The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1877-04-07

may not have merely a united north or
a united south but a united country. !
ask the attention of the public to the
paramount necessity Of the reform of
our civil service, a refarm not merely as
to certain abuses and eices of So
called official patronage hieh have
come to have the sancton usage in
several departments ii nh1ent,
but a change Of the appoint.
ments itself-a reform haH be tH6r-
ough, radical and complies return to
the principles and practices of the found
ers Of the government. They never ex-
pected nor desired from public officers
any partisan service; they meant that
tho public officers should owe their whole
service to the government and to the
people; they meant that an officer should
be secure in his tenure SO long as his
personal character remained untarnished
and the performance of his duties sat
isfaetory; they held that appointments
to Office were not to be made nor expect.
ed merely as regards for partisan services
nor merely on the nomination of mem
bers of congress as being entitled il any
respect to the control of such appoint
ments. The fact that both the political
parties of the country, in declaring their
principles prior to the election gave q
prominent place to the subject of the
reform of our civil service, recognizing
and strongly urging its necessity in terms
almost identical in their specific import
with those / have here employed, must
be accepted as conclusive argument in
behalf of these measures; it must be
regarded as an expression of the united
voice and will Of the whole country upon
this subject, and both political parties
are virtually pledged to give it their un
reserved support. The president of
the United States of necessity, owes his
election to Office to the suffrage and zeal.
GUS labors of a political party, the mem
beers of which cherish with ardor and re-
gard, as of essential importance, the
principles of their party organization.
Out he should strive to be always mind
full OF the fact that he serves his party
best who serves his country best, in the
furtherance of the reform we seek, and
in other important respects. As a change
of great Importance I will recommend
an amendment to the constitution pre-
scribing a term of six years for the pres
idential Office, and farbidding a r~e.elec-
ton.
With respect to the financial condition
OF the country / shall not attempt an
extended history of the embarrassment
and prostration which we have Suffered
the past three years. The de-
preston in all our commercial and man
ufacturing interests throughout the coun-
try which began in September, 1873, still
continues. Its very gratifying, however,
to be able to say, that there are indica-
tions all around us of a coming change
to prosperous times. Upon the currency
question, intimately connected as it is
with this topic, I may be permitted to re-
peat here that statement made in my let
ter of acceptance, that in my judgment
the feeling of uncertainty, inseparable
from an irredeemahle paper currency,
with It's fluctuations Of values, is n of
the greatest obstacles of a return to
times. The only safe paper
currency is one which rests upon a coin
basis, and is at all times and promptly
converted into COIN. / adhere to the
heretofore expressed by me in IA
vor of congressional legislation in behalf
Of an early resumption ~ofspecie payment,
and / am satisfied notonly that thisi is wise,
but that the interests as well as the pub
lie sentiment of the country imperatively
demand it.
Passing from these remarks upon the
condition of our own country to consider
our relations with other lands, we are re-
by the international complica-
abroad threatening the peace OF
Europe that our traditional rule of nom
interference in the affairs of foreign ma
tions has proved oil great value IN past
and ought to be strictly observed.
The policy inaugurateS, by my honored
predecessor, president Grant, OF sub
to arbitration the grave questions
dispute between ourselves and foreign
powers, points to a new, and incompara-
bly, the best 6nstrumentality for the
preservation of peace, and will, as
| believe, become a beneticent ex-
of the course to be pursued
in similar emergencies by other nations
If, unhappily, questions of difference
at any time during the period of
NV administration arise between the
United States and any foreign govern
ment. It will certainly be my disposition
and my hope to aid in their settlement In
the same peaceful and honorable way, thus
securing to our county the great bless
of peacefand mutual good offices
with all nations of the world.
Fellow ~citizensa1ve have reached the
of a political contest marked by
he excitement which usually attends the
contests between great political parties,
whose members espouse and advocate
with earnest faith their respective
Circumstances were perhaps
no respect extraordinary save in the
clos0aess annsse consequent uncer-
tairty Of the result. For the first time
Ii the history of the country it has been
saemed best, in view of the peculiar
circumstances of the elise, that the OBJ
Iections and questions in dispute with
reference to the counting of the electo-
raj votes should be referred to the de-
cision of q tribunal appointed for this
purpose. that tribunal established by
for the sole purpose ; its members all
Sc them men of long established reputa-
for integrity and intelligence and
the exception of those who
are members of the supreme iu-
dietary, chosen equally from both
parties. Its deliberations,
enlightened by the research and the
arguments of able counsel, was entitled
"a the fullest confidence of the American
Its decisions have been patient
waited for and accented as legally con
BY the general judgment of the
For the present, opinion will