Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1878-12-12
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

FELTON, Citizens of tie Senate and House of Rem
resentdtives
Our heartfelt gratitude IS due to The Diyin,
Being, who holds in his hands the destinie
ofnabons, for the continued bestowal durins
the last year OF countless blessings upon ou'
country.
We are at peace with all other nations
our puoic credit has greatly improved, an,
y; perhaps, now stronger than ever before
ABUNDANT harvests have rewarded the labor
OF those who till the soil, our manufacture n.
industries are reviying. and il is believed tha
general prosperity, which has been so lons
anxiously looked for, is at last within ou
reach.
THE YELLOW FEVER.
The enjoyment of health by our naonI,
generally has, however, been interru united
curing me past season, by the prevalence O
fatal restilence, the yellow fever. in som,
portions of the southern states. creating =,
emergency which called for prompt and ex.
traordinary measures of relief. The disease
appeared as an epidemic at New Orleans and
other places on the lower Mississinni soon
AFTER midsummer. 1t was rapidly spread by
iugitlves from the infected cities and towns
ana ana not disappear until early in Noyeul.
Der. The states of Louisiana. Mississ,nni
anu anu tennessee have suffered severely. Abou,
loo,ooo cases are believed to have occurred
Oh winch about 10000, according to intelli.
gent estimates, proved fatal. II is impossible
70 estimate with any approach 10 accuracy
'ne loss 10 The country occasioned by this epi.
oeinic. 1t Is 10 be reckoned by the hundr ed
.n.! OF dollars. The suffering and desti
.uuoh mat resulted excited the deepest SYM
PSddny IN an parts of the Union. Physicians
nurses
assistance Of the afflicted commnnities Vol
uhlary contributions of money and supplies
VI every needed form, were speedily and gen.
erously furnished. The government was able
~ respond IN some measure to the call for
neiP, Dy providing tents, medicines and food
.or .he SICK and destitute, the requisite direc.
nohs ior the purpose being given in the con-
hoeht expectation that this action of the
executive would receive the sanction congress.
ABOUT 800 tents, and rations of the value OF
ABOUT $40 600, We're sent TO cities and towns
Wnich applied for them, full details of which
WIN De furnished to congress by the proper
Inc fearful spread of this pestileDce has
awakened very general public sentiment in
'avor OF national sanitary administration
whicn snail mol only control quarantine, but
nave the sanitary supervision of internal rom.
advisory relation to the state and municipal
health authorities, with power to deal wit,
Whatever endangers the public health, and
whlch the municipal and state authorities are
unable to regulate. The national quarantine
act, approved April Goth, 1872, which was
passed too late in the last session of congress
10 provide the means for carrying it into prac.
'icai operation during the past season is a
step IN the direction here indicated. In view
oil the necessity for the most effective meas.
ures, by quarantine and otherwise, for the
protection OF our seaports, and the country
generally, from this and other epidemics, it is
recommended that congress give to the whole
SUBJECT early and careful consideration.
THE SOUTH.
The permanent pacilication of the country
by The complete protection of all citizens in
every civil and political right continues to be
OF paramount interest with the great body of
our people. Every step in this direction is
welcomed with public approval, and every
interruption of steady and uniform progress
to the desired consummaton awakens general
uneaslness and widespread condemnation. The
recent congressional elections have furnished
direct and trustworthy test of the advance
thus far made in the practical establishment
of the right of suffrage, secured by the con-
stltution to the liberated race in the southern
states. All disturbing influences, real or i'm
aginary, had been removed from all of these
states.
The three constitutional amendments, which
conferred freedom and equality of civil and
political rights upon the colored people of the
south, were adopted by the concurrent action
of the great body of good citizens who main.
tanned the authority of the national govern.
ment and the integrity and perpetuity of the
Union at such cost of treasure and life, as
wise and necessary embodiment in the organic
law Of the inst results Of the war. The peo-
pie OF the former slave holding states accept
ed these results, and gave in every practical BILE
form, assurances that the thirteenth, four
teenth and fifteenth amendments, and the laws
passed in pursuance thereof, should. in good
faith, be enforced, rigidly and impartially, in
letter and spirit, to the end that the humbIest
citizen, without distinction OF race or color.
should, under them, receive full and equal
protection in person and property and in
political rights and privileges. By these con.
stitutional amendments, the southern section
of The Union obtained a large increase of
political power in congress and in the eIector-
al college, and the country Justly expected
that elections would proceed, as TO the en-
franchlsed race, upon the same circumstances
of legal and constitutional freedom and pro-
lection which obtained in all the other states
of the Union. The friends of law and order
looked forward,,to the conduct of these cleo
tons, as offering to the general Judgment of
the country an important opportunity to meas.
ure the degree in which the right of suffrage
could be exercised by the colored people, and
would be respected by their fellow-citizens (:
but more general enjoyment Of freedom of
suffrage by the colored people, and a more
Just and generous protection of that freedom
by the communities of which they form n
part, were generally anticipated than the
record Of the elections dscloses. In some of
those states in which the colored people have
been unable 10 make their opinions felt in the
elections, the result is mainly due to innu-
ences not easily measured or remedied by
legal protection; bat in the states of louisa
ma and South Carolina at large, and in some
particular congressional districts outside of
those states. the records of the elections seem
to compel tie conclusion that the rights of
the colored voters have been overridden. and
their participation 10 the elections not per-
miited TO be either general or free.
II will be for the congress for which these
elections were held 10 make such examina.
tons into their conduct as may be appropri-
ate to determine the validity of the claims of
members to their seats. Ia the meanwhile IL
becomes the duty of the executive and judicial
departments of the government, each in its
province, to inquire into and punish viola
tons of the laws of tn United States which
have occurred. | car but repeat what said
in this connection in my last message, thai
whatever authority rests with me to this end
shall not hesitate to put forth, and am un-
willing to forego renewed appeal TO the
legislatures, the courts, the executive author
tiles, and the people of the states where these
wrongs have been perpetrated, TO give their
assistance toward bringing 10 justice the
offenders and preventing repeti ton of the
crimes. No means within my power will be
spared to obtain full and fair investigation
of the alleged crimes, and 10 secure the con-
vietion and just punishment of the guilty.
1t is to be observed that the principal, sp-
preparation made for the department of jus
tlce at the last session contained the following
clause "And for defraying the expense
which may be incurred in the enforcement of
the act approved February 2S, 1871, entitled,
'An act to amend an act approved May 80,
1870, entitled, an act to enforce the rights OF
citizens OF the United States to vote in the
several states of the Union, and for other
purposes or any acts amendatory thereof or
supplementary thereto"
II is the opinion of the attorney general
that the expenses OF these proceedings will
largely exceed the amount which was thus
provided, and rely confidently upon con-
grsss to make adequate appropriations TO
enable the executive department TO enforce
L..