Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1878-12-05
ANNUAL MESSAGE
OF the President of the United
States.
Discussion Of the Subject of Southern
Elections.
The yellow Fever...Our Foreign lie.
lNtiOns.
Various Important Suggestions and
Recommendations.

Various Important Suggestions and
Recommendations.
ftlloar Citizens OF the Senate and House of
Representatives.:
Our heartfelt gratitude is due to the
Divine Being, who holds in his hands the
dest,nies of nations, for the continued be-
stowal 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
is, perhaps, now stronger than ever before.
Abundant harvests have rewarded the labors
of those who till the soil, our manufactur-
ing industries are reviving, and it is be-
Heved that general prosperity, which has
been SO long anxiously looked for, is at last
within our reach.
THE YELLOW FEVER.
The enjoyment OF health by our people
generally has, however, been interrupted,
during the past season, by the prevalence of
a fatal pestiIence, the yellew fever. in some
portions Of the southern states, creating an
emergency which called for prompt and ex-
traordinary measures of relief. The disease
appeared as an epidemic at New Orleans
and ether places ON the lower Mississippi
soon after midsummer. 1t was rapidly
~
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 abont 10000, ac-
cording to intelligent estimates, proved
fatal. It is impossible to estimate with
any approach to accuracy the loss to the
country occasioned by this epidemic. 1t
is to he reckoned by the hundred millions
- ALI Tl,1 %3ns n,,I Sf,,.
ton that resulted excited the deep.
est sympathy in all parts of the Union.
, Physicians and nurses fastened from every
| quarter to the assistance o. the afflicted
communities. Voluntary 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 pro.
viding tents, medicines aad food for the
sick and destitute, the requisite directions
for the purpose being given in the confident
tive would receive the sanction of congress.
About 1,S0O tents, and rations Of the value
of about $4,000, were sent to cities and
towns which applied for them, full details
OF which will be furnished to congress by
the proper department.
The fearful spread of this pestilence has
awakened very general public senti" ent
in favor of national sanitary administration
which shall not only control quarantine,
but have the sanitary supervision. of in,
! ternal commerce in times OF epidemics, and
hold an advisory relation to the ate and
municipal health authorities, with power to
deal with whatever endangers tie public
health, and which the municipal and state
authorities are unable to regulate. The ma.
tional quarantine act, approved April 29th,
1878, which was passed too late in the last
session OF congress to provide the means
for carrying it into practical operation dur
ing the past season is q step in the direc
! ton here indicated. In view of the neces
quarantine and otherwise, for the protec.
ton of our seaports, and the country gen
orally, from this and other epidemics. it is
| recommended that congress give to the
whole subject early and careful considers
ton.
THE SOUTH.
The permanent pacitication of the coun'
try by the complete protection OF all citizens
in every civil aud political right continues
to be Of paramount interest with the grea
body OF our people. Every step in this
direction is welcomed with public approval
and every interruption of steady and uui
form progress to the desired consummatiol
awakens general uneasiness and widespread
condemnation. The recent congressional
elections have furnished direct and trust
worthy test Of the advance thus far made
in the practical establishment of the righ
of suffrage, secured by the constitution tx
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 conferred freedom and equality Of
civil and political rights upon the colored
Ia If <1o 1>xr 4 IT,
concurrent action of the great body of good
citizens who maintained the authority oil
the national government and the integrity
and perpetuity of the mon at such cost
of treasure and life, as a wise and neces.
sary embodiment in the organic law of the
just results of the war. The people of the
former slave-holding states accepted these
results, aud gave, in eve y practicable form
assurances that the thirteenth, fourteenth
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 hum.
blest citizen, without distinction of race o,
color, should, under them, receive full and
equal protection in person and property
and in political rights and privileges. BY
these constitutional amendments, the
southern section of the Union obtained q
large increase of political power in con.
gress and in the electoral college, and
the country justly expected that elections
would proceed, as to the enfranchised race,
upon the same circumstances 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 conduct of these elec-
tons, as offering to the general judgment
OF the country an important opportunity to
measure the degree in which the right Of
suffrage could be exercised by the color ed
people, and would be respected by thei,
fellow-citizens; but more general enjoy:
ment of freedom of suffrage by the colored
people, and more just and generous pro.
lection OF that freedom by the communities
OF which they form part, we're generally
anticipated than the record of the elections
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 protection
but in the states of Louisiana and South
Carolina at large, and in some particular
states, the records of the elections seem to
compel the conclusion that the rights of the
colored voters have been overridden, and
heir participation in the elections not per.
mitted to be either general or free.
1t will be for the congress for which these
elections were held to make such examina.
tons into their conduct as may be appro.
pirate to determine the validity Of the
claims of members to their seats. In the
meanwhile it becomes the duty of the exec
utive and judicial departments of the gov.
eminent, each in its province, to inquire
into and punish violations of the laws Of
the United States which have occurred.
can but repeat what l said in this connec.
ton in my last message, that whatever au.
thority rests with me to this end shall not
hesitate to put forth, and l am unwilling to
forego a renewed appeal to the legislatures,
the conrrs, the executive authorities, and
the people of the states where these wrongs
have been perpetrated, to give their assist
ance toward bringing to justice the offend.
ers and preventing a repetition of the
crimes. No means within my power will
be spared to obtain full and fair inyesti-
CATION of the alleged crimes, and to secure
the conviction and just punishment of the
guilty.
1t is to be observed that the principal ap.
preparation made for the department of
justice at the last session contained the fol-
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