The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-12-06


CABRERA REVIEW OF THE SEVERAL De-
z fAgTMESTs OF THE GOVERNMENT
SOUTHERN AFFAIRS IGNORED-ADJUST-
MENT OF THE CLAIMS BETWEEN THE.
UNITED STATES AND MEXICo-FRAUDU-
LENT NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. CoAIMENDA-
TTOyssOFl THE SECRETARY OF war.
ABOUT THE cENTENN1AL-THE METHOD
OF CHOOSING AND DECLARING THE ELEC-
TroN OF A. ,PREsIDENT-A SYNOPSIS OF
ADMINISTRATIVE EVENTS.
WASHINGTON, D. c., December ), 1876.
To the Senate and House Of Representa-.
tues:
In submitting my eighth and last annual
message to Congress it seems proper that |
should refer to and in some degree recapit-
ulate the events. and official acts CT the last
eight wears. It was my fortune, or misfor-
tune, to be called to the office OF Chief EX-
ecutive without previous political training.
From the are OF seventeen had never even
witnessed the excitement attending presi-
Dental campaign but twice antecedent
to my candidacy, and at but one OF them
was eligible as voter. Under such
circumstances il is but reasonable to
suppose that errors Of Judgment must
have occurred. Even had they not, differ
ences Of opinion between the Executive,
bound by an oath to the strict performance
Of his duties. and writer's and debaters must
have arisen. 1t is not necessarily evidence
Of plumbers ON the part OF the Executive
because there are these differences Of views.
Mistakes have been made, as all can see, and
as / admit; bat it seems to me oftener in
the selections made OF the assistants ap-
pointed to aid in carrying out the
various duties OF administering the Gov
ernment-in nearly every case selected
without pei sonal acquaintance with the
appointec, but upon the dations
Of the representatives chosen directly ny
the peope 1t is impossible, where so 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 leave
comparisons to history, claiming only that
have acted in every instance from con-
scicntious desire to do what was right,
constitutional within the law, and for the
very best interests of the whole people.
Failures have been errors OF Judgment. not
Of intent. Ny civil career commenced, too,
at a most critical and difficult timc-lcsS
than four years before the country had
emerged from conflict such IS no other
free nation had ever survived. Nearly one
half OF the States had rcvoltcd against the
Government, and OF those remaining faith
ful to the Union large percentage
OF the population sympathizcd with the
rebellion. and made All "enemy in
the rear" almost as dangerous as the
more honorable enemy in the front.
The latter committed errors Of Judgment;
but they maintained tnc:l openly and cour-
ageouSfy. The former received the protec-
ton OF the Government they would sec de-
stroypd, and reaDcd all the advantage to be
gained out OF the then existing state OF ai-
fairs-nany of them by obtaining contracts
and by swindling the Government III the
delivery OF their goods. Immediately on
the cessation OF hoStilticS the then noble
President, who had carried the coHntry so
far through its perils, fell Il martyr to his
patriotism ut the hands OF al assassin. The
intervening time, to my first lnallSura-
ton, was filed mp with WranSllngS
between Congress and the new Executive
as TO the best mode Of reconstruction; or,
TO speak plainly, rs to whether the control
OF the Government should be thrown I'M
mcdiately into the hands Of those who bad
so recently and persistently tried to destroy
it. or whether the victors should continue
to have an equal voice with them in this
control. Reconstruction, as finally agreed
upon, means this, and only this, except that
the late slave was enfranchised, giving IN
increase, as was supposed. to the Union
loving and Union-slpporting votes. II Tree,
in the iul sense OF the word, they would
not disappoint this expectation. Hence
at the beginning Of my first administration
the work of reconstruction, much embar-
rassed by the long delay, virtually COM
menced 1t was the work OF the leSisla-
tive branch OF the Government. My pro-
vince was wholly in approving their acts,
which did most heartily, urging the lcgis-
laturcs Of States that had not yet done so
to ratifv the fifteenth amendment to the
Constitution. The country was laborlnS
under an enormous debt contracted in the
suppression OF the rebellion, and taxa
ton was so oppressive as to dis
courage production another danger
also threatened lis foreign war. The last
difficulty had to be adjusted, and Vas adj
justcd, without war, and III Il manner
highly honorable to all parties oncerned.
Taxes have been reduced within the last
seven years by aearly $500, 100000. and the
national debt has been reduced in the same
time by over S4G5.00O,000. Rounding the
six per cent. bonded debt for bonds
bearing five and four and one bah per
cent. interest respectively. tlpS annual
interest has been reduced iron, over
$130r000, 900 in 1884 to but little over
SlUU,000,000 III 1916. The balance OF trade
has been changed frceil over Sl3G.9Oo,0oV
aoainst the United States in 1869 so more
than Sl20,000, 900 in Our favor in 1876 Ii
is confidently believed that the balance OF
trade in favor of the United States will IN
crease. rnt diminish, AMI that the pledge OF
Congress, to resume specie payments, III 1870
will be easily accomplished, even in the alb
.ence of mt,ch-desired further legislation
On the Subject. '@s.a ~
4 po4;cy has bean adopted to-
wards tie Indian tribes inhahiting
q large portion OF the: territory OF the
| initsd States which has.heen humane, and
hes substantially ended Indian hostilities
in the whole land, except i'll portion or
Nebraska ;;nd Dakota. Wyoming and Mon-
tana territories, the Black Hills REGION land
q, approaches thereto. Hostilities there have
GROWN out Of the avarice Of the white man,
who has violated our treaty stipulatIons in
bis search fsr gold. The question might be
as sized, .Why the Government has MT en-
fo1ocd obedience to the terms OF the treaty
the occupation OF the Black
Hills region by whitess The answer is
simple. The first emlgrants to the Black
Hills were removed by troops, but minors
Of rich discoveries OF gold took into that
region increased numbers. Gold has actu-
ally been fRtnd in paying quantity, and an
effort to remove the Miners would caly end
in the desaEtion OF the bulk Of the troops
that migha be sent the1a 80 remove them.