The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1877-12-07
BEL Al R, M D.
FRIDAY, DEC. z, 1877.
The Presidents Message.

President Hayes's first message has been
read with considerable interest, and will COM
mand the general approval otall conservative
citizens. The message opens with an express
sion of gratitude to The Bpuntiful Giver of
all good for the blessings Of health, peace,
abundant harvests and the encouraging signs
of au early return to general prosperity
The President says that $50 complete and
make permanent the pacifcation of he coun-
try continues to be and, until it is fully ac-
complished, must re Lain the most important
of all our national interests The earnest
purpose of good citizens generally to unite
their efforts in this endeavor is evident" He
refers to the beneficent results already appa-
rent from his peace policy, and expresses his
faith that time will furnish its ample vndi
cation in the minds of the great majority of
his fellow citizens. The results which have
followed the discontinuance of the use of the
army for the purpose of unfolding bogus
governments in South Carolina and Louisiana
are clearly set forth.
On the subject OF specie payments the Pre-
sident utters no uncertain sound He is in
favor of resumption as speedily as possible,
and thinks no legislation would be wise
that should disparage the importance or
retard the attainment of that result. He
declares unequivocally that the interest on
the public debt should and must be
paid in gold. "The obligation of the public
faith transcends all questions of profit or pub
lie advantage otherwise" is a sentence which
puts the whole question in n nutshell.
He appears to regard the RECOMMENDATION
of silver as an eXpedient almost as disastrous
us an unlimited issue of paper money, and
thinks such course would drive gold out of
circulation without giving the country any
substitute of equal value. His remarks on
this point will not be agreeably received by
Sharon, Flood, O'Brien and other owners of
silver mines, who would, if they could carry
out their schemes, Immediately have hun
dreds of tons of it coined, and no matter
what laws Congress might pass, its bulk
would preclude it from having purchasing
power equal to the intrinsically more valu-
able metal-gold.
On the subject of reform of the civil SER
vice the President is not so frank and out
spoken. He expresses his continued belief
in its necessity, and endeavors to account
for and excuse the imperfections and weak
nesses of the new system. He also solicIts
the cooperation of Congress, which he is not
likely to get, at least from the Republican
side, if we may judge from the large number
of nominations rejected or postponed by the
Republican majority in the Senate.
The peaceful relations ofthe United States
with all foreign powers is adverted to. AS
to Mexico, the President asks the attention
of Congress to the actual occurrences on the
border, and does not anticipate an Interrupt
tion of our friendly relations with that repub-
lie. At the same time the President justifies
the invasion of Mexican soil by United States
troops, in pursuit of marauding parties from
the other side, and believes it has had the eff
feet to cheek somewhat these depredations.
The necessity for a change in the policy of
the government in the treatment of the Ill
dians is forciby presented. The acknowl
edgementis frankly made that many, if not
most of our Indian wars have had their ORR
gin in broken pledges and acts of injustice on
the part of our own people and government,
and the slow advance made by the Indians in
civilization islargely, therefore, our own fault
The passage of a lazy admitting to the bene-
fits of the homestead act and the privilege
of citizenship Indians who may be willing to
sever their tribal relations is recommended
rs well as more just and humane policy
generally in regard to the Indians.
The closing recommendation of the mes
sage is one which many persons who may
approve of almost everything else the mes
sage contains will find most difficulty in ap-
proving. The President urges upon Con-
gress the policy and the duty of legislation
in aid of The States for the education of the
whole people of the country There are
many persons who will not agree with the
President in thinking that the wisdom and
necessity of such Legislation is no longer
question, but who WILL on the contrary, in
sist that it is n matter much better left to the
States