Year: 1877

.-. FellOW-citizenso of the Senate and House
Of ntatives:-With great gratitude
t0 the b0uBtiful Giver of all good. I con.
gratulate you at the beginning of your
hrst regular session. You find our coun-
Try blessed with wealth and peace and
abundant harVests, and with encouraging
prospects of an early return of general
prosperity. The paCiieation of the cOun-
try continues and will be until it is fully
accomplished and must remain the most
important of all our national interests
The earnest purpose Of good citizens gen
orally to unite their efforts in those en-
deavOrs is evident. tt found decided
expression in the resolutions announced
in 1876 by the national conventions of
the leading political parties of the coun-
try. There was widespread apDrehen-
sion that the mOmentous results in our
progress as nation, marked by the recent
amendments to the constitution, were in
imminent jeopardy; that the good
understanding which prompted their
adoption in the interest of loyal devotion
TO the general welfare, must prove a
barren truce, and that the sections of the
country once engaged in civil strife might
be again almost as widely severed and





arms against each other. The course to
be pursued, In my judgment. which
seems the wisest in the presence of this
emergency, was plainly indicated in nv
inaugural address it pointed to the time
which all our people desired to see, when
genuine love of our whole country and
Ot all that concerns its true welfare shall
supplant the destructive force of the
mutual animosity Of races and of sec
/. tiOnal hostility. Opinions have differed
widely as to the measures best calculated
TO secure this great end. This was to be
expected the measures adopted by the
administration have been subjected
10 severe and varied criticisms. Anv
course whatever which might have
been entered upon would certainly have
encountered distrust and opposition.
These measures were, 10 my judgment,
such as were most in harmony with the
constitution and with the genius of our
people, and hest adopted, under all cir
Cumstances, to attain the end in view.
The benehcent results already apparent
prove that these endeavors are
yet TO be regarded as a mere
experiment, and should sustain
and encourage us in eur efforts. Already
in the brief period which has elapsed,



the justice of the course pursued. is
demonstrated. and have heabiding faith
that time will furnish its ample vindica-
ton in the minds of the great majority
of my tellOw-citizens. The discOntinu.
ance of the army for the purpose of up
holding local governments in two states
OF the union, was no less a constitution
duty and requirement, under the cir
Cumstances existing at the time, than it
was necessary measure for the restOra-
tion OF local seltgOvernment and the
promotion Of national harmony.


The withdrawal of the troops from such
employment was effected diligently and
with solicitous care for the peace and
good order of society and the protection
of the prosperity and persons of every
right of all classes of citizens, the results
that have followed are indeed significant
and encouraging, all apprehensions of
danger from remitting those states to
local self-government is dispelled and
most salutary change in the minds of the
people has begun, and is in progress in
every part of that section of the country
once the theatre of unhappy civil
strife, substituting for suspicion,
distrust and aversion has given
place to concord, friendship and
patriotic attachment to the union. No
one will deny that the often fatal COM
mission of crimes, which for several
years have been of frequent occurrence,
and have alarmed the public mind. have
almost entirely ceased, and that a spirit of
mutual forbeaTanCe and hearty national
interest has succeeded. There has been
general re-estabiishment of order and
of the orderly administration of Justice.
Instances of any remaining IawIess-
ness have become of rare occurrence g.
POLITICAL turmoil and turbulence have
disappeared and useful industries have
been resumed and public credit in the
southern states has been greatly strength
ened, and the encouraging benefits of a
revival OF commerce between the sections
of the country lately embrOiled in the
civil war are fully enjoyed. Such are
SOME OF the results already attained, upon
which the country Is 10 be congratulated,
and they are of such importance that we
may with confidence patiently await the
desired contamination that VIII surely
come with the natural progress of events


IL may not be improper here to say
that it should be our fixed and unalter,
"bba determination to protect by all the
Tailable and proper means under the
constitution and the laws of the lately
emanCipated race in the experiment o
their rights and privileges, and I urge
upon those, to whom heretofore the col
Ored people have sustained the relation
OF bondsmen, the wisdom aud Justice o
human and liberal local legislation will
respect to their educational and genera
welfare a firm adherence to the laws e
both national and state rs 10 their civi
and political rights of the colored peopl.
now advanced TO full and equal citizen
snip The immediate repression and sur,
punishment blythe national and local au
thorities within their respective iurisdic
tiens OF every instance OF lawlessness anC
3 violence toward them is required for tn,
security alike of both races, and is iustlv
demanded by the public opinion of tn,
country and the age. In this way the res
tOration ofharmOny and good will and tn
complete protection OF every citizel
IN the full enjoyment of every constitu
tional right will surely be attained
Whatever authority rests with me L
this end | shall not hesitate to put forth
whatever belongs 10 the power of c0ngres
and the Jurisdiction of the courts @
the union they may confidently b
relied upon tO provide and perform
and 20 the legislatures, the courts an
the executive authorities of the sewers
states / earnestly appeal to secure b
adequate, appropriate and seasOnabl
means within their borders these cOmmo
and uniform rights of the united Peopl
which love liberty, abhor oppression an
revere justice; these objects are yer
dear 10 my heart and ! shall nOE