Year: 1876

RESULTS OF HIS ADMINISTRATION.


.vu.r HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHMENTS INDIAN POL


.~v-RvLAnoNs WITH FOREIGN POwERs-THE


CLAIMS c0MNnssIoSs-AN INCREASE IN THE


AKMY APPROPRIATIONS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY


"A COMPLIMENT TO SECRETARY ROBEsoN-A


BRIEF REFERENCE TO THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM


EDUCATIONAL sUFFRAGE-wHAT THE ANNEXA-


TON or sANTo DOMINGO MIGHT HAVE DONE.


To the Senate and House of Representatives In sub
mitting my eighth and last annual message to Con-
Qress it seems proper that should refer to and in
some degree recapitulate the events and official acts
of the past eight years. IL my fortune or mis-
fortune to be called TO the stce OF Chief Executive
without any previous political training. From the
age of II had never even witnessed the excitement
attending Presidential campaign but twice ante
cedcnt TO my own candidacy, and at but one OF
them was eligible as a voter. Under such circum-
stances il is but reasonable to suppose that errors OF
Judgment must have occurred. Even had they not,
differences ofopinion between the Executive, bound
by an oath to the strctest performance OF his dutes
and writers and debaters must have arisen. 1t is
not necessarily evidence of blunder on the part OF
the Executive because there are these differences
of views Mistakes have been made, as all can see
and admit but it seems to me oftener in the selec-
tons made of the assistants appointed to aid in car
rying out the various duties Of administering the
Government, in nearly every case selected without
personal acquaintance with the appointee, but
upon recommendations of the representatives
chosen directly by the people. 1t is impossible
where so many trusts are to be allotted, that the
right parties should be chosen in every instance.
History shows that no Administration from the time
of Washington to the present has been free from
these mistakes; but leave comparisons to history,
claiming only that have acted in every instance
from a conscientious desire to do what was right,
constitutional within the law, and for the very best
interests of the whole people. Failures have been
errors of Judgment, not of interest


RECONSTRUCTION-FINA


Nv civil career commenced too at q most critical
and difficult time. Less than four years before the
country had emerged from conflict such as no
other nation had ever survived. Nearly one half of
tho States had revolted against the Government
and of those remaining faithful to the Union large
percentage of the population sympathlzed with the
rebellion, and made enemy in the rear almost as
dangerous as the more honorable enemy In front.
The latter committed errors of Judgment but they
maintained them openly and cOurageously; the for
mer received the protection of the Government they
would see destroyed, and reaped all the pecuniary
advantage to be gained ont of the then existing
state of affairs, many of them by obtaining con-
tracts and by swindling the Government in the de-
livery of their goods. Immediately on the cessa-
ton of hOStilties the then noble President who bad
carried the country far through its perils, fell
martyr to his patriotism at the hands of an assassin
The intervening time to my first Inauguration was
filed up with wranglings between Congress and the
new Executive TO the best mode of reconstruction,
OF to speak plainly as to whether the control of the
Government should be thrown Immediately into the
hands of those who had recently and persistently
tried to destroy it or whether the victors should
continue to have an equal voice with them in this
control Reconstruction, as finally agreed upon,
means this and only this except that the late slave
was enfranchised, giving an increase as was sup
posed to the Union-lOying and Union-suppolting
votes If free in the full sense of the word, they
would not disappoint this expectation. Hence, at
the beginning of my first administration, the work
of reconstruction, much embarrassed by the long
delay, virtually commenced. 1t was the work OF
the legislative branch of the Government My
province was wholly in approving their acts, which
did most heartily, urging the Legislatures of States
that had not yet done to ratify the Fifteenth
Amendment to the Constitution.


The country was laboring under an enormous debt
contracted in the suppression of rebellion, and tax
alton was so oppressive TO discourage production
Another danger also threatened us-a foreign war.
The last difficulty had to be adjusted, and was ad
iusted without war; and in manner highly hon
orable to all parties concerned. Taxes have been
reduced within the last seven years nearly $780,
600, ,OO0 and the national debt has been reduced in
the same time over $435 600 by refundIng the
six per cent bonded debt for bonds bearing five and
four and One-half per cent interest respectively.
The annual interest has been reduced from over
$3.50 600, 900 in 1869 to but little 800, ,OOO-
600 in 1876. The balance of trade has been
changed from over $3.50 600, 600 against the United
States in 1863 to more than $120, 100000 in 1876
1t is confidently believed that the balance of trade
in favor of the United States will increase, not
diminish, and that the pledge Of Congress to resume
specie payments in 1879 will be easily accomplished
even in tie absence of much-desired further egis
latiOn on the subject.


THE INDIANS.


policy has been adopted toward the Indian
tribes nhaoiting large portion of the territory OF
the United States which has been humane; has sub
stantiay ended Indian hostilites in the whole land
except in portion of Nebraska and Dakota, Wy
ofning and Montana Territories, the Black Hills
region and approaches thereto. Hostiities there
have grown out of the ayarice of the white man,
who has violated Our treaty stipulatiOns IN bis
search for gold. The question might be asked why
the Government has not enforced obedience to the
terms of the treaty prohibiting the occupation OF
the Black Hills region by whites. The answer Is
simple. The first immigrants to the Black Hills
were removed by troops, but rumors OF rich dlscov-
cries of gold took into that region increased num-
bers Gold has actually been found in paying
quantity, and an effort to remove the miners would
only resat in the deserion of the bulk of the troops
that might be sent there to remove them. All DIN
Guilty in this matter has, however, been removed
subject to the approval of Congress, by treaty
ceding the Black Hills and approaches to settlement
by citizens. The subject of the Indian policy and
treatment is fully set forth by the Secretary of
the Interior and the Commissioner of Indian Affairs