The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1880-12-11
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
THE SUBSTANCE OF WHAT MIR.
HAYES HAS To SAY
In Ills Last annual Message

T conoratnIafe Won on the confirm.
ance and Increasing prosneritv of on,
country. Nv the favor ofDivine Pro.
vidance we have been blessed durinp
tho nresent wear with health. with
abundant haryests. with profitable
an,niovmant for all orr neonle. and
with contentment ot home and with
neoce and friendship with other ma.
lions, The occurrence of the twenty
fourtb electinn of Chief Magistrate has
afforded another onnortunity TO the
neonle of the United States to exhibit
To the world a significant EXAMPLE of
the peaceful and safe transmission of
the power and AUTHORITY of the gov
eminent from the public servants
whose terms of office are abOab 10 ex-
pre to their newly chosen successors.
This example cannot fail to impress
profoundly thoughtful people of other
countries with the advantages which
Republican institutions afford The
immediate general and cheerful acqui-
escence of all good citizens in the result
of the election, gives gratifying assur-
ance to our country and to its friends
throughout the world, that u govern
ment based on the free consent of an
intelligent and patriotic people, pos
sesses elements of strength, stability
and permanency not found in any
other form of government.
Continued opposition to the full and
free enjoyment of the rights of citizen
ship conferred upon colored men by
the amendments to the constitutions,
still, prevails in several of the late
slave-holding States. 1t has, perhaps,
not been manifested in the recent cleo
ton to any large extent in acts of viO-
lence or intimidation it has, however,
by fraudulent practices in connection
with the ballots, with regulations as to
places and manner of voting, and with
counting, returning and canvassing
votes cast, been successful in defeating
the exercise of the right and the pre-
servation of all rights, the right of suf-
frage which the constitution expressly
confers upon our enfranchised citizens.
1t is the desire of good people of the
whole country that sectionalism as a
factor in our politics should disappear.
They prefer that no section of the
country should he united in solid OPP
position to any other section. The
disposition to refuse prompt and hearty
obedience to equal rights and the
amendments to the constitution, is all
that now stands in the way of COM
plete obliteration of sectional lines in
our political contests. AS long as
either of these amendments is fla
GRAVITY and fraudulently violated or
disreoarded. it is safe TO saw that the
people who placed them in the Consti-
tuition as embodying the legitimate re-
suits of the war for the Union, and
Who haliava tban, tn ha wisa and moo
os,narv viii oontinno to oot tnaathar ~
insist that thew shall he oheved w
' Tba nar,mo;,nt nnastion Sill il &c 70
tho onipwmnnt Of tha ri~ht hu ovor,,
An,er;con o;t;yon WHO Sos tho ro oy
aitn onoi;fcat;ons 70 fnaIv cast
lie ynto and hove Il bonoeti,, oountad
WE thi " nnnSt;on riohtiw SottIod ~
oountrI, viii he re,iavoJ of tho oo,,
tentioEs of the mast. hv.eones will I'm i'm
Iaod ha hv"nonaS ana 7nnIiti"ai o,d
aorty ;ss,e, VIII rosnnnt l TO onono "nu
pa ~ oG;o;ono,, nf ~ od, ,,;,,;etnnt;n,!9
;ntarnai o'imv9 W. 'nu tnn;g
, ,iostin +oxation nd,,a''t ;on t 60 w.
md o+hor ;nondIrtamt s,'h;o,o+a ,iIi
Mo,, '.oan;,,o ti,p;, Ell 9Joo.c' "ih
tinn DIT $500 49, lu'' 81 ai ~ y, i u
tiom of ~ ros,,It w ~ w va. iii nj
tomather IN rasolnte n,rnnso fnr tha;,
Snnnort oil who n,sintain tha onthor
it,f IF 10 ao,,arn,,,ont and H. ,.nnao,
M9 wy OF nf t5o nninn a,d WHO , addnn oo
W. annrncinto tha Ta Im W The viotnry
~ hIip pl,o 1I'"'0 ''ioo vi '''o 'i''o''
This dotorn,;not;op ,,roooods fro,,
boaiiio sont;,nnnt on ttaoiino 10 an nv
nart Of tbn nnonio of o,,r nw, oo,ntryy
a p to a Of tigir ,t,, res S" me- my
liability of the Amendments rests
upon the fundamental PRINCIPLES of
our government. They are solely the
expression of the will of the neoHle of
the United States. The sentiment
that the Constitutional RIGHTS of ali
our citizens must he maintained does
not grow weaker. and II will continue
TO c0ntrOl the Government of tha com.
trv. Hannily the history of the late
election shows that in MANY ,artJ Of
the country where onnositi9n to Tho
Fifteen Amendment has heratofore
prevailed. f. is diminishinu and ia
likely to cease altogether If firm and
action ia taken Inv
Congress.
/ trust the house Of renresent,tiva.
and senate which have tbe riobt to
indoe of election returns and ona1;f;ooo
tions of their own members Will saa to
II that every case of violation Of Inc
letter or shirt of the Fifteenth A mend
ment is thoronohIv inveStiaated md
that no henefi2 from eucI I'LL t;n,,
shall accrue to any nerson or norIv r.
will be the duty of the Execntiva with
sufficient annronrtations for the, " NM
nose. TO nrosecute nnsnarin%lv ali iUho
have been en0o 0ed in danpiyinr ";ti,
zens of the ri@hfs 0uarontaad tn tbnno
by the constitution, r. il NOT how
ever to he forgotten thot the best and
surest guarantee of the urinary rightS
IF citizenshin is IN ha Fund in 3hat
,anacitv of self- nrotection Which onn
belong only to n neonIe >vhoae ri@ht
10 universal suffraoe 10 emnnortad INV
universal pducafion7
The means at the command of tho
local and state outnnriaian oro ' in
many cases wholly ;nnJan,,oto 10 en-
1ish free instructions 70 iii ,vbo nand
+. This is esneciolIv truo who're
lefor, commentator fha adnc.t;nn ~
lie neonIe was neoIac1ed nv nro,,ant