The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1878-12-12
HAYES MESSAGE,
FELLOW CITIZENS OF THE SENATE
AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

Divine Beng, who holds in His hands
the destinies of nations, for the cOntin-
uet. bestowal, during the last year, OF
coantle blessings upon our country.
We are at peace with all other ma
tions. Our public credit has greatly i'm
proved, and is, perhaps, now stronger
than ever before. Abundant harveSts
have rewarded the labors of those who
till the soil, our manufacturing indus
tries are reviving, and it is believed
thatgeu eral prosperity, which has been
so anXiously looked for, is at last with
in our reach.
The enjoyment of health by our peo-
pie generally has, however, been in
terrupted, during the past season, by
| the prevalence of a fatal pestilence, the
yellow fever, in some portions of the
Southern states, creating an emergen-
cy which called for prompt and extra
ordinary measures of relief. The di-
sease appeared as an, epidemic in" New
Orleans and at other places on the
lower Mississippi, soon after midsum-
mer. 1t was rapidly spread by fugi-
tives from the infected cities and towns
and did not disappear until early in
November. The states of Louisiana,
Mississippi, and Tennessee have suf-
fered severely. About one hundred
thousand cases are believed to have Oc-
Cured, of which about twenty thOus-
and, according to intelligent estimates,
proved fatal. 1t is impossible to esti-
mate with any approach to accuracy
the loss to the country OccasiOned by
this epidemic. 1t is to be reckoned by
the hundred millions of dollars. The
suffering and destitutiOn that resulted
excited the deepest sympathy i'll all
parts of the Union. Physicians and
nurses fastened from every quarter to
the assistance of the afflicted cOmmu-
mites. Voluntary contributions of
money and supplies, in every needed
form, were speedily and generously
furnished. The government was able
to respond in some measure to the call
for help, by providing tents, medicines
and food for the sick and destitute, the
requisite directions for the purpose be-
ing given in the confident expectation
that this action of the executive would
receive the sanction of congress. About
eighteen hundred tents and rations of
the value of about twenty-five thOus-
and dollars were sent to cities and
towns which applied for them, full de-
tails of which will be furnished to
congress by the proper Department.
The fearful spread of this pestilence,
has awakened very general public
sentiment in favor of national sanitary
control quarantine, but have the sani-
tary supervision of internal commerce
in times of epidemics, and hold an adj
yisory relation to the state and munic-
jpal health authorities, with power to
deal with whatever endangers the pub
lie health, and which the municipal
and state authorities are unable to reg
ulate. The national quarantine act
approved April %, 1878, which was
passed too late in tie last session of
congress to provide the means for car
rying it into practical operation, dur
ing the past season, is step in the di-
rection here indicated. In view of 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 9th
err epidemics, it is recommended that
cong eress give to the whole subject ear
ly and careful consideration.
The permanent pacification of the
country by the complete protection of
all citizens in every civil and political
right continues to be of paramount in
terest with the great body OF our peo-
welcomed with public approval, and
every interruption of steady and uni
form progress to the desired consum-
nation awakens general uneasiness
and widespread condemnation. The
recent congressional elections have
| furnished a direct and trustworthy
test of the advance thus far made in
the practical establishment of the right
of suffroge, secured by the Constitu-
| ton to the liberated race in the South
ern states. All disturbing influences,
real or imaginary, had been removed
from all these states.
En
| ments, 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
maintained the authority of the ma
tional government and integrity and
perpetuity of the Union ut such cost
of treasure and life, as a wise and nec-
essary embodiment in the organic law
of the just results of the war. The peO-
pie of the former slave-holding states
| accepted these results, and gave, i'll
every practicable form, assurances that
the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth
amendments, and laws passed in pur-
suance thereof, should, in good faith,
be enforced, rigidly and impartially,
in letter and spirit, to the end that the
humblest 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 con-
gress and the Electoral College, and
the country justly expected that elec-
tiOns would proceed, as to the enfran-
chised race, upon the same circum-
stances of legal and constitutional free
dom and protection which obtained in
all the other states of the Union. The
| friends of law and order looked for
ward to the conduct of these elections,
as offering to the general judgment of
| the country an important opportunity
to measure the degree in which the
right of suffrage could be exercised by
the cOlOred people, and would be res
pected by their fellOw-citiZens; but a
more acknowledgements of freedom O1
! suffrage by the cOlOred people, and 4
more just and generous prOtc elton Ot
| that freedom by the communities Oi
which they form a part, were general
| ly anticipated than the record of the
elections disclose. In some of those
states in which the cOlOred people
have been unable to make their opin.
ions felt i'm the elections, the result is
mainly due to influences not easily
measured or remedied by legal pro
lection; but in the states of LOuisiaua
and South Carolina at large and ir
some particular congressional district.
| outside of those states, the records O
the elections seem to compel the con
| clusiOn that the rights of the cOlOreC
| voters have been over-ridden, and thei
participation in the elections not per
1 mitted to be either general or free.
1t will be for the congress for which
these elections were held to make sucl
examinations into their conduct u
may be appropriate to determine thu
validity of the claims of members t.
their seats. In the meanwhile it be
comes the duty of the Executive ant
Judicial Departments of the govern
ment, each in its province, to inquir
into and punish violations of the law
of the United States which have Oc
Cured. L can but repeat what L sai'
in this connection in my last Message
that whatever authority rests with m
to this end Z shall not hesitate to pu
forth, and L am unwilling to fOregO