The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-12-07
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
, ne Senatc and Hosss Of Representative: .

70 IRE Sendtc and Hosse Of Representatives.:
In submitting my eighth and last annual mes.
age TO Congress- u Stems proper that ! should |
.efer to, and in some degree recapitulate, the 1
vents and Official acts Of the past eight years.
Il was nv fortune or misfortune, TO be called |
% the ONCE Of Chief Executive without any |
previous political training. From the age q /
seventeen had never even Witnessed the e%cite- !
nent attending Bresiientiai campaign but
twice antpcedpnt 70 my own candidacy, and at
but one Of them was / eligible as a voter. I'm |
der such circumstances, it is but reasonable to |
suppose that errors of Judgment must have oc- |
rurred Even had there not been a difference of |
opinion between the Executive hornd ty an !
oath 20 the strict performance OF Ills duties-and
writer's and idehatert, they must have arisen
Il IS not necessarily an evidence Of blundeF
on the part OF the Executive because there are
these differences ofyiews.' Mistakes have been
made, as al can see and sd.-it, but IL seems
10 me oftener g he selections made Of assistants
to aid in carrying out the various du-
ties OF Administering the Government-in nearly
every case selected without personal acquaint-
ance with the appOintee. but upon the recon
mendations o. the Representatives chosen by the
people. u Is impossible, where go many trusts
arc 10 be allotted, that the right parties should
be chosen in every instances. HlstSry shows
thatthe Administration, from the time of Wash
ingtOs - The present, has not been free from
mistakes; bat ] leave comparisons to history,
claiming that l have acted in every instance
from a conscientious des ire TO do what was right
and constitutional, within the law, and for the
been errors Of Judgment, not OF intent
NS OWL tAREkR
commenced Mt most critical and difficult time.
Lees than four years before the country had
emerged from a conflict such as no other nation
had ever survived. Nearly one hall Of The States
had revoited against the Government, and of
those remaining faithful to the Union large
percentage Of the population sympathi3ed with
the rebellion and made an enemy IN tho rear, al
most as dangerous as the more honorable enemy
in the fr-tnt The latter committed errors OF
!Gdgmenl, but they maintained them openly and
cOurageously. The former received the protec
ton OF the Government they would see destroyed,
and reaped all the pecuniary advantage 10 be
gained out OF the then existing state of affairs,
many OF thew By obtaining contracts and by
swindling the Government in the delivery Of
their goods. Immediately ION the Cessation of
hostilities the then noble Fresidsnt, Who had
carried the country so Far through its per1s fell
q martyr 20 his patriotism, at the hands of an
ASSASSIN. The intervening time to my first in
augurauon was filed up with wranglings be-
tween Congress and the new Executive as TO the
best mode of recOnsuuctiOn-to speak plainly
as 10 whether the control of the Government
should be thrown Immediately into the hands of
destroy IL, or whether the victor should continue
TO have an equal voice with them in this control.
REcUSsrRCCfioN,
as finally agreed upon, means this. and only
this except that the late slave was enfranchised,
giving an increase, as was supposed, TO the
Cnion-loving and nion-surporting votes OF the
free. In the full sen5e or the word, they would
not dssrpCint this expectation; hence, at the
beginning of my first administration the work OF
reconstruction was much embarrassed by the
long delay. Virtually commenced, 1t was the
work of the legislative branch OF Government.
My province was wholly in approving their acts,
which did most heartily, urging the Legisla-
lures of the States that had not done So to rati-
fy the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution.
The country was laboring under an enormous
debt, contracted in the suppression of the rebel
4
courage projections: Another danger also
threatened us-a foreign war. The last difficulty
had to be adjusted, and was adjusted without
war in manner highly honorable to all parties
concerned.
nave been reduced within the last seven years
nearly $500 ,OOO 600; the national debt has been
reduced in the same time over 455, 0Oo, 600. By
refunding the six per cent. bonded debtor bonds
bearing five and four and a half per cent. inter
est, respectively, the annual interest has been
reduced from one hundred and thirty millions OF
dollars in 1861, to but little over one hundred
has been changed from over one hundred and
thirty millions against the United states, in 1869,
TO more than one hundred and twenty million
dollars in our favor in 1876. Ii Is confidently
hoped that the balance OF trade in favor Of the
United States will increase, not diminish, and
that the pledge of Congress TO resume specie pay
ments in 1879 will be easily accomplished, even
in the absence of the much desired further legis.
lation on the subject.
INDIAN POLICY.
A policy has been adopted towards the Indian
tribes nhabiting a large portion of the territory
OF the United States which has been humane, and
has substantially ended Indian hostilities in the
whole land, except in a portion OF Nebraska anC
Dakota, Wyoming and Montana Territories, the
Black Hills region and approaches thereto
Hostilties there have grown out OF the avarlct
OF the white man, who has violated our treaty
stpulatiOns in his search for gold, The ques-
ton might be asked, why the Government hai
not enforced obedience to the terms of the treaty
prohibiting the occupation Of the Blacl
Hills region by the whites? The answer is SIM
PIE. The first emigrants 70 the Black Hills wert
removed by troops, but Tumors and fresh dis
covCries of gold took into that region increased
numbers. Gold actually had been found in pay
ing quantity, and an effort to remove miners
would only result IN the destruction Of the bulk O
our troops that might be sent there to remove
hen. All difficulties in this matter have, how
ever, bees removed, subject to The approval o
Congress, by treaty ceuing the Black Hills ant
approaches to settlement Oy citizens. The sub
ject of Indian policy and treatment is so fully Sc
forth by the Secretary of the Interior and thu
commissioner OF Indian Affairs, and their view
SO fully expressed ther, in, that l refer to thei
reports and recommendations as my own.
FOREIGN RELATIONS.
The relations Of the United states with foreign
powers continue on a friendly footing. Ques
lions have arisen from time to time in the for
eign relations of the Government, but the Unit
ed States have been happily free during the pas
year from the complications and reimbursement
which have surrounded some OF the foreign pow
ers. The diplomatic correspondence submitted
herewith contains information as 10 certain o
the matters which have occupied the Govern
ment. The cordially which attends our rela-
lions with the powers Of the earth has been plain
ly shown by the general participation Of foreign
nations in the exhibition which has just ceased
and By the eXertiOns made by distant powers I,
show this interest in a friendly feeling tOwart
the United States, in cOmmemOration Of the Cen
tennial Of the Nation. The Government and PEG
pie Of the United states have not only fully APP
preciated this exhibition Of kindly feeling, but
may be justly and fairly expected that no small
benefits will result both TO ourselves and othe
nations from a better acquainta nee and a bette
appreciation Of our mutual advantages
DIPLOMATIC APPROPRIATIONS.
| Congress at its last session saw fit 10 reduc
/ the amount usually appropriated for foreigl
/ intercourse, by Withholding appropriations 70
representatives of the United states IN certain
foreign countries and for certain consular OH
! GERS, and by reuucing the amounts usually ap
] prOpriated for certain other diplomatic posts
/ and thus necessitating a change in the grade c
! representative. For these reasons, lmmediatel
/ upon the passage of the bill making apprOpria
| ton for consular and diplomatic service for tn
present force, Instructions were issued to repre-
! seHtatives Of the United States in Bolivia, ECua
dor and Colombia, and to the consularo fiicer
! for whom no appropriation had been made, {
! close their respective Legations and consulate
! and cease from the performance OF thel
]
diately taken to substitute charges d'GBdtT
| for ministers resident IN Portu
| gal, Denmark, Greece, SwltZerlard an
! Paraguay. While thoroughly impressed wit
| the wisdom Of sound economy in tn" foreg
! service as in other branches OF the g, Vernment
! / can not escape the conclusion that in some in
stances the Withholding of appropriations wi
prove an expensive economy, and that the sma
/ retrenchment secured by a change of grade i
certain diplomatic posts 10 not an adequate con
/ sideratiOn for the loss of influence and import
auce which will attend our foreign representa-
! lives under this reduction. / am Of the Opinio
! that a re examination of the subject will cause
| change in some instances in The conclusion
reached on these subjects at the last session {
| Congress.
! ALABAMA CLAIMS COMMISSION.
| The Court of Commissioners on Alabam
| Claims, whose functions were continued by "A
act OF the last session Of Congress until the 1rf
with diligence and general satisfaction BY
report from the Clerk Of the Court, transmtte
! herewith bearing date November Il, 1876, IL ap
! pears that during the lime row allowed by la'
1 The Court will have disposed Of all the claim
/ presented for adjudication. This report ais
contains a statement OF the general results Of tn
labOrs Of the Court to date thereof 1t is caus
| Of satisfaction that the method adopted for tn
satisfaction Of the classes of claims admitted
the Court, which are of long standing and just
| entitled 10 early consideration, should hay
proved successful and acceptable.
BOUNDARY QUESTION.