Year: 1869

Citizens of the United tes:-Your sufrsoes
having elevated me to the Office of President Of
the United States, Ihave, in conformity " irh,
the Constitution of our country, tsken thif go
without mental ressrvation, and With theslietS{
mination to do, to The best Of my ablity, II thss
is required of sme. ssThe responsibiltiesso az Nj
position feel but Accept them s1ithoof feAy,
The Office has come to me unsoug ght and I com.
mence the duties .untrammeled. bring to IL a
conscientious desire and determination to fill il
to the best of my ability, and to the sa,sfaet
of the people.


On all the leading questions sgitating the pub-
lie mind Xviii express my views to- Congress
and urge them according to my judgment and
when think it advisable, will always exercise
the constitutional privilege of irterposing veto
to defeat measures which oppose. But all ths
laws will be faithfully executed, whether thew
meet my approval or" nots~~I shall, ON all sub.
jects, have policy to recommend-gone to en-
force against the viii of the people. Laws are
to govern all alike those opposed to US as well
as those who favor them. know no method to
secure the repeal of bad or obnoxious laws SO
effective as their stringent execution.


The country having just emerged from a great
rebellion, many questions will come before il
for settlement in the next four years. which pre-
ceding administrations have never had to deal
with. In meeting them, it is desirable that thew
should be approached calmly without prejudice.
or State or sectional pride, remembering that
the greatest good to the greatest number is the
object to be attained.


This requires security of person, property,
and freedom for religious and political opinions
in every part of our common country, without
regard to locality or prejudice. Laws to secure
these will receive my best efforts for their en-
forcement


A great debt has been contracted in securing
to us and our posterity the Union. The pay
ment of this, principal and interest, as we'll as
the return to specie basis, as soon as it can be
accomplished without material detriment to the
debtor class, or the country at large, must be
provided for. To protect the national honor,
every dollar of the Government indebtedness
should be paid in gold, unless otherwise ex-
pressed and stipulated in the contract. Let it
be understood that no repudator of one farthing
of our public debt will be trusted in public
place; and it will 60 far toward Strengthening a
credit which ought to be the best in the world,
and will ultimately enable US to replace the debt
with bonds bearing less interest than We now
pay. r.


To this should be added a faithful collection
of the revenue, strict accountability to the
treasury for every dollar collected, and the
greatest practicable retrenchment in expenditure
in every department of the Government. When
we compare the paying capacity of the country
now, with ten States still in poverty from the
effects of war, but soon to emerge, trust, into
greater prosperity than before, with its pay
ing capacity twenty-five years ago, and calculate
what it probably will be twentysive-years hence,
who can doubt the feasibility of paying every
dollar then with more ease than we now pay for
useless luxuries? Why, it looks as though
Providence has bestowed upon US strong box
of precious metals locked up in the sterile noun
tains of the EAR West, which we are now forging
the key to unlock and meet the very contingency
that is now upon US.


Ultimately it may be necessary that the gen.
eral Government should give its aid to secure
this access, but that should only be when dol
lar of obligation to pay secures precisely the
same sort of dollar to use now, and not before.
While the question of specie payment is in abey-
ance, the prudent and business man is careful
about contracting debts payable in the distant
future. The nation should follow the same rule.
A PROSTATE commerce is to be rebuilt and all
the industries encouraged. The young men of
the country-those who, from their age must be
its rulers twenty-five years hence-have par
tcular interest in maintaining the national
honor. A moments reflection as to what will
be our commanding influence among the nations
of the earth in their day. if they are only true to
should inspire them with national
pride. All divisions, geographical, political
and religious, can join in this common senfl-
ment. How the public debt is to be paid or spe-
Gle payment resumed is not so important as that
a plan should be adopted and acquesced in.
united determination to do it is worth more
than divided council on the method of doing.
Legislation upon the subject may not be neces-
sary now, or even advisable, but it will be when
the civil law is restored in all parts Of the coun-
try, and trade resumes it's wouted channels.


1t will be my endeavor to execute all laws in
good faith, collect all revenues asserted, and to
have them properly accounted for and economi-
cally dsbursed. 1t will be, to the best of my
ability, my endeavor to appoint to Office those
only who will carry out this design.


In regard to foreign policy, would deal with
sections as equitably as the law requires indi-
viduas to deal with each other, and would
protect law-abiding citizens, whether of native
or foreign birth, wherever his rights are leopard
lied, or the flag of our country floats. l would
respect the rights of all nations, demanding
equal respect for our own. If others departs
from this rule in their dealings with US, we may
be compelled to follow their precedents.


The proper treatment of the original occu-
pants Of the lands, the Indians, is one deserving
of care and equal study. will favor any course
towards them which tends to their civilization,
Characterization, and ultimate citizenship.


The question of suffrage is one which is likely





citizens of the nation excluded from its priv
ilege in any State. 1t seems to me very desira-
BILE that this question should be settled now.
entertain the hope and express the desire it may
be by the ratification of the 10Th Article of the
Amendment to the Constitution,


In conclusion, I ask patience and forbearance
one toward another throughout the land, and a
determined effort on the part of every citizen to
do his share towards cementing happy Union,
and ask the prayers of the Nation to Almighty
God in behalf of this consummation.


How Sac had HIM.-A gentleman pleasantly
married and blessed with two daugh-
tiers, the pride of the neighborhood and the pa
rents joy, would seem to lave all that was
needed to make life cheerful, but strange as it
may appear, he took his chief pleasure in pro-
pounding to the wife of his bosom hard con-
undrums, which she, unable to guess, would