The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1878-12-12
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

vine Being, who holds in his hands the des.
TIMES OF nations, for the continued ltestowal,
during the last year, Of countless blessings
upon our country.
WE ARE AT PEACE
with all other nations. Our public credit has
greatly improved, and u.s. perhaps, now
stronger than ever before. Abundant har.
vests have rewarded the labofs Of those who
till the soil. Our manufacturing industries
are revving, and it is believed that general
prosperity, which has been so long anxiously
looked for, is at last within our reach
THE ENJOYMENT OF HEALTH
by our people generally has, however. been
interrupted, during the past season, by the
prevalence of
FATAL PEsTILBNCE,
the yellow fever, in some parts of the South
ern States, creating AN emergency which
called for prompt measures OF relief. The
disease appeared as an epidemic at New
Orleans and other places on the lower Mis-.
sissippi soon after midsummer. 1t was rap.
idly 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 Sc
vcrely. About one hundred thousand cases
are believed to have occurred, of which
about twenty thousand, according to intelli.
gent estimates, proved fatal 1t is impossible
to estimate with any approach to accuracy
the loss TO the country occaSi0ned by this
epidemic. II is to be reckoned by the hund.
red millions of dollars.
THE SUFFERING AND DEsTIrUTIoN
that resulted excited the deepest sympathy
in all parts of the Union. Physicians and
nurses fastened from every quarter to the
agc;ytanna If Tho al ictal communities Vol.
untary 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 being given in
the confident expectation that this action of
the Executive would receive the sanction of
Congress. About eighteen hundred tents,
and rations to the value OF twenty Eve
thousand dollars, were sent to cities and
towns which applied for them, flu details of
which will be furnished to CONGRESS by the
proper department. The fearful spread OF
this pestilence has awakened q very public
sentiment in favor OF national sanitary
administration, which shall not only control
quarantine, but have the sanitary super.
vision of internal commerce in times OF cpl.
denies, and hold an advisory 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 unable to regulate,
THE NATIONAL QUARANTINE ACT,
approved April 80, 1873, which was passed
too late in the last session OF Congress to
provide the means for carrying it into prac.
teal operation, during the past season, is
step in the direction here indicated, In
view of the necessity for the most effective
mes sures, by quarantine and otherwise, for
the protection of our seapOrts and the cOun-
try generally from this and other epidemics,
il is recommended that Congress give to the
whole subject early and careful attention.
THE PERMANENT PACIFICATIoN OF THE
COUNTRY.
by the complete protection OF ali citizens in
every civil and political right continues to
he of paramount interest with the great
body of our people Every step in this di'
rection is welcomed with public approval,
and every interruption OF steady and uni
form progress to the desired contamination,
awak ems general uneasiness and wide spread
condemnation. The recent Congressional
elections have furnished a direct and trust~
worthy test OF the advance thus far made in
the practical establishment of the right of
suffrage, 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
three constitutional amendments which con.
feired
FREEDOM AND EQUALITY OF CIVIL AND 20.
LITICAL 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 national government
and the integrity and perpetuity of the
Union Mt such cost OF treasure and life, as
Il wise and necessary embodiment in the
organic law of the Just results OF the war.
The people in the former slaveholding States
accepted these results, and gave, IN every
practicable form, assurances that the thlr'
teenth, fourteenth and fifteenth amendments,
and the laws passed in pursuance thereof,
should, in good faith, be enforced, rigidly
and impariially, in letter and spirit, to the
end that the humblest citizen, without dis
tinction of race and color, should, under
them, receive full and equal protection in
De son 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 en-
franchised race, upon the same cifcum'
stances of legal 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 con-
duct of these elections, as Offering to the
general judgment of the country an I'M
portant opportunity TO measure 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 a part, were generally anticipated
than the record of the electijn dlscl0ses
Ia some of those States in which the coloreu
people have been unable to make theii
opinions felt in the elections, the result II
mainly due to influences not easily measured
or remedied by legal protection; but IN the
States OF Louisiana and South Carolina Il,
large, and in some particular Congressional
districts outside OF those States, the records
OF the elections seem to compel the conclu
sion that the rights OF the cOlored voter
have been Overridden, aud their partlcipa'
ton in the elections not permitted to Of
either general or free. 1t will be for tht
Congress for which these elections were held
to make such examinations into their con
duct az may be appropriate to determine
the validity Of the
CLAIMS OF MEMBERS TO THEIR SEATS.
In the meanwhile it becomes the duty
the Executive and Judicial Departments o
the Government, each in its province, q
inquire into and punish violations OIL tn'
cured. can put repeat what said in thl
connection in my last message, that what
ever authority rests with me to this end
shall not hesitate to put forth, and am un
willing to forego renewed appeal to tn
legislatures, the courts, the executive su
thorities, and the people Of the States wher
,rrnnns have hapn ne rnetrated. TO give thei