Connecticut western news., 1876-12-15
THE PRESIDENTS MEssAGEa

 To the Senate and House of Representa- tives:-In submitting my eighth and last an nusl message to Congress, it seems proper that l should refer to and in some degree re- capftulate the events and official acts of the past eight yeare. It was my fortune, or inv misfortune, to be called to the ofies of Chief Executive without any previous political train ing. From the age of seventeen | had never even witnessed the excitement attending a Presidential campaign but twice antecedent to my own candidacy, and at but one of them was Il ehSlpte as voter. Under such circum- stances It IS but reasonable to suppose that errors Of Judgment must have occurred. Even nao tney not differences of opinion between the Executive, bound by an oath to the strict performance of his duties, and writers and de- evidence of bluuder On the part of the Execu- tive because there are these differences of views. s'f-r 7Fe' 8 .'-''0
 MISTAKES HAVE BEEN MADE, ss all can see and admit but it seems to me oftener in the selections made of the assistants appointed to aid in carrying out the various duties of administering the Government, Tn nearly every case selected without 8 personal acquaintance with the appointee, but upon re- concentrations of the Representatives chosen directly by the people, it is impossible where so many trusts are to be allotted that the right parties should be chosen in every in- stance: History shows that no administration rom 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 conscien- tious desire to do what was right, constitu- nonal within the law, and for the very best in- terests of the whole people. Failures have been errors or judgment, not of intent.
 . MY CIVIL cABEERa
 commenced, too, at most critical and diff cult tlme- Less than four years before the country had emerged fl om B conflict sncb ss To other nation has ever survived, Nearly one-hslf of the States had revolted against the government and of those temainine faithful 70 the UHfon 8 large percentage of the popula- flon sympathiZed with the rebellion. and made an enemy in the rear" almost as daneerous as the more honorable enemy in the front, The laeser- committed errors of judgment -but they maintained them openly and courage ous9. The former received the protection of the government they would see destroyed, ana reaped all the pecuniary advantage to be gslned out Of the then existing state of affairs. many of them by obtaining contracts and by
 swINDLNe THE GOVERNMENT
 m the delivery of their goods Immediately on ths Cessation of hostilities the then noble President. who had carried the country so far enrougn us perlis, fell martyr 10 his patriot lsEl at the hands of assassin. The inter Venlng time to my first inauguration was filed up With wranglings between Congress and the new Executive as to the best mode of .trecon- struction, or, to spesk plainly. as to whether a thrown immediately into the hands of tbose who had so recently and persistently tried in destroy it, or whether the vietors shonId con. tlnue to have an equal voice with them in this control --. 'D''
 RECOMMENDATION,
 as nnaliy agreed upon, means this and only tnls, except that the late slave was enfran- cnlsed, giving an increase, as was supposed 10 the Unlon-loving and Union-supporting votes. 1T free in the full sense of inc word they would not disappoint this expectation :. .r,s nsnse, 8. the beginning of my first Adminie- Stssion, the wtrk of recons; ruosios, much em- Darrassed by ths long delay virtually conn menced. It WIS the work of the leeislstiva branch of the government. Myrroyfnce was wholly ID approving their acts, which I did most ne Faiy, urging the legislatures of States tnss nao not yet doNa so to ratify the fifteenth amendment to the Constitution tne ooun' " was lab ring undt r ar ent nous ue6t c eontraoied in tne suppre ssion of rebelIion snu IaAs'ion was so oppressive as to discourdg ge production.
 ANOTHER DANGER
 Slao threatened us-a foreign WAT. The 1ast dfneuliy had to be adjusted, and was adiusted without war. and in mannf r highly 6orcr sple to all part es coucerned. Taxation has oeen reauced sau within the last seven years. nearly $300,000,000. ~
 THE NATIONAL DEBT
 nas oeen reduced ill the same time over four
 
 re1undlpg the six per cent bonded debt for oohos De arlng five and four and one-hslf per cent interest respectively. The annual in 5erest has necn reduced from over one hun urea ana thirty millions of dollars in 1869 to but little over one hundred millions oF 5oIiore m 1876 The balance of trade has bean cbangad Arom over one hundred and thirty milIions ssalnst the United States in 1889 to move than one hundred and twenty millions of dol ials n our Favor in 1876. It is confidently be- hal oR tne United Ststes will increase not diminish ana that the pledge of Congress. to resnn,a specie payments in 1879, will be easily aoeom- pIsneo, even in the absence of much desired har 'her ieSisiatlon on the subject. policy nAS oeea adapted toward
 THE INDIAN TRIBES.
 inha6itng large portion Of the territory of Iae United States which has been humane and hss substantially ended Indian hostilities in fine whole land except in 8 portion of Nebraska, ana Dakota. Wyoming and Montana Terri. .o eolles. the Black Hills region and approaches Snereso Hostllties there have grown out of the avarics of the white man, who has vio- tased our treaty stipnlstions in his search for sold. The question might be asked, why the government has not enforced obedience to the tinn 70, ah 9 1ne treaty prohibiting the occupa- nS 1Ion oi tne Black Hills region by the whites me answer IS simple. The arst immigrants to tue oiack Hills were removed by troops. bnt tumors or rich discoveries of gold took into tnaI region increased numbers Gold has ac- efsaIfs esSf oeen found in paying quantity, and an ehors Co remove the miners wou'd only resnlt Ln tne assertion of the bulk of the troops that HnSns DC sent there to remove them. All diff cuIty m this matter has, however, been re- moved, subject to the approval of Congress. Dy 5 treaty ceding the Black Hills and an. proaches to settlement by citizens. The sub Ject or Indian policy and trestment is so fully seb forth by the secretary of the interior and Ine eommlssloner of Indian affairs, and my Ir nvrN Al - to tnelr reports and recommendations as my own. The relations of the
 UNITED STATES WITH FOREIGN POWERS
 continue on friendly footing. Questions nave arisen from time to tim, in the foreion relations of the government, but the United states have been happily free during the past Is,l SeSl rom Sne complications and embarrass- menis which have surrounded some of the LoreIgn powers. The diplomatic correspon oenee submitted herewith contains informstiou ss 70 certain of the matters which have occu. piea the government. The cordiality which at. ssnas our relations with the powers of the earth has been plainly shown by the genera parHcipatlon of foreign nations in the Exhib. ton which has just closed, and by the exer. tlors made by distant powers to show their in GgresG m, and friendly feelings, toward. the Unsed States in the commemorstion of thf centennial Of the na ion. The goyernment Bud peopls of the United States have not onl fuliy appreciat th;s Exhibition of kindIy 1eehng, but 1t may bs justly and fairly expect ed that no sm=u benefits will result both f, ourselves and other nations from bet CT ac quaintance and better sppreciation of ou] mutual advantages and mutual wants. Con gress, at it's last session, saw fit to reduce tht snoon' usually appropriated for foreign inter course, by withholding appropriations fol representatives of the United States in certaiI foreign counties and for certain consular off cers, and by reducing the amounts usually ap propr1ated for certain other diplomatic posts and thus necessitating charge in the grade Q the representatives. For these reasons, Imme dlately upon the passage of the bill raakin, appropriations for the
 DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR SERVICE
 for the Ii cal year, instructions were issued f, the representatives of the United States a Bolivia. Ecuador and C,lon bia end 4o +l,