The Worthington advance., 1878-12-05
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Delivered to the Last Session OF the
45th Congress-, Dec. 2, 1873.

H. DCuvercQ 10 the Last Session OF tho
45th Congress, Dec. 2, 1873.
Fellow CITIZENS oFrHE SENATE AND HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES: Our heartfelt gratitude is due
to the Divine Being who holds in His hands
/ the destinies Of nations for the continued be-
| stowal, during the last year, of countless
blessings upon our country. We are at peace
with all nations. Our r,public credit has greatly
improved, and is perhaps now stronger than
ever before. Abundant harvess have rewarded
the labors of those who till the soil. Our man
ufacturing industries are reviving, and it is
believed that the general prosperity, which has
been so long anxiously Looked for, is at last
within our reach.
THE YELLOW FEVER. i
The enjoyment Of health by our people gem
| orally has, however, been interrupted during
| the past season by the prevalence of fatal
pestilence, the yellow fever, in some portions
of the Southern States, creating all emergency
| which called for prompt and extraordinary
measures of relief. The disease appeared at
New Orleans and other places the lower Mis-
sissippi soon after midsummer. It was rapidly
spread by fugitivcs from the infected towns
and cities, and did not disappear until early in
November. The States of Louisiana, Mssis-
| sippi and Tennessee have suffered severely
About 100, 900 cases are believed to have oc-
| CURED, of which about 20,0OO according to in
| tclligent estimates, proved fatal. It is i'm
! possible to estimate with any proximate to ac-
| curacy, the loss to the country occasioned bv
| the epidemic. 1t is to be reckoned by
the hundred millions of dollars. The
suffering and destitution that resulted
| excited the deepest sympathy in all parts of
the Union. Physicians and nurses fastened
I from every quarter to the assistance Of the af-
| ticted communities. Voluntary contributions
| q J1N a,laTf,
were speedily and generously furnished. The
| government was able to respond in some meas
ure to the call for help by providing tents.
medicine and food for the sick and destitute,
the requisite directions for the purpose being
given in the confident expectation that this ac-
| tion of the executive would receive the
| sanction of Congress. About 1SCO
tents and rations of the value Of about
| $25, 900 were sent to cities and towns which ap-
piled for them, full details of which will be
furnished to Congress by the proper depart
| ment. The fearful spread of this pestiience
has awakened very general public sentiment
| in favor of a national sanitary administration,
which shall not only control quarantine. but
| have the sanitary supervision Of internal com
| mcrce in times of epidcmics, and hold an ad-
visory relation to the State and municipal
health authorities, with powers to deal with
| whatever endangers the public health, and
! which the municipal and State authorities are
| unable to regulate. The national quarantine
| act, approved April 90 1885, which was passed
too late in the last hours of Congress to prov idle
| the means for carrying it into practical opera
tion during the past season, is a step in the
| direction here indicated In view Of the ne
cesslty for the most effective measures by
| quarantine and otherwise for the protection of
! our seaports and the country generally from
| this and other cpidemics, it is recommended
that Congress give to the whole subject early
! and careful consideration.
THE COLOR LINE.
The permanent pacifcation Of the country by
the complete protection of all citizens in every
civil and political right continues to be of par
| amount interest with the great body of our
| people. Every step in this direction is well
| coined with public approval, and every inter-
| ruption Of steady and uniform progress to the
desired consummation awakcns general uncas-
| mess and widespread condemnation. The re-
cent Congressional elections have furnished a
| direct and trustworthy test of the advance thus
| far made in the practical establishment of the
! right Of sutferage secured by the constitution
| to the liberated race in the Southern States.
All disturbing influences, real or imaginary
| had been removed from all Of these States
| The constitutional amendments which confer
rcd freedom and equality of civil and political
rights upon the colorcd people of the South
] were adopted by the concurrent action of the
great body OF good citizens who main
| ment and the integrity and perpetuity Of the
Union at such n cost of treasure and life as 4
| wise and necessary 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, in every practicable
! form, assurances that the thirteenth, four
| tcenth and fifteenth amendments and laws
| passed in pursuance thereof, should in GOOD
faith, be enforced rigidly and impartially in
| letter and spirit, to the end that the humblcst
ia
| should under them receive full and equal pro-
toction in person and property and in political
! rights and privileges. by these constitutional
| amendments the southern section of the Union
| obtained Il large increase of political power in
| Congress and in the electoral college, and the
country justly expected that elections would
| proceed, as to the cnfranchiscd race, upon the
same circumstances Of legal and constitutional
freedom and protection which obtained in all
| the other States Of tho Union. The friends
of law and order looked forward
to the conduct of these elections as offering to
the general Judgment of the country an inpor-
tant opportunity to measure the degree in
which the right of suffrage could be exercised
| by the colored people, and would be respected
| by their fclloW-citizens. But a more general
enjoyment of freedom of suffrage by the cul-
ored people, and a more just and generous pro-
| of which they form part, were generally an
| tcipated, than the record of the election dis
| closes. In some of those States in which the
colored people have been unable to make their
opinions felt in the election the result is main
ly due to influences not easily measured or
| the States of Louisiana aud South Car
| olina at large, and in some particular
Congressional districts outside of these States
the records of the election seem to compel the
conclusion that the rights of colored voters
have been overridden, and their participation
fno oo%S ~ bod %.>l
eral or free. It will be for the Congress for
| which these elections were had to make such
examination into their conduct may be APP
propriatc to determine the validity of the
claims of members to their seats. In the mean
while 1t becomes the duty of the executive and
judicial departments of the government, each
in it's province, to inquire into and punish vio-
lations of the laws Of the United States which
have occurred. l but repeat, what
| Isaid, in this connection, in my last me ssage
that whatever authority rests with me to this
end, shall not hesitate to put forth, and am
unwilling to forego renewed appeal to the leg
| islatures, the courts, the executive authorities
and the people of. the States where the
wrongs have been perpetrated, to give their as
sistance towards bringing to justice the offend
ers and preventing a repetition Of the crime.
No means within my power will be spared to
| obtain y full and fair investigation of the al
| legged crimes, and to secure the conviction and
just punishment of the guilty.
| IT. to be observed that the principal appro-
priation made for the department OF justice at
the lastsession contained the following clause
And for defraying the expenses which may be
incurred in the act approved Feb. 2S, 1871, en-
titled 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 pur-
poses, or any acts anendatory thereof, or sup
Elementary thereto.''> 1t 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 Congress to make adequate appropriations
to enable The executive department. to enforce
the laws. -.
respectfully urge upon your attention that
the Congressional elections in every district, in
very Important sense, are justly a matter Of
interest and concern throughout the whole
country. Each State and every political party
is entitled to share of power which is con-
ferred by the legal and constitutional suffrage.
TA - ..lA