New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-03-06
THE INAUGURAL ADDRESS.

MARKS G0e com meUCgm6nb OF y u6W UtTIu Vi
the presidential Office Called to the duties
of this great trust, proceed, in compliance
with usage, to announce some of the lead
ing principles on the subjects that now
cbit fly engage the public attention, by
which it ia my desire to be gu ded in the
discharge of these duties. l shall not I'M
dertake to lay down irrevoeably principles
! or measures of administration, but rather
| to speak of the motives which should
animate US, and to suggest certain lm-
| porGant ends to be attained, in accordance
with our institutions, ard essential to the
welfare of our country.
A the outset of the discussion which pre-
ceded the recent presidential election it
seemed to be fitting that l shOul1 fully
| make known my sentiments in regard to
several of the important utstiOns which
| then appeared to demand the consideration
| OF the country.
| FGllo0ing lhs example and in part adopt
| ing the language of one of my predecessors,
/ wish now, when every motive for mis-
| representation has passed away, to repeat
what was said before the election, trusting
| that my cOuDtrymen will candjdly weigh
| and understand il, and that they will feel
1 assured that the sentiment declared IN ac
| cepting the nomination for the Presidency,
| will be the standard of my conduct in the
| path before me, charged as | now am with
the grave and difficult task of carrying them
| ont in the practical administration of the
| government, 70 Iaf as uop6uuet uHucI Nuo
| constitution and laws, on the chief execu-
| tive of the nation.
The permanent qualification of the coun-
try upon such principles aud by such meas
ures rs will secure the complete protection
of all lts citizens in the free enjoyment OF
all their constitutional rights, is now the
one subject in our public affairs which all
thoughtful and patIiopic citizens regard as
of supreme iUportance.
MANY of the calamitOus effects of the ire
mendous revolution which has passed over
the Southern States still remain. The i'm
measurable benefits which will surely fol-
low, sooner or later, the hearty and gener
Gus acceptance of tho legitimate results Of
that revolution, have not yet been realized.
ID fieult and embarrassing questions meet
us ut the threshold Of this snbieot. The
people of those States are still Empower
ishe6, and thu lDestima6le blessings of
wise, honest and peaceful local selt-govern-
mRnt are not fully enjoyed.
| Whatever difference of opinion may exist
| as TO the cause of this condition OF things
the fact is clear that in the progress of
| events, the time has come when such gov
eminent is the imperative necessity re-
| uuired by all the varied interests, public
and private of theee S ates. But it must
not be forgotten that only local govern
| ment which recognizes and maintains in
violate the rights of all is true self gov
eminent. With respect to the two distinct
raees whose peculiar relations to each
| other have brought upon US the deplOrahle
complications and perplexities which exist
in thnse Srates, il must be government
! which guards the interests of both races
carefully aud equally; it must be govern
ment which submits loyalty and heartily to
the constitution and the laws-the laws of
the nation and the laws OF the States the M
Relvee-acct ptiDg and Ubeylug foi htully
, the whole consult luton, as il ia Resting
upon this sure and substantial foundation,
, the superstruUture OF benihcent local E "
: eruments can bs bGilt up, and not other
Wise.
Ia iurtherance of such obedience to the
letter and tue spirit of the constitution
and in behalf Of all that its attainment i'm
, plies. all sc-caled party interests lose Their
| apparent Importance; and party ties may
, | well bo permitted Cd Jade into Insight
oaEce.
The question we have to consider for tbs
, | immediate welfare of hose States OF the
| Union Is The question of government or NJ
government-ot social order aud all tht
| peaceful industries, OF the happiness that
belong to it, or a return TO barblrlsm. Id
| is a question in which every oit'zsn of the
, | nation is deeply interested, anu with re-
| spect TO which We ought not to be, in 4
: partisan sense, either Republican, or Dem
b ocrBts, but fellow. citzens and fellow-men
{ 10 respect to which the interests OF com
mon country and a common humanity are
dear
b The sweeping revolution of the entirt
4 labor system of large portion OF our cOun
try, and the advance of 600 600 of people
from a condition Of servitude to that o
D citizenship, upon an equal footing witt
8 their former masters, could not occur with
:. out presenting problems of the grayest mo
ment, to be dealt with by the ema0clpa'ei
Iaee, bV their former masters aud by thu
general COvernment-the author of the ao
. W. nNUT1ua
and pTOvidential act, traugbt with good TO
all concerned, is now generally concedet
throughout the country; that moral Ohll
L CATION rests upon the national government
4 10 employ its constitutional power and in
t1lene TO establish the ghtH of the peopl
it has rmancip4ted, aud pr1tect them II
Il tho eri ,yment IF those rights when they
. a-e IN ged or assailed, is alec general!
admitted.
# The evils which sflict the Southern
z States can only be removed or remedied b.
|. the united and harmonious efforts of bot
J. races, aetuated by motives of mutual sym
pathy and regard and while in duty bound
- and fully determined to protect the right
of all by every constitutional means at tn
}. disposal of my administration, l am sin
oerely anxious to use every legitimate IN
3 fluence in favor of honest and ehectiV
B. local self-gOvernment, as the true source o
those States for the promotion of the COL
In the effort l shall make to accomplis
this purpose / ask the cordial cooperate
S of all who cherish interest in the welfare G
the country, trusting that party ties an
the prejudice of race will be freely SUI
rendered in behalf of the great purpose
be accomplished in the work of restorln
the South.
1t is not the political situation alone tina
merits attention; the material develOpmeI
of that section of the country has been a
rested by the social and political revolutio
through which it has passed, and now need
and d-etIVes the ennsiirga.e cIr- II tn a
tiOnal government, Within the just lint
:; prescribed by the constitution and wise pu
IS lie economy. Bat as the basis Of all pro-
perity for that, as well as tor every Oth'
- part of the country, lies the improvement
Of the intellectual and moral condition
the people,
10 Universal suffrage should rest upon I'm
Is versal education. To this end liberal nj
- permanent provision should be made for q
n support of Tree schools by the State COVER
10 ments, and, il need be, supplemented b
I legitimate aid from the national authOrit
. Let me assure my countrymen OF Il
OF Southern States that it is my earnest des
le TO regard and promote their truest int
t. eats-the interests OF the white and OF Il
n eolored people, both and equally, and
id put forth my best efforts in behalf OF civ
at policy which will forever wash out, Ia o.
a | political affairs, the color line, and the dl
ye | iinotiOn between North and South, TO q
he end that we may have not merely unite
he North or united South, bat united e1u
or try.
1 : 49, af.rur IN NVa nj 4