Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-12-09
The PRESIDENTS MESSAGE,

10 tho Senate and House OF Represents
lives i-In submitting my eighth and last a.
nual message to COngiusr, Ii seems prone
that should refer to and In some degree re
onli ulato tho events aud official acts OF III
past eight ycars. II was my fortune, or h,
misfortune, TO DO called to tho offico OF Che
Executive without any previous political trsi
inS' From tho age OF seventeen had neve
even witnessed tho excitement attending
Presidential campaign but twice antecedent I
my own candidacy, and at hut one OF them We
l eligible as voter. Undor suoh clrcun
stsnces IL is but reasonable to suppose thu
errors OF Judgment must have occurred. Eve
had they not, differences Of opinion betwoe
the Executive, bound by an oath to tho stro
performance OF his nies, and writer's and do
baiers must have arisen. 1t Ia mot necossaril
evidence Of blunaer On tho part OF tho Execn
tlv, because there are these differences o
views,
MIsTAKEs HAVE BEEN MADE
a. oil can soc and admit, but II seems to m,
oftener in the selections made OF tho assistant,
appointed to aid In carrying out tho yariOu,
duties OF administering tho government. IL
nearly every case selected without u persona
acquaintance With tho appointee, but upon 70
CONCENTRATIONS OF the representatives chosen
directly by the people, it is impossible where
30 many trusts are to ba allotted that the
right parties should DO chosen in every ill.,
from the time Of Washington to the present
has been froe from the 30 mistakes, but lesyo
comparisons to history, claiming only that
have acted in every instance FROM copscien-
tious desire ~ do what WAS right, constitu-
tional within tho law, and for The very best III
leiosts OF tho whole people, Failures have
beel efrors III Judgment, not OF intent.
MY CIVIL CAREER
commenced, too, at u most or.tlcal d diff
r-ss,
country had emerged nom coufict such 10
40 her nstion has ever survived. Nearly
one-heli OF tho States had r6volted against the
government, aud Of those remaining faithful
70 th3 Unlon large percentage Of the popula-
Npn sympathized with the rebellion. and made
All " enemy in the rear" slmust as dangerous
~ tho more honorable enemy In tho front.
rho latt,r committed errors Of judgment, but
they iaantalped them openly and courage.
ols'y. The former received the protsc ion Of
tho government they would seo DESTROYED.
'"id reaped AL the poouniary advantage to DO
gSined out OF tho then existing state Of affaira,
many OF them by obtaining contracts ana By
swINDLINa THE GOVERNMENT
in the delivery OF their goods. Immed istely
on tfls o 'asa.iol OF hostilties the then noble
President, who had carried tho country go IA,
through its perlsa, FELL martyr 10 his patriot
,sm ut tho hands Of an asrassin. Tho inter-
up with w,anelings between Congrees aud the
low Executive 1T TO the best mode of "reco,,.
structlon, or, to slealg plainly, as to whether
The contro! Of the government should bo
thrown immediately into tho hands OF thupe
Wdo mad 70 recently and pereistently tried to
,iestroy 1T, or whether the victor. should cor.
t'hue to have an equal voice with them in this
control.
RECONSTRUCTION,
as finally agreed upon, means this An, only
This, except that the late slave WIS e,fr.n.
2hised' giving an increase, az was SURPASSED
10 'hs Unlon-ioving and Union-supuortiny
votos. Ii FREQ in tho full sense OF Tho W. ri
They would not disappoin5 this expectation |,
nNhce' ~ Ene beginning OF M first adroinis.
,liLth' 'pe WORK OF recons'rncaoa, much tin
hsrr'sHed by th) long delay, virtually COM
Mehced. IL wSs tho work of the Legislative
m"eh OF tbs government Mylr,viuoa was
"nIiIy IL api rowing Their acts, which I did
host nesrtly, urging the legislatures Of States
mat nad no. yet dor" so to rst'fy tho fifteenth
aMeLdnaat to the Constitutions,
Inc couh r. was lab rlUg uud ali enf rnors
"epf ciht!a ited III the supprt e5cn Of rebellion.
ana laxsloi was 30 oppressive as to scourage
ANOTHER DANGER
also threatened us-a foreign war. The last
diticu!y had 10 be adjusted and was sjireted
Witn1ut o war, ard II! mauu, highly honor
aDle to all part Or coucerr Cd. Taxation has
ooeh relucod, within tia last seven var,
Nearly @3O0,c00.0O0 'S'
THE NATIONAL DEBT
MSS peth feJuced i'll the same time over four
nu urea ana thitty-rvs millions o. doilars bv
teiundihb III" Elk per cont, tunced debt for
poh05 Beating five aud four a nd n ,e,alf ,nr
cen" intnost respectively. The annual IN
tereat li9h been rthuaed from ever ono hrn-
arsi sl1 htr,y iaiiion, of do lars in 1869 to
n"t iItJe over ono hundred toillio III of do!lays
~ 1910 Inc ba!aIc1 OF trade has Leen changed.
llon' over one hunjred and thirty millions
against the United States in 1863, TO more
euai one hundred and twenty millions of dol
lars IN our favor in 1876. 1t il confidently he
'ievad that the baance of trade in favur NJ
enc United States will increase, not diminish.
ana that the pledge OF Cong1 esq, TO resu.e
specie payments in 1879, will be easily ACCOM-
phHnsd, even III the absence OF much desired
,ufthef ieglslai ion on the subject. A policy
h@' boon adapted toward
THE INDIAN TRIBES
tnhablting large portion Of the territory Of
QUO onlieu states which has beon humane and
mas substantially ended Indian hostiitios in the
WA "n''9 iahd except IN portion of Nebraska
aho Dakota, Wyomiug and Montana Terri
tories the Black iiills region and approaches
.nereto' Ho'tilitles there have grown out OF
ene aVarics OF the white man, who has yio-
tatea our treaty stipnlations il his search for
: 10 Tho question might be asked, why the
government has not enforced obedience to tho
.o'ms OF ,ho treaty prohibiting the occupa-
hon Of the Black Hills region by the wbitss
Inc anawer IL simple. The fir t immigrants to
tne Back Hills were removed by troops. b,,t
rnmoFs OF rich discovt rits of gold took into
th"t region increased numbers Gold has ac-
.nsly been found in paying quantity, and an
G i,I orr 10 remove tho miners Won OILY result
III the 1essitlon If the bulk Of ths troops that
might be ecnt there to remove them All diff
Guilty IL this matter has however, been re-
moved, subject to the approval of Congress,
ny = treaty eediag the B ack Hills and an
prohcnes TO settlement by citizens. The sub.
JecI OF lndian policy and treatment is 30 fu "
seE 10Th by the secretary of tha interior and
tho commissioner OF Indian affairs. and NV
views 30 fully expressed therein, that refer
10 Their reports and recommendations as my
own. The relations of the
UNITED STATES WITH FOREIGN POWERS
con inue on friendly footing. Questions
have arisen from ime to tim, in the foreign
feia'lo + or the government, but the United
States have been happily free during the past
year rom the complications and embarrass-
mons which have surrounded some Of the
foreign povert. The diplomatic correspon.
dence snbm tied herewith contains information
as To cer'alt OF tho matters which have occu-
pied the government Tho cordially which at
tends our rel tions with the powers OF the
earth his been plainly shown BY the general
participation of foreign nations in the Exhibi-
ton which has just closed, and by the exer-
tons made by distant p ,wers to show their ill.,
terest III, and friendly feelings toward, the
Unl'ed States in the commemoration OF the
centennial Of the ma ion. The government
and people of the Uaitoi 8 at9s have not only
fully appreciat tbs ExLibi ion Of kindly
feeling, but It may be justly and fairly expect
cd that no small benefits " il result both to
ourselves and other nations from bet err &C.
aud better sppfeciati IL Of our
mutual advantages and mutual wants Con-
gress, at its last session, cav fl. to reduce the
amount usually appropriated FIR foreign inter.
course, b; withholding appropriations for
representatives Of tina United States in certain
fore'g countries and for certain consular Off
GERS, and BY reducing the amount, usually ap-
propriat d for certain other diploma tic pests.
aud thu neces.itating change in the grade Of
the representatives. For these reasone, imme-
dintely upon the passage of the bill making
appropr atoms for the
DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR SERVICE
for the fi,cal year, instructions we're issued to
the representative OF he United States at |
B>hVla. Ecuador and CploDl bia, and to the |
consuiT officers for ON 10 appropriation |
had bien male, to close their respective le |
yAtlpns aud plsta