Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1877-12-03
THE EVENING STAR.
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE,
Penn Citizens Of ne Se,ase
and HnMse nf Re,lrc

and HOEse cf Representatives.:
With devout gratitude 10 the bountiful
Giver of ali good, / congratulate you that, Al
The beginning q your first regular session,
y'u find our country blessed with health an |
p ace and abundant bsTvests, and with en-
couraging prOspects or an early re,utn of
general prosperity.
To complete and make permanent The pa
eifcstIOs of The country, continues to be,
and, until il is fully accomplished, must re-
main, tbs most i'm yo5tadt OF all our IA
tional interests. The 4rnest purpose OF cool
citizens generally, 10 unite their efforts IN
his endea vOr, il evident. II found decide
expression Ia the re -oiut!ons announced Ia
1S1G, by the national Conventions of the
Leading political parties OF the country
ht Ie was Wide spTead Apprehension taat
The nioDentouS results in our prOgress as "A
nation, marked By the recent amend me ats tn
he constitution were IN Imminent jeopar
uy; mat tine good understand ng wlicn
prompted their adoption. IN the interest OF "A
loyal devotion To the general welfare. might
prove barren truce, and that the Two sec
lions oil The country, once engaged IN civil
strife. might be again almost a widely s-v-
cred and disunited, as they were when ar
ray Ell In arms against each other.
The course to be pursued which in my
Judgment seeTned wisest, In the presence Of
this emergency, was plainly indicated 10 my
inaugural address. IL pJiuted TO time
when all our people desire TO see, when Il
"
tuat concerns lis true welfare, shall sqpplaut
Inc destructive forces, IF the mutul AMI ios-
lty oi races and of sectional hostility. Opin-
ions nave differed widely rs to the InpaST,raS
best calculated to secure this great end This
wa 10 be expected. The measures aioptei
by The Administration have been Subjected
10 severe and varied criticism. Any cDurs,
whatever which might have been entered
ul6l, would certainly have encountered dis
trust and opposition. These measures were
III my Judgment, such as were most in hsr-
49, = ff,fa.a sryfsF D,
MUS of our people, and best adapted, under
ali The circumstances, to attain the emu IN
view. BsneGcent results, already apparent
prove tIat these endeavOTs are not 10 be re-
saided as mere experiment, and should sus-
tain ard encourage us i'm our efforts
Already in Inc brief period which has
ele psed, The immediate effectiveness no less
than the justice OF the course pursued, is de
m"nstfated. and have an abiding faith nat
time Will furnish its ample viudication in
tne minds o. The great majority OF my fei ow-
clHzens- The dIsConti nance OF tue use of
the Amy for the purpose OF upho.dlng local
COVER. meDtS in 40 states of the Union was
no less a constitutional duty and require
ntnt, under the circumstances existing at
the time, than IL was a mgIch-needcd measure
for be restoration OF local self govern .nauI
aid ihe promotion Of national harmony The
Withdrawal OF the troops from such employ
msnt, WAS enscte,i elIberately, AMI with
soiicitOus care for the peace and good order
OF scciety, and the protection of the properly
and persons and every right OF an classes If
citiZs Ms
The results that have followed are indeed
s4shlnCaH' aiic encouraging. All appreheI-
sloi or danger from RENTING those States TO
local cli-gOVeTnment Is dIspellei. aud "A
most sanitary change in the minds of the
people has begun and il in progreys in every
"a OF that section of The cOuu:ry ouce Lne
iheater OF unhappy civil strife, substituting
Tor suspicion, distrust and ayersioI: coI-
cord, friendship and patriotic attachment 10
lie Union; No unpIejuiIcet mind Will
deny that The terrible and often fatal COLI.
no h.an .
frequent occurrence, and nave agitiafed and
alarmed he public mind, have almost en-
,}rely c. aSed, AID that a spirit of mutual for
hearaHce and hearty national interest
mas succeeded There mas been a gen
efal re establishment OF order AMI OF
the orderly administration OF justice;
instances OF remaining IawlessnesS have b.
come OF rare occurrence; political Turmoil
and turbulence have disappeared: usefuI IN
oUstries have been resumed; pu bile credit IN
the southern states has be N greatly strength
az go, and the eLcGura ging dement's of a ~
vlvai of Commerce between the sections of
TIE country, lately embrOilsd In civil war,
are July enjoyed. Such are some OF the re
suits already attained, upon which the couu
try is 10 be congratulated. They are of such
Importance that We may with conf ienca
patiently await the desired consummaiion,
tnat VIII surely come with the natural! pro.
gress of events.
ii may Tot be improper here to say that II
should he our fixed AID unaIteraoie deter
imitation TO protect, by all available ami
proper means, under the Constitution ani
the laws, the lately enamel pa, ed race in tne
enjoyment OF their rights aud privileges and
urge nron those To whom heretofore the
coloTed people have sustained the relation
OF oondnen, the wisdom and Just ice of n l.
name and liberal local legislation with re-
spect TO their education and general welfare
"A nrIn adherence TO the laws, both national
and state, as to the civil and political rights
OF the colored people, now advanced 10 fuII
ara equal citizenship; the immediate re-
preston and sure punishment by tue nation
al and local authorities, within their resnac-
tive jurisdic tions, OF every instance of law
lessness and violence toward them, is requir-
60 ior me security alike OF both races, and is
justly demanded by the public opinion of the
country AID The age. Ia this way the restOr-
alton of harmony and good Will and
The complete protection of every citizen,
In the full enjoy ment of every constitutional
right, Will surely be attained. Whatever
authority rests with me to this end, shall
not hesitate TO put forth. Whatever belongs
to the power OF Congress and the Jurisdiction
OF The courts Of the Union, they may conf
IDENTIFY be relied upon To provide q al perform.
And 10 the legislatures, the courts, and tue
executive authorities OF the several states l
earnestly appeal To secure, by adequate, APP
prog riate, and seasOlable means within
their OOrG Srs, IL ese common and uniform
rights OF a united PEOPLE which loves liberty,
aDEors oppression, and reveres Justice
tn se OtJecss are very dear 40 my cart. I
shall continue most ear lestly to strive for
their attainment: The cordial CO operation
OF all classes-of ell sections OF the country
ard of both races-is required for this pur-
pose; and with these blessings assured and
not otherwise, We may safely hope to hand
down our free institutions OF government
uninpaired TO the generations that will sue
coed US.
Among the other subjects OF great and
general Importance to The people OF this
country / cannot be mistaken, think, in
regarding as pre-eminent the policy and
n eas ures which are designed to secure the
restoration OF the currency to that normal
and healthful condition in which, by the re.
sumption OF specie payments, our internal
trade and foreign commerce may be brought
into harmony with the system of exchanges
which is based upon the precious metals as
the intrinsic money OF the world. In the
public judgment that this end should be
sought and compassed as speedily and Sc
curely as The resources of the people and the
wisdom OF their government can accom-
plish, there is q much greater degree OF una
n nifty than is found to concur in the spe-
cific measures which will bring the country
TO this desired ED, or the rapidity of the
steps by which II can be safely reached.
Upon q most anxious and deli berate ex-
animation which have felt il my duty to
give TO the subject, am but the more con-
Iirmed la the opinion which / expressed in
accepting the nomination for the Presidency
and again upon my Inauguration. that the
policy OF resumption should be pursued by
every suitable means, and that no lexisla-