his eighth and, as he says. his last an
nual message..to Congress, and concludes
by saying: With the present Congress
my official life terminates; it is not prob
able that public affairs will ever again
receive attention from me, further than
as a citizen of the Republic. always
taking deep interest in the honor, integ'
rity aud prosperity of the whole land
1t is mainly devoted to a recapitulatiou
of the events and official acts Of the past
eight years. 1t was, he says, bis fortune
or misfortune to be called to the Office OF
Chief Executive without any previous po-
litical training, and admits that be may
have committed errors Of judgment, but
it seems to him oftener in selections
made Of assistants or the recommen.
dstion of others chosen directly from
the people. He claims to have acted in
every instance from a consciousness
aud desire to do what was right and con,
stitutional within the law, aud for the
very best interests Of the whole people.
lie slludes to the wsr a. a revolt against
the government which had sympsthizers
ia the North who received the protection
Of the government. President Liseoln
fell a martyr to his patriotism ct the
hands Of an assassin. The next four
years was taken up with wrangling over
the best mode Of reconstruciiou-that is
to say, be remarks, as to whether the gov.
erEment should pass into the hands Of
its late open enemies. He had sus
tanned the plan OF reconstruction
finally agreed upon, and urged the
Legislatures CT the States that had
not done 50 TO ratify the Fifteenth
amendment. Taxes, he says, have been
reduced within the last seven years nearly
three hundred million dollars. The
national debt has been reduced in the
same time over $l35, OOO, 900 by refund
ing the 6 per cent. bonded debt for bonds
bearing 8 and A per cent. interest, re-
speetivsly. The annual interest has
been reduced from over $3.50, 900 900 in
1869 TO but little over 500, 900. 900 in
1876 The balance of trade has been
changed from over $3.50, 000, 900 against
the United States in 1869 to more than
l20, 900, 900 10 our favor in 1876 Il lie
confidently believed that the balance Of
trade 10 favor of the United States will
increase, and not diminish, and that the
pledge Of Congress to resume specie pay
ment in 1879 will be easily accomplished.
A humane policy has been adopted to-
ward the Indians aud a treaty which
will settle the Black Hills difficulty awaits
the ratification Of Congress. Our re-
latioBs with foreign powers continue on
a friendly footing. Congress has with
held appropriations from some repre-
SentativeS abroad at foreign courts, which
in the end he thinks will be expensive
economy. Various matters relating to
che various departments are alluded to,
but the suggestions in reference thereto
are of no particular importance. The
army has been strengthened under an
act Of Congress. The navy is in better
condition than it has been at any time
since the war. No a~llusion whatever is
made 10 the use Of troops at Southern
elections; only 8 bare mention is made
of any disturbances in that section, and
the only paragraph in the message
worth quoting entire is the following:
The attention OF Congress cannot be
too earnestly called 10 the necessitv of
throwing some greater safeguard over
the method Of choosing and declaring
the election Of q President Usder the
present system there seems to be no pre
Vided remedy for coHtesting the election
in any one State. The remedy is par.
italy, no doubt. 10 the enlightenment of
the electors. The compulsory support of
the free school system, and the d%isfrau-
chisement Of all who cannot read aud
write the English language, after a fixed
probation, would meet my hearty ap.
ptoval. | would not make this apply.
however, to those already voters. but |
would TO all becoming so after the ex-
pIraiion OF the probation fixed .upon.
Foreigners coming to this country 10
become citizens, who are educated in
their own language, would acquire the
requisite knowledge of ours during the
necessary residence to obtain naiurali.
zsion. II they did not do so, aud take
enough interest in our language 10 &C.
quire a sufficient knowledge OF il TO en-.
able them TO etudy the institutions and
laws Of the country inteliigentIy, | would
not confer upon them the right to make
and enact laws TO act upon those WIN
did.
There is nothing signi6cln. in the
message from first to last. With the ex.
ception Of a few lines it sounds like it
had been written by Office clerks 10 the
different departments aud pasted to.
gether.
COLONEL JSo. NJ. FLEMING, Of the
Knoxville Tribune, will address the State
Teachers Association at Nashville on