Year: 1873

PRESIDENTIAL PROGRAMME.


President Grant lays down the chart
of his future course with characteristic
plainness and decision. In his inaug-
ural address to the people upon the occa-
sion of his entering upon the second term
to which they have called him, he tells
them that he means to promote harmony
and good feeling between the different
sections of the country so far as in him
lies, and that his efforts to this end in
the past will be continued during the
term which he now enters, with the aid
of whatever experience he has acquired
during the term which has expired. He
is firm believer in progress, aud in re-
publican progress, and looks forward
with confidence to the growth and pros
perity of the country through the har-
monizing influences of peace and public
improvements. The great want of the
country, in his view, is cheap and abun-
dant means of communication, so that
the products of all sections may find
the market and bring remuneration to
the producer. In this proposition Gen.
Grant has struck the key-not of our fu-
ture government policy and has happily
interpreted the popular demand. He
presents no scheme and goes into no de-
tails; he leaves that for the public mind
to develope and for the representatives
of the people to mould and shape.


The vital idea of encouraging home
industry by all Legitimate appliances is
firmly proclaimed in this address, as
well as the Importance of restoring the
currency to a uniform standard with the
money of the commercial world He al
so has an out-spoken' and brave word
for the navigation interests of the ma
tion, the necessary supplement of abun-
dant internal transportation and devel-
opment of the manufacturing and pro-
ducing industry of the Union. If COM
merce should require and bring about
extension of territory and annexation of
islands, which are our nearest neighbors,
or important outposts on the highway of
nations, he has no shrinking apprehen-
sion that such result would be injuri-
Gus to the national power and unity,
and boldly points to the moderating in
fuences of electricity and steam, by
which the most remote borders of our
widely extended country are at this day
in closer communication than the old
thirteen States were at the birth of the
nation.


The favorite Indian policy of the ad-
ministration has warm advocacy in
the Presidents address, and the benign
influences of education and civilization
are upheld as an effectual antidote for
savage barbarity. He would make the
effort, and make it in good faith, and we
know of no safer man to whom the coun-
try could confide such an effort. But we
have no faith whatever that it will be
successful; and when the President

asks the question, 'Cannot the Indian
be made a useful and productive member
of society by proper teaching and treat
ment % we fear that the answer must
be in the future, as in the past, that the
effort will be in vain! The advancing
civilization of the country requires that
the savage Indian should be restrained,
and whatever of teaching and humaniz-
ing treatment are compatible with that
restraint should undoubtedly be applied
To this extent we believe the President
would act but we cannot believe that
he would make the principal subordinate
to the accessory the growth of the ma
ton to the development Of questiona.
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