Year: 1869

In meeting them, 1t Is desirable that they


shonld be approached calmly, without


prejudice to State or sectional pride, re-
men'bering that the greatest good to the


greatest number is the object TO be Mt


tanned. This requires t'.a security Of


person, property, and for religious and


political opinions III every part Of or


common country, without regard to 10


caiity or prejudice. Laws to secure
these will receive my beat efforts for their


enforcement.


7 A great debt has been contracted in Sc
| cnring for US and our posterity the Union


The payment Of this, principal and
! interest, US well as the return to u specie
basis as soon i: can be accompl she'd


without material detrinlent to the debtor


class or tho country at large, must be


provided for. To protect the national


honor every dollar of the Government iu-


dcbtedness should be paid in gold, un-


less otherwise expressed or stipulated in


the contracts. Let it be understood that


no repudiator of a farthiug Of our public


debt will be trusted in a public place,


and it will go far towards strengthening


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. To this
should be added faithful collection Of
| the Revenue a strict accountably 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


the States still in poverty from the eff.
| fects of the war, but soon to emerge, L


trust, into greater prosperity than ever be-
fore, with its paying capacity twenty-five
| years ago, and to calculate " hat it will
be twenty-five years heuce, who can
doubt the feasibility of paying every dol
lar then with more ease than we now
pay for useless luxuries Why tlooks
as though Providence has bestowed upon


US stror g box of the precious metal
locked up in the sterile mountains Of the
far West, which We are now forging the
key to unlock to meet the very contin-
gency that is now upon us. Ultimately
/ it may be necessary that the Genera.
Government should giveit its aid to secure
this access, but that should only be when
a dollar of obligation to pay secures pre-
cisely the same as dollar to us now,
and not before. While the question Of spe.
Gle payment is iu abeyance, the prudent
business man is careful about contracting
debts payable in the distant future. The
nation should follow the same rule. Pros
trato commerce is to be rebuilt and all
industries encouraged. The young men
| of the country who, from their age, must
be its rulers twenty five years hence,
have peculiar interest in maintaining
the national honor. A moments rafec-
tion as to what will be our commanding
influence among the nations of the earth
in their day, if they are only true to
themselves, should inspire them with ma
tional pride. All divisions-geosraphi-
cal, political and religious-concur in
this common sentiment.


How the public debt is to be paid, or
specie payment resumed, is not SO i'm
portant as that Il plan should be adopted
and acquiesced in. A united determine
tion to do it is worth more than divided
counsels upon the method of doing.
Legislation upon this subject may not be
necessary now or even advisable, but it
will be when the civil law is more fully
restored in all parts of the country and
trade resumes Its wopted channel. It
will be my endeavor to execute all laws
in good faith, collect all revenues as
sessed, and to have them properly ac-
counted for and economically disbursed
It will be for me, to the best of my abili-
ty, to appoint to Office those only who
will carry out this design.


In regard to foreign policy, l would
deal with nations as equitably as the law
requires individuals to deal with each
other, and would protect every law
abiding citizen whether of native or. of
foreign birth, wherever his rights are
jeopardized or the flag of our country
floats. would respect the rights of all
nations, demanding equal respect for our
own. IF others depart from this rule in
their dealings with us, we may be CON-
PEELED to follow their precedents.


The proper treatment of the original
occupants of this land-the Indians
are deserving of care and equal study
| will favor any course towards them
which tends to their civilization. christ
ianity and ultimate citizenship.


The question of suffrage is one which
is likely to agitate the public so long as
a portion of the citizens of the nation are
excluded from its privilege in any State.
1t seems to me very desirable that this
question should be settled now. / en-
tertain the hope, and express the desire.
it may be by the ratification Of the fif.
teenth article of the amendment to the
Constitution.


In conclusion, ask patience and for
bearance OF one towards another through
out the land, and determined effort on
the part of every c1tisen to do his share
towards cementing 4 happy union; and I
ask the prayers Of the nation to Almighty