The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1878-12-06
Presidents Message.
An Interesting Document

Our 20 olic credit has greatly iinpioNeu, anN
is. perhaps, now stronger than ever oeioie.
Abundant harvests have rewarded tne iapoIh
of those who till the soil. cur manuisctnring Z
Interests are reviving, and IL is DeIeNeu Ina ma
general prosperity; which has been so iong
an xious Is looked for, Is At last wltnln our
The endowment Of health by our PEOPLE gen.
eraIIy has however, b en- interrupted duf-
INC fhe Dasf season by the prevalence OF a
latal pestilence; the yellow lever. IN toIne
portions of the Southern States, creating an
emergency which called ior proinnbe n az 49,
appeared as an epidemic at New orleans
and at other places on the lower MlselssiP ~, IL,
soon after midsummer. IL was IaPa1y PLY
spread by fugitives from the infected clues
and towns and did not disappear until cary
in November. The States Oi Louisiana MIS-
Sissfppi and Tennessee have sunereo severe
w. Aboui one hundred thoussnG Eases e ar
Relieved 20 have occurred. OF which about
twenty thousand, accord ng 70 lpteiilSehtt 20
| Inmates proved fatal. II is impossible 10 es'
innate with any approach 10 accuracy tals
| loss to the country, Occasioned by thls cpl
/ dernic,, 1t is to be reckoned by the hnGoIeo
million of dollars The suffering ana desu'
tuition that resulted, excited the cespest y in' m
narby in all parts ofthe Union. Physicians
and nurses hastened from every quarier 10
the assistance OF the afflicted commit nnitIes-
Voluntary contributions of money ana sup
plies. in every needed form, were speedily
and Generously furnished The Government
was able to respond in some measure 10 the
/ call for help, by providing tents, II nedlclhes
,
uisite directions for the purpose being given,
| in the confident expectation that this action
| of the Executive would receive the sanction
| of Congress. Abont eighleen hunarea .eats :
| five thousand dollars were sent 10 cltles abu
towns which applied for them, full details ol
which will be furnished to Corgtess py Inc
T6e feaTfuI spread OF this pestilence ma:
| awakened q very general puollc sentlmsn
! n, favor of national sanitary adninistratlor
frfl nm n "a
| have The sanitary supervision OF tnterna
commerce in times of epidemics, and hold an
adv sory relation to the State and municipal
| health authorities, with power to deal with
whatever endaDgs rs tie public health, and
which the municipal and state AUTHORITIES
are unable to regulate, Inc nsuonsi 1S biot 9uas
was passed too late In the last sess on @
Congress TO provide the means or carrying
| IL into practical operation, during the pasl
| season is a step in the direction rere ihdt-
Gated. In view of the necessity for the mos
effective measures, by quarantine AMI other
| wise. for the protection of our seaports and
the country generally, from this and cthel
epidemics, II is recommended that Congress
give to the whole subject early anc caieiu
consideration.
The permanent pacincation OF the country
by the complete protection of all citizens in
| every civil and political right continues tC
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 consummatioD awakens gen
erRl uneaslness and widespread condemna
tion- The recent Congressional eIection'
have furnished direct and trustworthy tes
of the advance thus far made in the practlca
establishment ofthe right OF ofsutrage, secured
1 by the Constitution to the liberated race In
| the Southern states. All disturbing infiu.
ences, real or imaginary, had been reno veo
| from all these states.
| The three constitutional amendments
which conferred freedom and equality o
ai vii nd
people OF the South, were adopted py tht
| concurrent action of the great body OF good
citizens who maintained the autnoilty OF tnt
Natioral Government and the integrity and
| perpefuity of the Union at such a cost o.
treasure and life. as wise and ne. essary
embodiment in the organic law OF the Jus'
results of the war The people OF the fernlel
slave holding States accepted these results
! and gave, in every practicable form, assur
ances that the thirteenth. fourteenth, and
! fifteenth amendments, and laws passed IN
pursuance thereof, should, in good faith, be
enforced, rigidly aud impartlally, In lettef
and spirit, to the end that the humbleSt cltl-
zen. without distinction OF race or color,
should, under them, receive full and equal
protection II person and property ana IN po-
| fitical rights and privileges. By these con-
stitutional lamendmentsth he southern sectlon
of the Union obtained a large increase OF po-
litical power In Congress and IN the Eiectof-
al College, and the country justly expected
that elections would proceed, as TO the en-
| franchised race, upon the same circumstance
| OF IL gal 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 elec,
tions, as offering to the general judgment OF
| the country an important opportunity to
measure the degree in which the right ot
suffrage could be exercised by the coiored
| people and would be respected by their fel-
| low citizens; but n more general enjoyment
| of freedom of suffrage by the colored people
and a more just ard generous protection OF
that freedom by the communities OF Whloh
| thew form a part were more generally antic-
mated than the record of elections olscloseS.
| In some of those States in which the colored
| people have been unable to make their opin-
| ions felt in The elections, the result is mainly
due to influences not easily measured or
| emedied by legal protection; but in The
States of Louisiana and South Carolina al
| large and in some particular congressional
districts outside of those States, the RECORDS
of the elections seem to compel the conciu-
sion that the rights Of the colorea voters
4 ton in the election not permitted TO be
| either general or free
1t will be for the Congress for which these
| elections were held. TO make such examlna-
tions into their conduct as may be approprl-
ate TO determine the validity ofthe claims ol
| members to their seats. In the meanwhile II
| becomes the duty ofthe Executive and Ju-
diciaI Department of the Government, each
/ in its province, to inquire into and pnnlsh
| violations of the laws of the United Slate:
| which have occurred. lean but repeat whal
i said in this connection in my last message
| that wherever authority rests with me to thi,
eni shall not hesitate to put 1t forth, and
am unwilling TO forego renewed appeal &c
The legislatures. the courts, the executive
authorities, and the people OF the states
where these wrongs have been perpetrated
| to give their assistance towards bringing to
justice the offenders and preventnga a repe-
tition Of the crimes No means within my
power will be spared o obtain full and fail
| Investigation of the alleged crimes, and TO 81
cure the conviction and just punishment O
| the guilty.
1t is to be observed that the PRINCIPAL ap-
prOpriation made for the Department O
Justice at the last session CONTAINED Ihe Ioi
| penses which may be incurred in the en-
| forcement of the act approved February u
1871, entitled An act TO amend an act ap
proved May 30th. 1870, entitled an act to en-
| force the rights of citizens OF the Unit G
States to vote in the several States of tho
Union. and for other purposes or any act
amendatory thereof or supplemental!
tits the opini., N of the Attorney Genera
1 that the expenses of these proceedings VII
largely exceed the amount which was thus
provided, and rely confidently upon Con
gress to make adequate appropriations Il
enable the Executive Department to enforce
| the laws.
| I respectfully urge upon your attention
| that the ,opgi essiohal elections, in every
| district, in a very important sense are justly
q matter Of political interest ana & eoSeerI Stid
| every political party. is entitled TO the shar'
| of power which is conferred by the Iega
and constitutional suffrage. 1t is :he righ
of every citizen possessing the qualircationi
prescribed by law, TO cast one untimidatet
| ballot, and TO have his ballot honestly
| counted. So long as the exercise OF thi
common and equal. practically as well a
formally, submission to the results OF lh'
suffrage will be accorded loyalty and cheer
| iully, and all the departments OF Govern
ment will feel the true vigor of the poppla
| will thus expressed. No temporary or ad
| m,nisfrative Interests OF Government. how
zeal of our people In defense Of the primar,
rights sofcitizeDship. They understand tina
the protection Of liberty requires The main
tenance, in full vigor, OF the manly meth
| DDS of free speech free press and free suffrage
| and will sustain the full authority of Gov
4 ernment TO enforce the laws which ar.
framed 70 pre- serve these 1nestlmaole rights
| The material progress and welfare OF III,
4 States depend en- The protection sfIol lded Il
| their citizens. There can be no peace with
out such protection, no prosperity withou
peace and the whole country Is deeply in
terested In the growth and prosperity of q,
its parts.
complete unity of feeling and recipror;i
| confidence between the communities 81
| lately and SO seriously estranged. feel al
| absolute assurance that the tendencies ar,
in that direction. and with increasing force
4 The power of public opinion will override
| all political prejudices, and all sectional o.
State attachments. In demanding that al
| over our wide territory the name and char
| acter of citizen al the United States shal
mean one and the same thing, and CARR
| with them uuchallepged security and respec
| Our relations with other countries contin
| ue peaceful. Our neutrality in contests be
tween foreign powers has been maintained
and respected.
The Universal Exposition held at Pari
during the past summer has been ATTENDED
by large numbers OF our citizens. The brie
| period allowed for the preparation and ar
| rangement OF contributions of our citizens Il
this great Exposition was well employed in
energetic and judicious efforts to overcom,
| this disadvantage. These efforts. led anC
directed by the Commissioner General wer,
remarkably successful. ana the exhibition
| of the products of American industry va
credible and gratifying IN scope and charac
ter. The report OF the United States Com
missicners. giving its results in detail, viii
be duly laid before you. Cur PARTICIPATION
in this International competition for m,
1 favor and trade of the world NAV be ex
pected to produce useful and i'm portapt re
suits in promoting intercourse, friendship
and commerce with other nations.
In accordance with the provisions of tn.
act of February 2s, 1878, three commissioner
were appointed to an inter national confer