Year: 1877

!
| decessOrs, and now time-honOred Gus
: tom which marks the commencement o
, Il new term of the Presidential office


Called to the duties of this great trust,


proceed in compliance with usuage, tC
announce some Of the leading principals


on the subjects that now chiefly engage


the public attention, by which it is my


desire to be guided in the discharge OF


these duties l shall not undertake tC
lay dawn, irreyocably, principles OF


measures of thee Administration, but


rather to speak kof the motives which


should animate US, nd to suggest certain


important ends to b attained in accor-


dance with our institulrns and essential


to the welfare of our country


At the outset of the discussion which
preceded the recent Presidential cleo


ti0n, it occurred to me as fitting that /
should fully make known my sentiments


in regard to several of the important
questions which then appeared to de


mand the consideration of the country.
Following the example and in part
adopting the language of one of my
| predecessors, / wish now, when every
| z olive for misrepresentation has passed
away, to repeat what was said before the


election, trusting that my cOutrymen
will candidly weigh and understand it,
and that they will feel assured that the


sentiments keclared IN accepting the
| nomination for the Presidency viii be
the standard Of my conduct in the path
\ before me.


Charged as l now am with the grave


and difficult task Of carrying them out
| in the practical administration Of the
| Government so far as depends, under
| Constitution and laws on the Chief Ex-


uective of the Nation. The permanent


paciication of the country npon such
( principles and by such measures as Will
secure the complete protection OF all its


citizens in the free enjoyment Of all
/ their constitutional rights, is now the


one subject in our public affairs which


all thoughtful and patriotic citizens re-
| gart as of supreme importance.


TIE SOUTH.


! Many of the calamitOus effects of the
! tremendous revolution which has pass
! ed over the Southern States still remain.
/ The immeasureble benefits which will
/ surely follow, sooner or later, the
! hearty and generous acceptance of the
| legitimate results of that revolution
/ have not been realized. Difficult and
/ embarrassing questions met US at the
! threshold Of this subject. The people
/ of those States are still impoverished,
| and the inestimable blessing of wise,
I honest and peaceful local self-govern-
ment is not fully enjoyed.


LOCAL IMPROVEMENT.
Whatever difference of opinion may
exist as to the cause Of this condition of
things, the fact is clear that, in the
Drorress of events the time has come
when such government is the imperative
necessity Lequired by all the varied in
terests, public and privat, of those
States, but it must not be forgotten that
only local government which recOg-
nizes and maintains inviolate the rights
of all is true self-gOYerement with res
pect to the two distinct races whose pc
culiar relations to each other have
brought upon us the deplorable COM
plicatiOns and perpleXities which exist
in those States. 1t must be a Govern
ment which guards the interests of both
races carefully and equally 1t must be
Il Government which submits loyalty
and heartily to the Constitution and the
laws, of the Nation and the laws of the
States themselves, accepting and obey
ing faithfully the whole Constitution as
it is.


Resting upon this sure and substan-
tial foundation the superstrucure of
beneficeut local governments can be
built up, and not otherwise In the
furtherance of such obediance to the
letterane spirit of the Constitution and
in behalf Of all that its attainment inn
plies all the so called party interests
lose their apparent Importance and par
ty lines may we'll be permitted to fade
into insignifcance. The question we
have to consider for the immediate
welfare of these States of the Union, is
the question of government or no COVER
Inent of social order and all the peace
full industries and the happiness that
belongs to it, or a return to barbarism.
1t is a question in which every citizen is
deeply interested, and will respect to
which we ought not to be in a partisan
sense, either Republican or Democrat,
but fellow-citizens and fellow-men, TO
whom the interests of a common human
ity are dear.


EMANCIPATION AND ITS EFFECTS.


The sweeping revolution of the entire
labor system of a large portion of our
country and the advance of four millions
Of people from a condition of seTvitude
to that of citizenship upon an equal
footing with their former masters, could
not occur without presenting problems
of the gravert movement, TO be dealt
with Gy the emancipated race, by their
former masters and by the general Gov
ernment, the author of the act of eman-
cipatiOn. That it was n wise, Just and
providential act, fraught with good for
all concerned, is now generally cOnced-
ed throughout the country. That
moral obligation rests upon the Nation
al Government to employ its cOnstitII-
tiOnaI power and influence to establish
the rights of the people it has emanci-
mated and to protect them in the enjoy
mant of these rights when they are in
fringed or assailed, is also generally adj
mitsed


the evils which aff1ict the Southern
States can only be removed or remedied
by the united and harmonious efforts of
both races, actuated by motives of muut-
al sympathy and regard; while in duty
bound and fully determened to protect
the rights of all by every Constitutional
means at the disposal of my administra-
ton. am sincerely anxious to use every
legitimate influence in favor of honest
and efficient local self-goyernment as the
true resource of these States for the
promotion Of the contentment and pros
Derity of their citizens. In the ell
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
periudice of race will be freely surround
ed In behalf of the great purpose to be
accomplished.


THE WORK OF RESTORATION.
In the important work of restoring tho
South, it is not the political situation
alone that merits attention. The mate
rial development of that section of the
country has been arrested by the social
and political revolution through which
it has passed, and now notice and de
serves the considerate care of the Ma
tIonal Government within the just limits
prescribed by the Constitution and wise
public economy, but, at the basis of all
prosperity for that, as well as for every
other part Of the country, lies the i'm,
provement Of the intellectual and moral
condition of the people. Universal suf-
frage should rest upon universal educu-
cation. To this end liberal and perma-
nent provision should be made for the
s.t,,,,,,,~f Of fraa ScIools I4yr the State Gov