Year: 1869

WELL ADDRESS.


WASHINGTON, March 4. 1869.
To the People Of the United States


The robe of office, by Constitution
al limitation, this day falls from my
shoulders, to be Immediately assum-
ed by my successor. For him the
forbearance and cooperation - he
American people IN all his efforts to
administer the Government within
the pale of the Federal Constitution
are sincerely invoked. Without am
bition to crafty, party ends to sub
serve, or personal quarrels to avenge
to the detriment of the peace and
welfare of the. country, my earnest
desire is to see the Constitution of
the Republic again recognized and
obeyed as the supreme law of the
land, and the whole people-North,
South, East and West-prosperous
and happy under its wise provisions


In surrendering the high office to
which l was called four years ago, in
memorable and terrible crisis, it is
my privilege, trust, to say to the
people of the United States a few
parting words in vindieatiOn of an
official course so ceaselessly assailed
and opposed by political leaders to
whose plans and wishes my policy to
restore the Union has been obnoxi-
GUS. In a period of difficulty and
turmoil, almost without precedent in
the history of any people, consequent
upon the closing scenes of a great re-
belliOn and the assassination of the
President, it was perhaps too much
on my part to expect of devoted par
tisans who rode on the waves of ex-
citement, which at that time swept
all before them, that degree of tolera
ton and magnanimity which
sought to recommend and enforce
and which | believe in good time
would have advanced us infinitely
further on the road to permanent
peace and prosperity than we have
thus far attained.


Doubtless had l at the commence
ment of my term of office unhesitat
ingly lent its powers or perverted
them to purposes or plans outside OF
the Constitution and become an in
strument to schemes of cOnfiscatiOr
and of general and oppressive dis
qualification, | would have been hail
ed as all that was true and loyal and
deserving as the reliable head of {
party whatever l might have been az
the Executive of a nation. Unwill
ing, however, to accede to PROPOSE
| tionS of extremists, and bound t.
obey at every personal hazard IN,
oath to protect and defend the Con
stitution, | need not perhaps be sur
prised at having met the fate o
others whose only reward for up
holding constitutional rights anC
laws has been the conscientiOusnes!
of having attempted to do their dut,
and the calmer Judgment of history


A mysterious Providence assigned
to me the office of President. | was
by the terms of the Constitution, til,
commander in chief of nearly mil
lion of men under arms. One of IN,
first acts was to disband and restor
to the vocations of civil life this i'm
mense host, and to divest myself, a
far as | could, of the unparalleled
powers then incident to the office
Whether or not in thisstep wasright
and how far deserving of the appro
baton of the people, they can now
on reflection, judge, when reminde,
of the ruinous condition of publ
affairs that must have resulted frOI
the continuance in the military sci
vice of such q vast number of mer
The close of our domestic cOnflic
found the army eager to distinguis
itself in a new field by an effort t
punish European Intervention i
Mexico.


BY many it was believed an
urged that aside from the assume
Justice of the proceedings a foreig
war, in which both sides would chez
fully unite to vindicate the honor {
the National flag and and furthe
illustrate the National prOwess, wCu1
be the surest and speediest way {
awakening National enthusiasm, II
viving devotion to the Union, an
occupying a force, concerning whicl
grave doubts existed as to its willing
ness, after four years of active can
palgning, at once to return to I'll
pursuits of peace. Whether thes
speculatiOnS were true or false,


will be conceded that they existed
and that the predictions of the arm
were for the time being in the dire
ton indicated.


Taking advantage of that feelin
it would have been easy as Cor
mander-in-Chief of the army an
navy, with all the powers al
patronage of the Presidential off
at my disposal, to turn the conce
trated strength of the nation again
French interference in Mexico, al
to inaugurate a movement whiC
would have been received with fav
by the military and a large porto
of the people. 1t is proper in tn
connection that | should refer to Il
almost unlimited additional powt
rendered to the Executive by Il
measures relating to civil rights al
the Freedmen'S Bureau.


The powers that were placed wit
in my grasp were declined as beil
in violation of the Constitution, da
gerous to the liberties of the pcOp


and tending to aggravate rather tn;
lessen the diScords naturally rcsu
ing from our civil war. With lar


army and augmented authority,


would have been no difficult task


direct at pleasure the deStinies of t


Republic, and to make secure 1


continuance in the highest off


known to our laws. Let the pcop


whom | am addressing from t
Presidential chair during the cioSi


hours of laboriouS term, consid


how different would have been t


present cOndlt on of affairs had


yielded to the dazzling invitation


foreign conquest, of personal aggrs
. dizement, and a desire to WELD ;


ditional power.


Let them with justice consider Il


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