Year: 1878

The Presidents annual message, read before Congress on Monday, is very short document of its kind. Beginning with a reference to the yellow fever plague which, as he estimates has destroyed about 20, 600 lives, and occasion ed an incidental loss of hundreds of millions of dollars, he suggests the passage of laws by Congress regulating quarantine and providing for the sanitary supervision of internal com merce in time of epidemic.

 In regard to the recent Southern election frauds, the President speaks at considerable length, and with much force, in favor of thorough execution of the laws. Promising that the Southern Democracy has fully assent cd to the recent constitutional amendments, and that the representation of the South in Congress, and in the electoral college, has been greatly increased by their adoption, he says that the friends of law and order have been disappointed in the conduct of recent Southern elections.

 In some of those States in which the colored people have been unable to make their opin- ions felt in the elections, the result is mainly due to influences not easily measured or reme edled by legal protection; but in the States of Louisiana and South Carolina at large and in some particular congressional districts outside Of those States, the records of the elections seem to compel the conclusion that the rights of the colored voters have been overridden, and their participation in the elections not permit ted to be either general or free

 He asks the assistance of the State autheri- ties and courts, and of the people, toward bring ing these offenders to justice, and he promises that no means within his power will be spared to obtain full and fair investigation of the alleged crimes, and to secure the conviction and just punishment of the guilty He calls the attention of Congress to the fact that the appropriation for the enforcement of the laws in this respect is entirely insufficient ''It is the right of every citizen" says the president, possessing the qualifications prescribed by law to cast one unintimidated ballot and to have his ballot honestly counted" While the effects of sectional arrangement still continue, the president nevertheless considers that pres ent tendencies are towards unity of feeling and reciprocal confidence.

 The President announces that Resumption will take place on the first of January as pro- vided by law. He has as poor an opinion of the Silver bill as ever, but does not propose any modification for the present

 In reference to Indian affairs the President calls attention to the recent experiment of send ing Indian children from the wild tribes to the Hampton Institute for education. He evident ly hopes much from this method of civilizing the races now most difficult to be dealt with.

 In regard to thefts of timber from the public lands the president is evidently in full sympa- thy with SchurZ. 'The rapid destruction of our forests," says he, ''s an evil fraught with the gravest consequences especially in the mount ainous districts, where the rocky slopes, once denuded of their trees, will remain so fer ever"

 In reference to the new form of government for the District of Columbia, the president has no recommendation to make. He prefers fur ther trial before coming to any positive conclu- sion regarding it. He highly approves of the filling up of the flats along the Potomac, south west of the city. They occasion the malaria which makes summer residence in the city, dangerous, and are standing menace to the health of its inhabitants.

 The message is plain, business document, most of whose recommendations will meet with | favor among all sensible people and the ab- l sence of obvious partisan feeling is a very grateful relief.