Year: 1877

THE INAUGURAL ADDRESS.


The Southern Question.-CiviI Service Re-
| forn--A RecommendntiOn-.The Finance
| National ArbitratiOn..The Settlement o.
the Presidency.


The following is the full text of President
Hayes inaugural address


! THE ADDRESS.


FEIIow-CIT1zEN We have assembled to re-
peat the public ceremonial, begun by Washing
| ton, observed by all his predecessors, and nov
time honored custom, which marks the com
| mencement of a new term of the Presidential
| Office, Called to the duties of this great trust
| I proceed, in compliance with usage, to an
nounce some of the leading principles on the
subjects that now chiefly engage the public at
tention by which it is my desire to be guided II
the discharge of those duties. I shall not un.
dertake to lay down irreyocably principles ol
measures of administration, but rather to speaE
of the motives which should animate us, and tC
suggest certain important ends to be attained
| in accordance with our institutions and essen
tial to the welfare of our country.


HIS LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE REITERATED.
Az the outset of the discussions which pre-.
ceded the recent Presidential election it seemed
to me fitting that should fully make known
nv sentiments in regard to several Of the i'm
portant questions which then appeared to de-
mand the consideration of the country. Fol
lowing the example, and in part adopting the
| language of one of my predecessors, lwish now,
when every motive for Misrepresentation has
passed away, to repeat what was said before
| the election, trusting that my countrymen will
candidlv weigh and understand it, and that
they will feel assured that the rentiments de-
clared in accepting the nomination for the
Presidency will be the standard of my conduct
in the path before me, charged as I now am,
with the grave and difficult task of carrying
them out in the practical administration Of the
government, so far as depends under the Con.
stitution and laws on the Chief Executive Of
the nation.


THE SOUTHERN QUESTION.


The permanent pacification Of the country
! upon such principles and by such measures as
will secure the complete protection of all its
citizens in the free enjoyment OF all their con-
stitutional rights is now the one subject in oul
public affairs which allthoughtful and patriotic
citizens regard as of supreme importance. Many
of the calamitous effects of the tremendous
revolution which has passed over the Southern
States still remain. The immeasurable bene-


fits which will surely follow sooner or later the
hearty and generous acceptance of the legiti
mate results of that revolution have not yet
been realized. Difficult and embarrassing ques
tions meet us at the threshold of this subject
The people of those States are still impoverish.
ed, and the inestimable blessings Of wise
honest and peaceful local self-government is
not fully enjoyed. Whatever difference OF
opinion may exist as to the cause. Of this con.
dition of things, the fact is clear that, in the
progress of events, the time has come wher
such government is the imperative necessity
required by all the varied interests, public and
private, of those States.


But it must not be forgotten that only loca
government which recognises and maintains In
violate the rights of all is true eselfgovernment
With respect to the vwo distinct races, whose
peculiar relations to each other have brought
upon us the deplorable complications and per.
piexites which exist if5 those States, it must be
government which guards the interests of both
races carefully and equally. 1t must be gov
ernment which submits Loyalty and heartily tc
the Constitution and the laws-the laws Of the
nation and the laws of the States themselves
accepting and obeying faithfully the whole
Constitution as tits.


Resting upon this sure and substantial founda-
ton. the superstructure of benefcient local gov
ernments can be built up, and not otherwise Ir
furtherance of such obedience to the letter anC
the spirit of the Constitution, and in behalf Of
all that its attainment implies, all so-caed party
interests lose their apparent Importance, anc
party lines may well be permitted to fade into
insignifcance. The question we have to con
slider for the immediate welfare OF those States
of the Union is the question Of government
or no government of social order and all the
peaceful industries and happiness that belong
to it, or q return to barbarism. 1t is question
in which every citizen of the nation is deeply
interested. but with respect to which we ought
not to be, in a partisan sense, either Republicans
or Democrats, but fellow citizens and fellow
men, to whom the interests of a common coun
try and common humanity are dear.


The sweeping revolution of the entire labor
system of large portion of our country and the
advance of four millions Of people from con.
dition''of servitude to that OF citizenship upon
all equal footing with their former masters
could not occur without presenting problems OF
the gravest moment to be dealt with by the
emancipated race, by their former masters, and
by the general government, the author OF the
act of emancipation. That it was wise, just
and Providential act, fraught with good for al
concerned, is now generally conceded through
out the country. That moral obligation rests
upon the national government to employ its con.
stitutional power and influence to establish the
rights of thepeople it has emancipated, and to
protect them IN the enjoyment OF those rlShts
when they are infringed or assailed, is also gen.
orally admitted.


The evils which affiict the Southern States car
only be removed or remedied by the united and
harmonious efforts Of both races actuated by
motives of mutual sympathy and regard ; and
while in duty bound and fully determined to
protect the rights of all by every constitutional
means at the disposal of my administration,
am sincerely anxious to use every legitimate in
fiuence in favor of honest and efficient local self
government as the true resource of those States
for the promotion of the contentment and pros
perity of their citizens. In the effort shall
make to accomplish this purpose 1 ask the cor
dial cooperation Of all who cherish an interest
in the welfare of the country trusting that
party ties and the prejudice of race will be free
" surrendered in behalf Of the great purpose to
be accomplished.


In the important work Of restoring the South
it is not the political situation alone that merits
attention. The material development of that
section of the country has been arrested by the
social and political revolution through which il
has passed, and now needs and deserves the
considerate care Of the national government
within the joint limits prescribed by the Con-
stitution and wise public economy.