The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-12-13
The Last Message.
PRESIDENT GRANTS MESSAGE,
EYID EMILY WRITTEN By
HIMSELF.

PRESIDENT GRANTS MESSAGE,
EYID EMILY WRITTEN By
HIMSELF.
An Awkward Apology for the Blum
ders of his Administration, but no
Aliusion to the Great Political
ranglc or to the Condition of the
South.
WASHINGTON December 5.-Some
surprise is expressed that the Presi
dent makes no allnsion to the present
p0litical situation, or to affairs in the
South: Tie only matter referred in
any way to the subject is the narration
of the mail rider and the ~allusion to
colored people in connection with
Santo Domingo.
The President commenced with q
recapitulation Of events. and his Off
cial acts of the past eight years. He
SAWS: mistakes have been made, a.
ali All see, and I admit, but it seems
to me oftener in the selections made OF
the assistants appointed to aid in carry
ing out the various duties Of admins
tering the government. In nearly ev.
ery case, selected without a personal
acquaintance with the appointee, but
upon recommendations of the repre-
seutatives chosen directly Ivy the PEG.
pie.
1T Is impossible, where so many
trusts are to be allotted: that the fighl
party should be chosen in every in
stance. History shows that no admin
istration, from the time of Washing
ton to the present, has been free from
these mistakes, but | leave compare
SOUS to history, claiming only that ]
have acted in every instance from
conscientious desire to do what is right
and constitutional within the law, fo1
the very best interest Of the whole
people, and failures have been error:
of judgment not of intent"
By substituting bonds, the annua
interest on the debt has been reduced
thirty millions per annum. The bal
ance of trade has changed from one
hundred and thirty millions against u
To twenty millions in Il favor. III
believes the balance Of trade will con
tiuue in our favor, and the pledges o
Congress to resume specie payment:
in 1879 can he easily redeemed. ever
in the absence of further much desir
ed legislation.
The policy adopted towards the Tn
dams has been humane, and has sub
.s,antinIly ended hostilities in thu
whole land except in the Black Hill:
and approaches thereto. Our rcln
ti0ns with foreign nations continue
friendly. The Centennial exhibition i!
alluded to as Il promnter of good feel
ing and II better acquaintance will
foreign nations. AiIuding to TIT
allowances for diplomatic service TIT
President says we cannot escape thu
conclusion that in some instances TIT
Withholding OF appropriations will prove
All expensive economy, and that tll'
small re~trenchment secured by
Change of grade in certain diplomatic
posts il not al adequate consideration
for the loss of influence and impor
lance which will attend our foreign
representatives under this reduction
He reserves for another communica
ton the statement of questions will
Great Britain regarding the eXtrudi
ton treaty.
The subject OF the troubles al tn
Rio Grande is under consideration be
tween the United States and Mexico
for the payment of the awards of tn
Mexican claims commission. Ill
recommends Legislation to proven
fraudulent naturalization, and on tin
subject of repatriation and election o
nationality in the interest of emf
grants, he suggests Il new tribunal to
the settlement Of claims Of alien:
against the United States. Othe
Governments are in advance of us il
this respect. The President states
the provisions Of the act of Congress
for admitting Colorado into the Union
He issued a proclamation to that eft
feet. Additional appropriations are
asked. lie says: 1.-The improvement
Of the south Pass Of the Mississippi
river under James B. Eads and his rs
Sociates is progressing fav0rably
The navy is in Il condition as effective
rs possible within the means and au
tllority given the DEPARTMENT.
A few postmasters in the Southern
States have expressed great apprellen
sion of their personal safety on &C
count of their connection with thu
postal service, and have specially re
quested that their reports of appre'
hended danger should not be made
public, lest it should result in the loss
of their lives. But no positive testi
& ,farfnrnnrn hoo hann ct,b,
mitted except in the case of q mai
messenger at Spartanburg, in Soutl
Carolina, who reported that he hat
been violently driven away while in
charge of the malls on account of his
political affiliations. An assistant SUI
periDtendant of the railway mail ser
vice investigated this case, and report
ed that the messenger had disappeared
from his post, leaving his work to be
performed by Il substitute. The Post
master-General thinks this case is stf'
ticiently suggestive to justify him III
recommending that q more severe
punishment should be provided fol
the %ofIensc of assaulting any person il
charge of the mails, or of retarding OF
otherwise DISTURBING them by threat
of personal injury: The PreSidpn.
calls the attention of Congress to the
necessity Of throwing greater safe
guards over the method of chosine
and declaring The election oil Il Presi
dent. Under the present system there
seems to be provided a remedy for con
testing the election: in ans one State
He says the compulsory support q;
The free schnnlS aud the diSfranchis"
ment OF all who cannot read and writ
the English language. after II tix"
probation, would meet his hrnrty AZ"
proval.: The President makes al
elaborate defense OF his rerr"nnnri'.
,iatiOn for the annexation of SAINT
Domingo. After describing the com
mercial advantages thut have accrued
he says: "The Cuban question wnulC
have been settled long upo in favor q
free Cuba" The President adds and
roncluties: "Ii is but scarcely settled
whilei it has an area sufficient for the
profitable employment Of several mil
lions Of people. The soil would have
soon fallcn into the hands of United
States capitalists. The products are
20 valuable in commerce that emigra'
ton there would have been encourag-
ed. The emnrcipated race of the
South would have found there n CON
genial home, where their civil rights
would not be disputed, aud where
their labor would be so much sought
after that the poorest among them
could have found the means to go,
Thus, in cases of great oppression and
cruelty, such as has been practiced up