, 1876-12-16
Presidents Message.
vvrrow-crTIzENs OF THE SENATE

AND HOUSE Of
Ii submi.iing nv eighth and last
annual Message 10 Congress, it seems
,roper that | should refer 10 and in
same degree tecapitulate the events
and official acts Of ihe past eight
years.
REVIEW OF HIS ADMINISTRATION.
Il was my fortune OF misfortune to
he called 20 the office Of the Chief
Executive wi. hout any previous pulit-
icsI training. From the age of seven
teen, TAD never even Witnessed the
excitement attending political cam
pagn but twice antecedent 10 my
own candidacy, and at but one of
them was | eligible as voter, and
unier such circumstances II Is but
reasonable TO suppose that errors OF
Judgment must have occurred. Even
had they moi, differences of opinion
between the executive, bound by an
oath TO the stric' performances OF his
duties. and writers aud deba,ers must
have arisen. 1t is not necceSssriiy
evidence OF a bundsr oD the part of
an executive because there are these
differences of views. Mistakes have
been made. as all can STE, and a. L
admit {; but il seems 10 me ottener IN
selections made of assistants appoIu
ted 10 aid III carrying out the various
duties of administering the govern-
ment, who are in nearly every case
selected without a personal acquain
lance with the ap2oln'ee, but upon
recommendation of the representa-
tivts chUsrn directly by the lecple.
IL is impus>Ibie where so many trusts
are tu be allotted that The right par
ties should be chosen i'll every Instance.
History shows that no administration
from the time of Washington To the
present has been free from III Sc
mistakes. But leave comparisons 10
history. claiming only that | have ac
ted in every instance trona cDn>cIen-
tious desire TO do whatever WAS
right, constitutional, within the law,
and for the best interests Of tie whole
people Failures have been errors OF
judgment, not of intent
NJ civil career commenced, too. at
most critical and difficult lime. Less
than four years before the country
had emerged from a conflict such as
no other nation had survived. Near
ly one h.lf OF the States had revolted
against The government, sud of those
remaining faithful 10 the Union large
PERCENTAGE OF the population symPa-
:hizel WI h the rebellion and made AN
enemy in the rear almost a. dangerous
as tn. more honorable enemy III the
front. Tue latter committed errors Of
iui Iment, bu, they maintained them
OpeU.y aud cOurageou>!y the former
received the protection ot the g"vern
ueut they would see destroyed and
reapel The pecuniary advantage To be
gained ont of the then existing state
of atflirs, many of them by obtaining
contracts and by swindiing the gov
ernmrnt in the delivery of their goods
immediately on the cessation .
hostllities the then noble President
who had carried the country 50 Tar
through its pefiI- fell a martyr 10 his
patriotism FL the hands o! an assassin.
The intervening time To my fist III
auguration MAS filled up with wrang
lin = between Congress and the new
exeruuive as 10 the best mode oi re
colrruc;i"n, nr, To speak plainly, AZ TO
whether the cnutrol OF the governs
ment should be thrown Imme dlateiy
into the hands of those who had so
rec -ntly and persisIenliy iried 10 dc
stroy IL, or whether The victors should
Continue 10 have an equal voice Win
them in this control.
Reconstruction, a. finally agreed
upon, means this and only this, except
the late slave was eutrauchl>ed, CIV
ing an increase, as was supposed, Ia
the Union-luvlng aud U#ion rupporI-
ing votes; a., II free III the inll sense
of the word, they would not dl>ap
point the expectation. Hence, at The
beginning Ui NV trst administration
the work of reconstruction. much I'm
barrs>S,-t by ;tr long delay, virtually
Commenced. Ii | IL a 3 was wholly
in approving those " which | dId
most heartily, ursl .e legislatures
of The States thai q. no, yet done 50.
TO ratify the fifteenth amendment L"
the constitution. Tue country Was
labor!ng under an enormous drb'.
contracted in the suppression oil the
rebellion, and taxation was ~ oppres
sive a. 10 discourage production.
Anoihtr r!anyrr also threatened uS
foreign war. The last difficulty had
10 be adjusted and was adJnS ell W, II
out a war, and in a mauner highly
honorable 10 all parties cnncerntu-
Taxes have been reduced within the
last seven wears uearry S30OOO0.0O0
and the national dehi has been reduce
ed in the same time over S433 ,OUV,oou.
b. refauiiug tie six per cent. bonded
debt for bonds bearing 3 and II per
cent. interest respectively, the annual
interest has been reduced from over
Sl50,000, 900, in 1869 to little over
Sl00. 600 900 in 1876 The balance
of trade ha, been changed from over
$4,000 900 against the United
Ststes in 1869. TO more than SlZO,>
600 900 in our favor in 1876 IL Is
conti leutly believed the balance o'
trade in favor OF the United States
Will increase and not dHnlni>b, aud
the pieige of Congress 10 resume