Year: 1877

Government to employ its constitutional

 power and influence to establish the rights of the people it has emancipated, and pro tect them in the enjoyment of those rights

 when they are infringed or assailed. IL is also generally admitted that the evils which

 afficC the Southern States can only be re- moved or remedied by the united and har-

 monious efforts of both races, actuated by

 motives of mutual sympathy and regard |; and while in duty bound and fully deter mined to protect the rights of all by every constitutional means at the disposal of my administration, l am sincerely anxious to Use every legitimate influence in favor of honest and efficient local government, as the true resource for those States for the promo tion of the contentment of the citizens. In the effort l shall make to accomplish this purpose, ask the cordial cooperation of all who cherish an interest in the welfare of the country, trusting that party ties and the predjudicc of race will be freely surrendered m behalf of the great purpose to be accom- pli>hed in the important work of the re>to- ration of the South.

 IL is not the political situation alone that

 merits attention. The material develop ment of that section of the country has been arrested by the social and political rev olution through which it has passed, and now needs and deserves consideratc care from ihe

 National Government. within the just limits prescribed by the Constitution and wise public economy. But as the basis of all prosperity for that as we'll for every other part of the country. this improvement of the intellectual and moral condition of the peo- pie, universal suffrage. should rest upon uni versaI education. To this end liberal and permanent provision should toe made for the support of free scho Is by State governm rnis, and it need be. supplemented by legitimate aid from the National authority. Lat me assure my countrymen "f the Southern States that II k my earnest desire to pro mote their trueSt interests-the interests If the white and colored people both equally and t. put forth my best elTnrts in behalf of a civil policy which will for ,vcr wipe out in our political affairs the color line and the distinction between n rth and : puth to the end that we have not merely united North and united south. bat unite country.

 CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.

 ask the attention of the public to the paramount necessity of reform m our civil service-a reform not merely a. ;o certain abuses and practices of So-called official pat | ronage which have come to have the sane ton of u>uage in the several departments of our Government. but a change in the system of appointment itself: reform that shall be thorough. radical a1d complete; return to the principles and practices of the found CTS of the Government. They neither cX- pected nor desired from public officers any partisan service. They meant that public officers should owe their whole service t0 the Government and the people They meant that the officer should be secure in his ten ure as long AS his personal character re- mained untarnished and the perform lnce of his duties satisfactory They held that ap pointment 10 office was not to be made or expected merely as reward for partisan ser vices, nor merely on the nomination of mem bers of Congress as being entitled, in any respect, to the control of such appoint ments.

 The fact that both political parties of the l country. in declaring their principles prior to the election, gave prominent place to 1 the subject of reform of our civil service, l and strongly urging its neces- sty in terms alm Ist ndental in thei- specific | import with those have here employed l must be accepted as a conclusive argument | in behalf of these measures. IL must be l regarded as an expression Of the united | voice and will of the whole country. Tn | Pre- Ident of the United States of nee 's'ity | owes his election to office ta ths suffiAg | and jealous labors of political party, tn of which cherish with ardpr anu | regard as of essential importance t-e prip riples of their party organization; lou h should strive to be always mindful of ta' fact that he serves his party best who serve his country best. h furthernce of the re form We seek, and as in other important re ,pects change of gre II import 'acr, rec