Litchfield enquirer., 1878-12-12
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Fellosc Citizens of the Senate and House ct #
 afnfs

Fellosc Citizens cf the Senate and House Q Rep
 resentGtiUes
 Our heartfelt gratitude is due to the Divine Being, who holds in His hands the destinies of nations, for the continued bestowal, during the last year, of countless blessings upon our country. We are at peace with all other na- tions. Ourpublic credit has greatly improved, and is, perhaps now stronger than ever before Abundant harvests have rewarded the laoors of those who till the soil our manufacturing industries are reviving and it is believed that general prosperity, which has been so long anx- iously looked for, is at last within our reach.
 THE YELLOW FEVER.
 The enjoyment of health by our people gen. 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 an emergency which called for prompt and extraordinary measures of relief. The disease appeared as an epidemic at New Orleans and at other places on the lower Mississippi, soon after mid. summer It was rapidly spread by fugitives from the infected cities and towns, and did not disappear until early in November. The states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee have suffered severely About 100000 cases are believed to have occurred, of which about 90 900, according to intelligent estimates, proved fatal It is impossible to estimate with any approach to accuracy the loss to the coun- try occasioned by this epidemic, It is to be reckened by the hundreds of millions of dol lars. The suffering and Restitution that re- suited excited the deepest sympathy in all parts of the Union. Physicians and nurses hastened from every quarter to the assistance of the afflicted communities. Voluntary con tributions of money and supplies, in every needed form, were speedily and generously furnished The government was able to re- spond in some measure to the call for help, Dy providing tents, medicines and food for the sick and destitute. the requisite directions for the purpose being given, in the confident ex- pectation that this action of the executive would receive the sanction of congress. About 1, 800 tents, and ratlons of the value of about $25, ,OOO were'sent to cities and towns which applied for them, full details of which will be furnished to congress by the proper depart ment. The fearful spread of this pestilence has awakened very general public sentiment in favor of national sanitary administration, which shall not only control quarantine, but have the sanitary supervision of internal com merce in times of epidemics, and hold an ad- visory relation to the state and municipal health authorities, with power to deal with whatever endangers the public health, and which the municipal and state authorities are
 
 act, approved April 29, 1878, which was pas- sed too late Tn the last session of congress to provide the means for carrying it into practl- cal operation during the past season, is step in the direction here indicated. In view of the necessity for the most effective measures, by Quarantine and otherwise, for the protec- tion of our seaports, and the country general ly, from this and other epidemics, it is recom- mended that congress give to the whole sub- ject early and careful consideration.
 CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS IN THE SOUTH
 The permanent paciication 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 in- terruption of steady and uniform progress to the desired censummation awakens general uneasiness and widespread condemnation. The recent congressional elections have fur nished direct and trustworthy test of the ad- ment of the right of suffrage secured by the constitution to the liberated race in the south ern states. All disturbing influences real or imaginary 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 ac- tion of the great body of good citizens who maintained the authority of the national gov ernment and the integrity and perpetuity of the Union at such cost of treasure and lie, as wise and necessary embodiment in the or ganic law of the just results of the war. The people of the former slave holding states ac- cepted these results, and give in every practi- cable form assurances that the thirteenth, four teenth aAd 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 humblest citizen, without distinction of race or color, should under them receive full and equal pro tection in person and property and in political rights and privileges. By these constitutional amendments the southern section Of the Union obtained large increase of political power in congress and in the electoral college, and the country justly expected that elections would proceed, as to the enfranchised race, upon the same circumstances oflegal and constitutional freedom and protection which obtained in all the other states of the 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 important Oppor- tunity to measure the degree in which the right of suffrage should be exercised by the c0lored people, and would be respected by their fellow citizens but more general en- joyment of freedom of suffrage by the celored people, and a more just and generous protec- ton of that freedom by the communities of which they form part were generally antlci- pated than the record of the elections discloses. In some of those states in which the coiored people have been unable to make their opin- ions felt in the elections, the result is mainly due to influences not easily measured or reme- | died by legal protection; but in the states of Louisiana and South Carolina at large, and in l some particular congressional districts outside of those states, the records of the elections seem to compel the conclusion that the rights of the colored voters have been overridden and their participation in the elections not permit ted to be either general or free
 l It will be for the congress for which these elections were held, to make such examlnatiOn l into their conduct as may be appropriate to determine the validity of the claims of mem bers to their seats. In the meanwhile it be- comes the duty of the executive and judicial departments of the government, each in it's | province, to-lnquire into and punish violations l of the United law States which have occurred. can but repeat what said in this connection ir my last message, that whatever authority rests with me to this end I shall not hesitate to put forth, and am unwilling to forego renewed 1 appeal to the legislatures, the courts the ex ecutive authorities, and the people of the states 1 where these wrongs have been perpetrated, te give their assistance towards bringing to jus tice the offenders and preventing repetition of the crimes. No means within my power
 will be spared to ebtaln full and. fair investi
 gation of the alleged crimes, and to secure the conviction and just punishment of the guilty.
 It is to be observed that the principal appro priation made for the department of justice al
 the last session contained the following ciause
 ''Andf for defraying the expenses which may
 be incurred in the enforcement of the act ap
 proved February twenty eighth, eighteen hun
 dred and seventy-one, entitled .An act tt
 amend an act approved May thirtieth, eighteen
 hundred and seventy, entitled an act to en
 force the rights of citizens of the United State
 to vote in the several states of the Union, ant
 for other purposes, or any acts amendator,
 thereof or supplementary thereto" It is tn
 opinion of the attorney generalthat the expen
 ses of these proceedings will largely exceet
 the amount which was thus provided, and
 rely confidently upon congress to make ade
 quate appropriations to enable the executiv
 department to enforce the laws. j