American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1878-12-07
Presidents MESSAGE.

- = o"1AO4S ~ 4A Nv
Fellom citizens az tie Senate and House of Repre-
! senidfiress
( our heartfelt gratitude is due to the Dfvfn,
Being, who holds in his hands the destinies o
nations, for the continued bestowal, durin;
the last year, OF countless blessings upon on
country
We are at peace with all other nations Ou
public credit has greatly improved, and is
ptrhaps, now stronger ,,.!s than e,.r before
Of tho5e who till the SOIL our manufacturing
industries are rcviving, and It is believed tn Al
general prosperity. which has been so long
anXiously looked for, is at last within ou
reach.
THE YELLOW rEtEn.
The enjoyment of health by our people gen.
orally has, however. been interrupted, during
rme PAST season he ny .he prey va OF ta1a
| of the southern States, creating an emer-
gency which called for prompt and extraor
a. =; Sew SrIe4ns and at .a.iss.. PLACES 8;
! summer. Ii rapidly spread by fugittves
| from the infected cities and towns, and did
not disappear until early in November. The
states OF louisiana. Mississippi and Tennes-
| see have suffered severely. About one hun
Cured, of which about twenty thousand, ac-
| cording to intelligent estimates, proved fatal.
1t il, ir9rosa'b'a? TO; estir'atn, with Sry APP
occasioned by this epidemic. 1t is to be
| reckoned by the hundred millions of dollars.
excited the deepest sympathy in all parts OF
| the Union Physicians and nurses fastened
| from every quarter to the assistance of the
afflicted communities. Voluntary contribu
tons of money and supplies, in every needed
form, were speedily and generously furnish
sou ne TO thH eli iii LOT ais eib roVd
ing tents, fnedieineS, and food for the sick
and destitute; the requisite dfreci0ns for the
being n. confident eXDpc-
tation that tins action of the Executive
would receive the sanction of Congress.
About eighteen hundred tents, and ratiOnS of
the value OF about twenty five thousand dol
lars, were sent to cities and towns which APP
plie,. for them, full details of which will be
furnished to Congress by the proper Depart
ment.
The fearful spread of this pestilence has
awakened a very general public sentiment in
favor of national sanitary administration,
which shall not only control quarantine, but
have the sanitary supervision of internal
commerce in times of epi1ernics, and hold an
advisory relation To the state and municipal
health authorities, with power to deal with
which the municipal and state ,authqrities
antine att, apbtoved April %, 1875, which Was
passed too late in til @ last session of Congress
= provide the means for; CARRYING it into
is step in the direction here Indicated. In
view of the necessity for the most effective
the protection of our ports, and the coun-
try generally, from this and other epiden!ics,
l
whole subject early and careful considera-
ton.
saETuEFS sTsrEe:
i5fe iierii,arent paeiiieation of the country
by the complete protection OF al citizens in
be OF paramount interest with the great body
of outpegpis Every. step In this direction is
progress to the desired consum;
nation awakens general uneasiness and
wide spread condemnation. The recent Con
gressional elections have furnished a dire ct
and trustworthy 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.
had been removed frofii iii Of these states
The three Constitutional amendments.
which conferred freedom and equality of civ
il and political rights upon the colored PEG
pie of the South, we've adopted by the con
current action of tie great body q good citi-
zens who maintained the authority of the
National Government and the integrity and
perpetuity of the Union at such II cost of
treasure and lite, a wise and necessary
embodiment in the organic law OF the just
results of the war. The people of the former
and gave, in every practicable form, assur-
ances that the thirteenth: fourteenth and ff
suaiice thereof, should, in good faith, be en-
forced, rigidiy 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 protec-
ton in person and property and in political
stitutional amendments. the Southern
section of the Union obtained a
large increase of political power in
Congress and in the Electoral College, and
the country Justly expected that elections
would proceed, as to the cnffanchised race,
upon the same circumstances of legal ana
constitutional free dom md 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 Us Offering
to the general Judgment OF the country an
m "a n n IN
il which the right of suffrage could be eSer-
cised by the colored people. and would be re-
spccted by their fellow citizens; but more
general enjoyment of freedom of suffrage by
the colorcd people, and II more just and gem
erous protection of that freedom by the com
munities of which they form a part, We're
generally anticipated than the record of the
election discloses. In some of those States in
which the colored people have been unable
to make their opinions felt in the elections,
the result is mainly due to influences not
easily measured or remedied by legal protec-
ton; but in the States of Louisiana and South
Carolina at large, and in some particular con-
grcssionaI districts outside of tho states the
records of the elections seem to compel the
conclusion that the rights of the colored vot
ers have been overridden and their partici-
patton in the elections not permitted to be
either general or free.
1t will be for the Congress for which these
elections were held, to make such examine
tions into their conduct as may be appropri-
ate to determine the validity of the claims of
members to their seats. In the meanwhile it
becomes the duty of the Executive and Jul
dicial Departments of the Government, each
in its province, to inquire into and punish
violations of the laws of the United States
which have occurred. i can but repeat what
l said in this connection in my last message,
that whatever authority rests with me to this
end shall not hesitate to put forth, and r am
unwilling to forego a renewed appeal to the
legislatures, the courts, the executive au-
thorities. and the people of the States where
these wrongs have been perpetrated, to give
their assistance towards bringing to justice
the Offenders and preventing a repetition of
the crimes. No means within my power will
be spared to obtain a full and fair investiga
ton of the alleged crimes, and to secure the
conviction and just punishment of the guilty.
1t is to be observed that the principal APP
preparation made for the Department of JUS
tice at the last session contained the follow
ing clause: "And for defraying the expenses
which may be incurred in the enforcement of
the act approved February twenty eighth,
eighteen hundred and seventy one, entitled
"a, ,, act to amend an act approved
May thirti etitea eighteen hundred ard
force the rights of citizens of the United
States to vote i'll the several States of the
Union, and tor other purposes, or any acts
amendatory thereof or supplementary there
to-"
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 Con-
Sress to make adequate appropriations to
able the Executive Department to enforce
the laws.
l respectfully urge upon your attention
that the congressional elections, in every
district. in a very important sense, are justly
IA matter of political interest and concern
every political party, is entitled to the share
of power which is conferred by the legal and
every citizen, possessing the qualifications
prescribed by law, to cast one unintimlated
ballot, and to have his ballot honestly count
ed. So long as the exercise of this power and
the enjoyment OF this right common and
equal, practically well formally, sub
mission to the results of the suffrage will be