Year: 1876

4


and practical evidences Of our growth as nation,
and the uses Of the mercantile arts and the appli
cations OF applied science In the administration
Of the affairs Of the Government. Many nations
have voluntarily contributed their exhibits to the
United States 10 increase the interest In any
permanent exhibition Congress may provide for.
For this act Of generosity they should receive the
thanks OF the people, and respectfully suggest
that resolution Of Congress to that effect be
adopted. rI.


THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM.


The attention OF Congress cannot be too earnest
y called to the necessity Of throwing some greater
safeguard over the method Of choosing and de-
claring the election ot President. Under the
present system there seems to be no provided
remedy for contesting the election In any one
State The remedy is partially no doubt, in the
enlightenment OF the electors, the compulsory
support OF the free school, and the disfranchse-
ment Of all who cannot read and write the En-
glish language, after a fixed probation, and would
meet my hearty approval. would not make this
apply, however, to those already voters, but l
would TO all becoming 20 after the expiration Of
the probation fixed upon Foreigners coming to
the country TO become citizens, who are educated
IN their own language, would acquire the requisite
knowledge OF ours during the necessary residence
to obtain naturalization. II they did not take
enough interest in our language to acquire suf-
hctent knowledge OF IL to enable them to study
the institutions and laws Of the country intelli-
gently would not confer upon them the right to
make our laws nor to select those who do.


sASTo DOMINGO.


append to this message. for convenient refer
ence, n synopsis Of administrative events. and OF
Hll Recommendations 10 congress mhut DY me
during the last seven years. Time may show
some Of these recommendations not to have been
wisely conceived, but believe the larger part will
be no discredit TO the administration. One OF
these recommendations met with the united oppo-
sition Of one political party In the Senate. with n
strong opposition from the other, namely: the
treaty for the annexation of Santo Domingo to
the United States to which shall especially re-
fer. maintaining, az | do, that II my views had
been concurred in the country would be in more
prosperous condition to-day, both politically and
financially. SAntO DOMINGO ia fertile. and uDOn
its soil may be grown just those tropical products
of which the United States use SO much, and
by slave labor almost exclusively, namely: sugar,
coffee, dyewoOds, mahogany, tropical fruits, to-
bacco, etc. About IS per cent. Of the exports
Of cuba are consumed in the United States. A
large percentage Of the exports Of Brazil also find
the same market. These are paid for almost ex-
cusively in coin legislation. particularly in Cuba,
being unfavorabe to q mutual exchange of the
products OF each country. Flour shipped from the
Mississippi River to Havana can pass by the very
entrance to the city on its way to a portion Of
Spain, then pay duty fixed upon articles to be
re-exporteI, be transferred to Spanish vessel and
brought back almost to the point of starting. pay
ing a second duty. and still leave a profit over
what would be received by direct shipment. All
that is produced in Cuba could be produced in
Santo Domingo. Being part OF the United
the main land would be free There would
be no export duties her shipments nor
import duties on those coming here. There
would be no import duties upon the sup





The effect that would have been produced upon
Cuban commerce with these advantages to
America is observable at a glance The Cuban
question would have been settled long ago in
favcr Of :" Free Cuba, r and hundreds of American
vessels would now be adyantageously used in
Transporting the valuable woods and other prod
ucts of the soil of the island to a market, and in
carrying supplies and emigrants to 1t. The
island is but sparsely settled while 1t has an area
sufficient for the sustenance and employment Of
several millions Of people. The soil would have
soon fallen into the hands of United States capital
lists. The products are so valuable in commerce
that emigration there woud have been encour-
aged. The emancipated races of the South would
have found there a congenial home where their
civil rights would not be disputed, and where
their labor would be much sought after, and
the poorest among them could have found the
means to go there in cases of great oppres-
sion and cruelty, such as have been practiced upon
them in many places within the last eleven years.
Whole communities would have sought refuge in
Santo Domingo. | do not suppose the whole race
would have gone, nor is 1t desirable that they
should go. Their labor is desirable, indispensH-
BILE almost, where they now are; but the posses
sion of this territory would have left the negro
master of the situation by enabling him to demand
his rights at home on pain Of going else
where. do not present these views now as rec
ommendation fora renewal of the subject Of an
nexation but do refer TO it TO vindicate my pre-
vious action in regard TO IL.


With the present Congress my official life termi-
mates. 1t is not probable that public affairs will
again receive attention from me, further than
as a citizen Of the Republic, always taking deep
interest in the honor and integrity and prosperity
of the whole land.


(sgned) U. s. GRANT.


EXECUTIVE MANSION, Dec 5, 1875.