President Hayes

Washington, March 5. A very brilliant audienoe assembled in the Senafe Cliañi'beí as bii:i} aS Í0 o'clock tti w!tnhss the inaugural ceremonies, the majority being l-uli, Uu ■j:""ljic " wou onHvoIv fUinA their wives. At 6 minutes baforo 12 o'doek tls foreigo Ministers, Uresséu 'm fuli êoürt dress, entéred the chamber, ereating sometbing like a sensation. ïhey took seats on the right sido of the chimbar. Following the diplomatic corps carne the members of the Supremo Court, lieaded by Chief Justice Waitc, who wers assigned seats on the right in fí'oiit oí tím forelgn mtn'stpvs: . Jt'dgï tlavts. wfts afcojjg hem, but Justlces CÜfförfl and JEïclU Wt "- sent. Judge Davis did not wear the customary robe of black. Precisely at 12 o'clock the President entered the chamber. He walked up he main aisle by the side of ex-President Grimt, and took a seat in the space immediately in front of the Scctetivy's desk. The mtttnltWrs of tlw Cabtnrt, pfeC5dd by Secretary Fish, íoüow&d, yid e assighed seats on the ieft of the President. The appearance of President Hayes was the signa' fnr„ihttd flftpping of hands by the occupaiits of tlie gaÜerlee. The space on the eastern front of the Capitol, where President Hayes dolivered his inaugural address, was completely packed with acople, who were loud in thoir cheers during :ho time the President was speaking. A great many thousand people were present - exactly liow many cannot be casily estimated. A spnee of ground of about 1,000 foot by 800 nide was completely packed with people. At 1:10 the ceremonies were concluded, and the procession started on its return to escort President Hayes to the "White House. The following is the Inaugural addrera of President Bayen in full i FEWKwCmz!Nm WJ Have ttssemblPd to repeat tllfi ptibiiti PfiWni'TOlal bfgtm bj' Washington, obsrt-vfll iiy all my pïcdcéssoi-.s, and now a time-honored ctistonij wliich iiiarks the coinmenceraënt of a hew tërtn In tlje Presldential office. Called to the duties of thls great trust, I proceed, in coiupliance with usage, to announce some of the leading principéis, on the subjecti that now chielly engage public attentioii, by which it is my desira to be guided in the discharge of those duties. I shall not undertake to lay down irrevocably principies or measures of administration, but ratlier to speak of the motivos which should anímate us. and to suggest pevtain Important nnds to be atteined in accoïdanriB with otif institittliins filia essontial to the welfare of oiir country: At the out set of the diseUssions which preceded the recent Presidential election, it seenied to me ñtting that I should fnlly make known my sentiments in regard to several of the important nicstioiiK which then appeared to demand the consideration of the country. Following the example, and in part adopting the language of one of iny predeceHsors, I wish now, when every motive for misrepresentation has passed away, to repeat what ivas said bofore the olection, tmstiug that my comitrymen will eandidly weigh and mulcrstand it, "ail thi-y wUl foei assurod that the sentinients declarud in acceptlng my ïlomination for tijd Pttsidency will be the standard of my conduct in the path licfore niR. Chatgfd as 1 now am with the grave and difficult task of carrying them out in the practical administration'of the Government, sof ar as dependa onder the constitution and laws on the (..hief Executive of the nation, the permanent paciñeation of the country, uiku such principies and by such meaBiu-es as will secure the complete protectie 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 ant patriotic citizens regard as of supremo import anee. Many of the oalamitous effeets of the tremondous revolution which bas passed over the Southern States still remain. The lmmeasurablo beneflts which will surely follow, Booner or later, the hearty and generous acceptance of the legitimate resulta of that i-evolution have not yet been realized. Difficult and embarrassing questions meet us at the threshold of this subject. The people of these States are still impoverished, and the inestimable blessing of wise, honest and pcaceful local self-government is not fully enjoyed. Whalever difference of opinión may exist as to the cause of ! this condition of things, the f act is clearthatiu the progresa of events the time has come when such government is an imperativo neoessity, reinmed by all the varied interests, public and private, of these States : but it must not be foi-gotten that only a local government which recognizes and ma'intains inviolate the rights of all is a truc sell'-goveninient. With respect to the two distinct races whose peculiar relations to each other have brouglit opon us deplorable complicatiousand perplexities which exist in these titates ; it must be a government which guards the interests of both races carefully and equally ; it must be a government which trabante loyally and heartily tu the constitution and laws- the laws of the nation and the laws of the States theinselves- aceepting and obeying faithi ully the whole constitution as it is. Beating npon thissore and snbstantial foundation, tliüt niiperstrncture of beneficent local government8 can bc Imilt iip, andnotrttherwise. In furtbeianco of such obedicner to the letter and spirit of the constitution, and in behftlf of j all that its attainment implies, all su-called party interests loge their iniparynt impoilanee, and 'party Unes may weljpe permjd tof&U into fnsigniJlcftnc. The question we have to e'bnsidtir the imruediate welfare of those Staten of the Union is the question of government, or no gov&rnment - of social order and all the peaoeftU industries oud the happiness tliat belongs to it, or a return to barbarían!. It is a question in which every citizen of the nation is deeply interestod, and with reapect to which we ought not to bc in a partiaan sense eithor Eepublicansor Demócrata, bnt fellow-citizens and fellow-men, to whom the interest of a common country and a common humanity are deir. Thè sweeping revolution of the entire labor ayateni of a large portion of oivr country, and the advance of 4,000,000 people froin a ooSdition of séf vitnde to that of citizenship, Upon an equal footing with thalv fórmer roosters, could not occiir "without preaentíng problema of the gravest moment, to bk dealt with by the emancipatod race, by th'eir formér mastérs, and by the General Government, the anthor of the &vt of emancipation. That it was a wisc, juat and providcntial act, fraught with good for all concerncd, ír now generally conceded throughout the country. That a moral obligatioii rests upon the National Government to employ its constitutional power and influence to establish the rgïts of the people whom it has emancipated, and tö protefit tbem in Use enjöyment of those rights when they aie infrlnged on or assailed, ia alao generally admitted, The evils which afflict the Southern State can only be removed or remedied by the united and harmonious efforta of both races, actuated by motives of mutual ympathy and regard, and, while in duty bound and fully detennined to protect the ïighta of all by every conatitutional mcans at the diaposal of niy'admhnati'ation, I ara sincerely anxious to uae every legitímate influenee in favor of honest and efticient local government, as the true resource of those States for the promotion of the contentment and prosperity of their citizen. In the effort I ahall make to accomplish ttils pürposf, I. ask th"! " ordiiyl Í tion of ali wlio cherish an intercüt in tlie ! f are of the country, trusting that party tie ; and prejudice o,f race will be freely Hitrrë'nóiered in behalf of tlife grè'at ptitpösb tö be i ph'ahed in the important work 6Í thé re'atoratiou of the Soutli. It is not the ]Kütical Bituation alone that merits attention. The j terial development of that section of the J try haa been arrested by the social and political revolution through which it haa panscd, and now needs and deaerves the considérate care of the National Govenmient within the just limita prescribcd by the coiistitutioii and wise public economy. But at the basis of all prosperity, for that" as well aa for every other part of the country, lies the improvement of the intfllectaal and moral eonaition of tho people. Unir I vWsnl suffrage sHotild rèat itpoii iinlvetsal education'. Tb' th's end a liberal and permanent j provisión shoüld bfc' ffladb for thfc supjwrt of j free schools by State Govemmíntfi, and, if i need be, aupplementcd by legitímate ald from the national authority. Let me asaure my countrymen of the Southem States that it ia my earnest desire to regard and promote theil truest interests - the intereats of the white and of the colored people, I both and equally - and put forth my best efforts in bV'half oï a civil policy which will forcver wipe out in political affairs the color line and tho distinction betweon the North and South, to the nnd that we infty have not merely i a unitbd North or a öniteS Hnth, but a united country. I ask the attention of the public to the paramount neceasity of reform in our civil service, a reform not merely as to certain abuses and practices oí stP i"all"d offlpial jiatronage, which have come to have the sanction ol ttsrg m several departments of our Government, but a chanfte of the system of appointment itself - a ref orín that shall be thorough, radical and cúmplete - a retum to the principies and practices of the founders of the Government. They neither expHtsd iof , dcsírad f rom public ofiicers any partisan service ; theymLáü'ttt![ltptfU pffieers should uwe their whole service to the Ciovunbis personal character rèinained untarnished and the performance of bis dutieswas Batisfactoij"! Thliy Bëtó tfcat appomtmente to oflice were not to be made or expet'tt'tt tüH-'ñy as ■ewards for partisan services, nor merely on he nominatíon of members of Congress, as jeing entitled in any respect to the control of Buch appóintmehts. The fact that both politcal partieu of the country, in declanug theuprincipies prior to tha sleotipn. gave a proimnnt plat'e' to tlio subject Of the refofm Of our civil service, recoguizing and strongly urging ts in tettns ahnost identical in their specitic import w!tfa tüe'sb ï hxve here employed, must be accepted as a conclusive aïguneiit in behalf of these measures. It must be regarded as the expression of the united voice and will of the whole country upon this subjset, and both politica! parties are virtually pl"daCd tü givs ft ö'etr ijnrescrvod support, The President of the Ünltcd Ktts, "f necessity, oweshis election to office to the stlffi'ages and zealous labors of a politieal party, the members of which cherish with ardor, and regaíaSs"f (tatëtitlal importance, the principies of their party organlzation. S"t Hf should strive to be afways miudful of the fact that he serves bis party best who serves the country best. In furtherance of the reform we seek, anu as, in other important respects, a change of great importance, I recomniRnd an amendmentto the constltution, plBSOrlbing a term of six yenrs for the Presidential oftiCf; lüKl fo):bíddln(5 a reelection. With respect to the financia! condition of the country, I hall not attcmpt an extended historv 6l tiio cmbarrassment and prostration wMflfi linvc eüSnêé Ultng the past three veaBi Tle dMpi'ession Izf all ottr yaiMd Oomrneïötelifcötl f!t.i,.ifii('tm!.(fi nterests throughont tiié ficiüntfy; wliiili b';giH hi Bwitefcber, 1873, stlÜ contintifcs. It is veiy gratifynig, however. to be able to Bay thatthore are mdications all around ns of a coming change and prosperous timos. Upon the currency qpstion, intimat-ely connected as it is with this topic, I may bS pvmitted to repeat the statement made in my letter of acceptance, that in my judgment the feehng of uncertainty inseparable from an iiTedeemable paper currency. with its rluctuations of values, is ono of the 'greatost obutaclcs of a return to prospérete timm. The ouly safe ]aper ciuTeney is one whieli rl-sis tip'in n Bain bnstn, and is at all times proüiptiy coiivtittl iütö Poiil. I adhere to thfi views lwretofovi ■. i:.xpi lssed by me in favor of Congressioiial leglslation in behalf of an early resumption of siecie payment, and I aai aatisiied not only that this is wise, but that the interest a, as well as the pubhc sentiment, of the country imperatively demand it. Passing from these remarks upon the condition of our own country to consider relations with other lands, we are reminded by international oomplloations abroad, thi-oatenmg the pcace of Europe, that our traditional rule of non-intel'feroncc in affairs of forelgn nations bas proYGd of great value In pftst times, and onght to be stritítly obaerved. The policy inaugtü-ated by my hpnored iredecessor- Gen. öfaiit- of submttthig to arbitration grave questions in dispute betwiiCn OUselves and foreign powers pomts to a new and incomparably best mstrumentality for the preservation of peace, and will, as I believe, become a beneficent example of the course to be pursued in similar emergencies by other nations. lf, unhappily, questions of difference slumld at auv time, dm'ing the period of my administration, arlse botween tlie Unitod States and any foreign Goverumeut, it will certainly be my dispositiou and my hope to aid in their settloment in the same peáoefnl and honorable way, thus securiug to oltr country the great blessings of peace and mutual good offices with all nations of the world. Fellow-citiüens, we have reached the close of a politica! contest marked with the excitement which usually attends the contests betwcin great politieal partios whose members uapuusc and advocate with earnest (aitfa their respective creeds. The eircumstances were, perhaps, in no respect extraordinary save in the closeuess and the consequent uncertainty of the result, For the first time in the history of the country it has been deenied best, in view of the peculiar ciremnstances of the case, that the objections nul (jiiestioiiK in dispute with reference to the counting of the electoral votes should be referred to the decisión of a tribunal apiKunted for tMs pm-pose. That tribunal, established by law for this solé parpase, its members, all of lliiiii, of loug-established reputation for integrit'y and intelligcnre, and, with the exceptión of those who are also members of the Supreme Judiciary, chosen eiually from both politica] partiea, 'its dehberations enhghteued by the research and the argument of able counsel, was entitled to the fullcst confidence of the American peoplc. lts deci-iions have been patieutly waited for and acoepted as legally couelusive by the giiur.il .judgment of the public. For the present, opinión wül widely vary ns to the wisdom of the Revenu ronclusioiis aiinounr) il ) th:lt tribunal. 1 This is to be antieipated in cvimv nstanci where matters of dispute are made the subject of uibitration onder the t'oruis of law. llnmaii judgment is never onerrinK, a)"l is rarely rpgarded as otherwise thu Wfóna by tlie nngao. eeSBfal party in the COBt( st. Tfil fact that twi. ! great polüièal puitii )mv.. n ]án way setSefl ! a dispute in regard to wliich good men differ ; ax to UiC liiw, lio losa than a to the proper { courw. to be puSBnsnl in tsolving fiuctítions in oontroveffly, is an ■ ocoasíoii for general rejoicing. Úpon' óne point thefe i enttrf: inianiuiity in public s( iitiinent - that coliilictmg claims to the Presidency iimst be amicably and peaceably adjuHtod, and that when so adjusted the general acquiescence of the iiation ouglit huroly to follow. It han been reserved for a govenmient of the propio, where the right of suífrage is universal, to give to the world the first exampl'e in hislorv of a groat 'nation, in the midat oí a struggle oí ; oppoaing parties for power, hushing ít party ttlmulta to yield the isnue of the contest to adjustfiient a':otding to the formsof law. Looking fotífee guldanc of tliat divine hand, by which' thc déstíwOS of natíoiis and individuáis are í cali lipón y(m, Senatcrs. lUipresentative, Jndges, fellow'citíztns. here and cverj'wliere, to imite vdti mè in Hn earnest effort to Hecnre to onr conntry the blftasing, not only of iímterial prosjierity, bnt of justice, peace and unión- ú mnon depending not upon the constraints of forcé, hut pon the loving devotipn of a free people - o that a'l tbingfl may be so ordered and -settled upon the best and surest foundation, that peace and happiness, truth and justice, religión and piety, may be cstalilished among us for all gcnerations.