Press enter after choosing selection

General Grant's Inaugural Address

General Grant's Inaugural Address image
Parent Issue
Day
7
Month
March
Year
1873
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Pellow Citizents. - Under providence I liave been oalied a seeond time to act as Exscutive ovor this great nation. It bas been my ondeavor in the past to maintain all the laws, and so fivr as lay in my power to act tbr the best iaterests of the wholo people. My best eifovts will be given iu the saine direction in the future, aided, I trust, by my four years' experienee in tho office. When May first term of. the office of Chief Executive began the country had not rccovered from the effect of a great internal revolution, aud three of the former States of the Union had not been restored to their Federal relations. It seerued to me wise that no uew questions should be raised as long as that condition of atfairs exiated. Thereiore the past four years, so f ar as I could control evtjnts, have beeu consunied in eÉEurts to restore itiU-niony, public credit, commercG and all the arts of peace and progresa. REVUBLICAinSM. It is my opinión that the nivilizod woilii is tênding tow;ird Ilepubiicaium, or goverunicnt by the peopie through their chosen reprcsentatives, and that our great republic is dsetined to be the guiding star to all others. Uuder our republic we support an army less than that of any European power of anv standing, ail a navy less than that of either oí' at least five of them. There could be no extensión of territmy oh tliiS con tinent which vvoultl cali for aiï 4tit"r6Hse of tbis force, but thoTtf rathuv miht bo such extensión asto uniililuiïs todidiinisli it.The thoory of góverhrnënt changos with general piogïsss. . . Ho w that the telegraph is madt; 4ivail'tbe lor cora municating thought, loother with rajeid transit by steam, atl p;a(s of thu continent are made eontïgupus for all pui-poses of the governnient, aiid cornmunication betvvoen the extreme lmiits of thé country is made ensier Uian it was througliout the oíd thirtoeu States at the beginning of our mitioual existence. CIVIL RIGHTS TQ COX-OEED MEX, . , The effects of the late. civil strifo havo been to froe the slave and mako hira a citizen, yet he is not possessed of the civil rights which citizenshipshould carry W1U1 11. 1U13 IS WIUULT, UIKl Ö1UHUU Uö corrected so fir as Executive influence can avail. Social cquality isa subject not to be legislated upon. Nor shall I ask that anythiiig be done to advance the social status of the colored man except to give hira a fair chance to develope what there is good in him. Give liira access to the schools, and when he travels let hira feel assured that his conduct will regúlate tha treatmont and f are he will reoeive. THE COXDITIOX OF THE SOfrTH. The States lately ot war with the general government are now happily rehabilitated, and no Executive control is exercised in any onu of them that would not bo exercised in any other State under like circumstaaces. SAX DOMINGO. In the first year of the past administration the proposition came tbr the admission of the Santo Domingo as a Territory of the Union. It was 110 quostion of my seeking, but was a proposition f rom the people of Santo Domingo, which I entertainod. I believe now, as then, that it was for the best interests of this country, for the people of Santo Domingo, and for all concerned that the proposition should bo received favorably. It was, however, regarded unconstitutional, and therefore the subject was never brought up ngain by me In the future, while I hold my present office, the subject of acquisition of territory must havo the support of tho poople before I will recommend auy proposition looking to such aequisition. 1 say here, however, tliat 1 do not sharo in the apprehension held by ïoany as to the danger of governnients becoming weakened and destroyed by reason of their extensión of tcrritory. Coinmsrce, education and rapid transit of thought and matter by telograph and steam have changed all this. I rather belicve that our Great Maker is preparing tho world in his own good time to become one nation, speaking ono language, and whon armies and navies will be no longer required. THE PRESIDENTES 1'ÜH'RE POLIOY. My efïbrts in the future will be directod to the restoration of good feeling between tho different sections of our cornmon country ; to the restoration of our currency to a fixed valup, as eompared with the world"s standard cí values of gold, and if possible to par with it; to the construction of cheap routes of transit through the land, to the end that the producís of all seetions may find a markut and leave a living remu'ieratioii to the producer; to the maïmenance of friendly relations witli all our neighbora and with distant nations; to the establishment of our commerca and onr sharo in tliy arrying trado upon thü ocean ; to fcte-rócouragemunt of suoh manufacturáis industries as can be econoinieally pursued in this country, to the end tha't th o exporta of home products and industries may pay for our impurts, the ouly suro raetliod of returuing to and permiiuently maintaining a specie basis; to the elovation of labor, and by a humane coursi; to brin'g the aborigines of the country under tho benign influences of education and civilizatiou. It is either this or a war of extermination. Wars of pxtermination engagedin by pnople pursuing coijAierce and all industrial puritïita are expensive, even against the wcakest people, and aro deinoralizing and wicked. Our superiority pf strangth and adVantages of civilization should make us lenient toward the Indian. lbo wrong alruady inflicted upon him shoulá lo taken into account, and the balance placed to bis credit. The moral view of tho question should be eonsiclered and the question asked : " Cannot the Indian be made a üsoful and productive member of society b}' proper teaching tnd troatmont?" When the efïort is made iii good faith we will st nd justifii'd before oivilized nátions of the. ea'rth and in our Twn cofiseienees for Kavmg niado it. All these things a;e not to be accomplished by one individual, but thoy will recpivu the support and sucli rpCommendatiou, to Congress as Avill, in niy judgiuent, best serve to carry them into effect. I heg yoar sopport and encouragemeut. '[VIL SERVICE 1ÍEF0UJI It has been and i.s my earnost dosire to correct the abusen that have grown up in the civil servios of tho country. ïo secure this reformation rules, regulations and a method of appointinent and promotion were establishedj and have been tried. My efforts for such refonuation shall bo continuad to the best of my judgrnont. Tho spirit of the rules adopted will be maintained. RBTÜRWrifO THAliEfe. I acknowledge beforo this assemblage, representing, as it does, every section of our country, tho obligation Í ani under to my countrymen for tho great honor they havoconiHiTud on me by return in r me to the highost office withiii their land, and the further obligation resting on me to render them the best services within my power. This I promise, lookiug forwari with ths greatost anxiety to the dtory when I shall bo released from the responsibilities, whióh at times are almost ovejwb'elming, and froin which I ' have scarcely had a respite since the eyentïul warring upon Fort Sumpter in April, 3861,. to the present day. My service was then tendered and ucccptod under the cali t'or troops growing out of that event. I did not ask for place or position, and was entirely without iufluenco or the acquaint&nce of persons of influenee. But I was resolved to perform my part in a struggle threatening the very existence of the na" ion. I performed a conscious duty, witbcmt asking promotion or command, and without a rovcngefnl feeling toward any section or any individuals. ííotwithsta'nding this, throughout the war and from my candidacy for my present office, in 1868, to the close of the last Presidential eampaign, I havo been the subject of abuse and slauder scarcely over equaled in political history, which to-day I feal that I can afford to disregard in view of your verdict, which I gratefully accept as íuy vindica tion.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus