American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-12-09
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
~ tAe se.ate and HOUSE 81 Repre.enta. ICES:

To the Senate and House Of Representatives.:
In submitting my eighth and last annual mes
sage to Congress, it seems proper that should
events and OFFICIAL acts of the past eight years
1t was my fortune. or misfortune. to be called
previous vic political training. From the age q
seventeen had never even Witnessed thee xcite-
ment attending Presidential campaign but
twice antecedent to my own candidaey,- 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 &C.
| uired. Even had there not been a difference of
opinion between the Executive-bound by an
oath to the strict performance of his duties--and
writer's and idebaters. they must have arisen
tt fs not necessarily an evidence of blunder
On The of the there
| made, as all can see, and admit; but it seems
to me oftener in the selections made Of assistants
ties of administering the Government-in nearly
every case selected without persona! acquaint-
me ndatons Of the representatives. Chosen By the
people. Itis impossible, where SO many trusts
70 be that the right should
that the Administration, from the time Of. Wash
ington to the the present. has not been free from
\ claiming that 1 have acted in every instance
from a conscientious DIES ire to do what was right
and constitutional within the law, and for the
best interests of the whole people. Failures have
been errors of judgment, not Of intent.
MY CIVIL CAREER
/
Less than four years before the country had
emerged from conflict such no other nation
had ever survived: Nearly one-hah OF the States
| had revolted against the Government, and OF
those remaining faithful to the Union large
percentage Of the population sympathized with
most as dangerous az the more honorable enemy
in the front The latter committed errors of
judgment. 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 to be
| f,tf oftrt.
swindling the Government in the delivery Of
hostisies the them noble Pfesidens, Who had ID
carried the country SO far through its perls fell
assassin. TIE Intervening time to my first in
auguration was filed up with wranglines be-
tween Congress and the new Executive as to the
best mode of reconstruction-to speak plainly,
az to whether the control of the Government
should be thrown Immediately into the hands of
those who mad recently AMI persistently tried to
destroy it, whether the victor 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 an increase, as was supposed to the
Union loving and Union supporting votes of the
not disappoint this expectation; hence, at the
beginning of my first administration the work of
reconstruction was much embarrassed BY the
long delay. Virtually commenced, it was the
work of the legislative branch of Government.
My province was wholly in approving their acts.
lures of the States, that had not done So to rati
fy the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution.
debt, contracted in the suppression of the rebel
lion. and taxation was 80 oppressive as to dis
courage tSrnat Ploeeo fra an, aanger also
had to be adjusted, and was adjusted without
war in a manner highly honorable to all parties
concerned.
have been reduced within the last seven years
nearly 300 900 600; the national debt has been
reduced in the same time over 4s5 900 900. BY
rcfunding the six per cent bonded debt for 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 o.
dollars, in 1867, to but little over one hundred
has been changed from over one hundred and
thirty millions against the United States in 1850
oars ino onr issoa
hoped that the balance OF trade in favor of the
thar the pledge ofCongress 70 resume snecie paV
ments in lS79 will be easily accomplished, even
in the absence of the much desired further legis-
lation on the subject.
INDIAN POLICY
policy has been adopted towards the Indian
se Unsed bae sa ns
has substantially nded Indian hostiiities In the
DAKOTA WyominE and Montana Il Territories. I the
Black Hills region and approaches thereto.
Hostilities there have grown out of the avarice
Of the white man, who has violated our treaty
stipulations in his search for gold. The ques-
ton might be asked, why the Government has
prohibiting the occupation of the Black
Hills region by the whitess The answer lie SIM
pie. The first emigrants to the Black Hills were
removed by troops, but rumors and fresh dis
coveries of gold took into that region increased
numbers. Gold actually had been found in pay
ing quantity, and effort to remove miners
would only result the destruction of the bulk of
our troops that night be sent there to remove
ever, been removed, subject to The approval of
Congress, by treaty ceding the Black Hills and
approaches to settlement by citizens. The sub
ia en fnll Nv at
forth by the Secretary of the Interior and the
Commissioner of Indian Affairs. and their views
80 fully expressed ther. in, that refer to their
reports and recommendations as my own.
FOREIGN RELATIONS.
The relations of the United states with foreign
powers continue on friendly footing. Cues
tions 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 past
which have surrounded some of the foreign pow
ers. The diplomatic correspondence submitted
the matters which have occupied the Govern
meDt. The cordially which attends our rcia-
iy shown by the general participation Of foreign
nations in the exhibition which has just ceased,
snS p the made
the United States, in commemoration of the Cen
tennial Of the Nation. The Government and peo-
preciated this exhibition of kindly feeling but it
may be justly and fairly expected that no small
benefits will result both to ourselves and other
nations from a better acquaint and better
appreciation Of our mutual advantages.i
DIPLOMATIC APPROPRIATIONS.
Congress at its last session saw ut to reduce
the amount usually appropriated for foreign
intercourse, by Withholding appropriations for
representatives of the United States in certain
foreign countries and for certain consular OIL
GERS, and by reducing the amounts usually ap-
propriated for certain other diplomatic posts
and thus necessitatng change in the grade of
representative. For these reasons, Immediately
upon the passage of the bill making appropria-
ton for consular and diplomatic service for the
present force, instructions were issued TO repre-
dor and Colombia, and to the consularo Ulcers
for whom no appropriation had been made, to
close their respective legations and cOnsulates
duties. And in like manner steps were imme-
diately taken to substitute charges Fa6airs
sa DenmarF resident Poftu
Paraguay. While thoroughly impressed with
the wisdom of sound economy in the foreign |
service, as in other branches Of the Government,
can not escape the conclusion that in some in |
stances the Withholding of appropriations will
prove an expensive economy, and that the small
retrcnchment secured by change of grade in
certain diplomatic posts is not an adequate con-
sideration for the loss Of influence and import |
ance which will attend our foreign representa-
that re examination of the subject will cause
change in some instances in The conclusions
reached on these subjects at the last session of
Congress.
ALABAMA CLAIMS COMMISSION.
The Court of Commissioners on Alabama
Claims, whose functions were continued by an
act of the last session of Congress until the first
day of January, 1877, has carried on its labors
with diligence and general satisfaction By a
report from the Clerk of the Court, transmitted
herewith, bearing date November H. 1876, it APP
pears that during the time now allowed by law
the Court will have disposed Of all the claims
contains a statement of the general results of the
labors of the Court to date thereof 1t is a cause
OF satisfaction that the meth I'd adopted for the
the Court. which of long standing and iusty