| Show THE td the senate and abuss of be representatives pr C senca senta tives in sub aub submitting my ray eighth andias and last t annual mess message ge to C congress it se seems erus crus proper that isho I 1 should refer to and in some degree recapitulate the events and ofIl official cial clai acts of the pas past t eight years personal irem item reminiscences in iscon post t blo bie Mistake sNot not it was my fortune or misfortune to be called to the office of chief executive Exe cuti cutt ve without any previous political training from erom tha age of seventeen I 1 ha had T never hessed the excitement attending attending a presidential campaign but twice antecedent 0 o my own candidacy and at butone but one otther of them was I 1 eligible as a voter tinder under such circum stances it is but reasonable to suppose I 1 that errors of judgment must have occurred even evell had they not differences of opinion the executive bound by an oath to the strict an aa df his dut duties lesi and writers and debaters must havear have anisen arisen lsen isen it ia is not nox necessarily an evidence of blunder on the part of the executive because there are these differences of views mistakes have brive been made 1 as 8 ali alj can hod pd I 1 admit but it kveps seems to mc me wini oftener in th the selections sc ions ious mado made of assistants appo appointed to aid in carrying earring out oui i he the various various duties of administer i inythe ing the government in nearly ev exy cry case selected without a personal acquaintance with the appointee bu buu but upon the recommendations of the representatives chosen directly by the people it ia Is impossible where so many trusts are to be allotted that the right parties should be chosen ip fp eveh every hu stance instance his nis story shown ad administration vain from the tho time of washington to the present has been free from these mis mistake takes taker 1 but I 1 leave deave comparison to history claiming only that L have acted la every instance from a co conscientious ris clentious desire to do doi what was right abd aad constitutional within the law and for the best interests of uhe the whole people failures have beeh errors of judgment 1 not of intent I 1 I 1 i uia nia civil career my nic hrc civil mica career reer commence too at a most critical and difficult time less than four years yeara befar behare e the I 1 country ird hid emerged fram a conflict such as no other had bad ever eve r 4 survived u 1 nearly 1 one half balf hal bal of the states had revolted against the government and aad ortho of those rein acin remaining aill alli faithful to me the union a jarge largo per cen taga of the ym zed with the rebellion el lon ion and made an enemy in the rear almost as dangerous as ag the more honorable enemy in the front the I 1 latter iatter 11 ater committed errora of judgment I 1 b but t they maintained them openly and courageously the former received the protection of the Goern men they would wohld see destroyed and reaped all we the pecuniary advantage ta le gained out of the then t existing state of affairs mandof many manyu v t them by obtaining eon bon contracts tracts and by swindling thid government in the delivery of their goods immediately anthe on the cessation of the then noble pr president em adent who bad f carried r edt the he country so through its peril perils fell a martyr to tp his bis ii patri axt otisa at an assassin the intervening to myerst s t inauguration was gas filled up with wrangling linns lings betelu congress and ana the ahe new executive as to tl the best model mode afi reconstruction or to speak plainly rf asto to whether of the government he be thrown immediately in to hands of those who had so recently and ter oer persistently a intently tried to destroy it 4 or whether the victors should continue to naw haw an 1 equal voice with them in this thia control agrecy upon means ti edt ege except that the fhe late at lor lot sive alve wasn wa was gasn sn enfranchised d giving u W was a au supposed 0 ed to the be ving oving and a n d bil union 0 ns n supporting s u P porta por tf votes if free in the full u af the word they would not dla dia appoint disappoint lih expectation pee pec tation 1 on ilenea aa at the L I 1 r ofey of my first ad administration ministration the work of reconstruction oste tion was much embarrassed i d b by y the long deia dela delay deiny virtually commenced it was tz the tho c work of 0 the legislative legisla tivo branch of the he government eram ern ment ut my province was wholly in app api approving roving their acts which I 1 iid did lid must heartily urging the legislatures of the states slates that had bad not yet set done so to ratify the fifteenth amendment to the constitution jhb public debt the country was laboring under an enormous debt contracted I 1 in the suppression on of the re rebellion bellie n and taxation was so oppressive as to discourage ohp production reduction another dail dati geral so threatened reat ened us a foreign war the last difficulty had to be adjusted and was adjusted without a war and in a manner highly honorable lionora bleto to all parties concerned the taxes have been reduced within the last seven years 5 ears nea nearly aly three hundred millions ef of dollars do iiara llara and the national nation kl debt has been reduced in the same time over four hundred and thirty div nive five millions of dollars by refunding the six per cen cent t bonded debt for lor bonds bearing 5 and aj 4 per cent interest respectively the annual interest has been reduced from over odie ofie one hundred and thirty millions of dollars in 1869 to but little over one hundred millions of dollars in 1876 EJ arf erf of ade s cecle payment the balance of trade has been changed from over one hundred and thirty melliza millions against the united states in 1869 to more than one hundred ardd twenty mii mil millions linno of dollars in our favor in 1876 and it is confidently believed tha the balance of trade in favor of the united states will increase not diminish and the pledge of congress to resume specie payment in 1879 will be easily accomplished a ven even I 1 in n th the e absen absence cc of m much u ch desired legislation on the tife subject subjects i loncy broken treaties atles r black einck gold A pali policy I 1 cy h has 15 been adopted lie tie tle lle indian trib a large portion of the united st states ites ates which has been humane and has substantially ended the indian hostilities in in the waple jand land except extent in a portion of nebraska dakota yum wyoming and montana the black hills ills region and app approaches roache s thereto hostilities there have bave grown out of the avarice of the white man who pas mas has violated our treaty stipulations lo 10 in his is search for gold the ques tion asked why the government has nob mot enforced obedience enco eneo ence ff to tu the terms of the treaty prohibiting the occupy tiba of the black hills region 1 hy whites the answer is simple the first emigrants to the tile hills were acre roved removed i oved by the troops but rumors and fresh discoveries of gold took inta that region ia creased increase numbers gold has been found in paying quantity and an effort to re move he the miners would only res lit rit in tho the desertion of tle the bulk of the troops that might be fent pent there to remove them all difficulties in n this matter have been removed KI subject taeg to the approval of congress by a treaty ceding the blaek black blaek black f hilla ill lii 15 and approaches to ket fet settlement ett iee lee lement hent by citizens cit eit fzens the subject of the indian policy and treatment is 14 so eo fully set forth by the secretary of flor and the Commiss commissioner luner of indian afo Aff affair aire alre and my views are so rully fully expressed ther therein eln ein that I 1 eiterer refer to their their reports and recommendations as my own foreign Irli the erelli relations of the united states slates W with itil foreign powers cont continue idue od orf a friendly I doting footing questions have rien irom fron i iino time fine to ame in the foreign relations of the government buethe united states have bave been happily free during the past year from orom from the complication of foreign powers 3 the diplomatic correspondence gwen ence submitted herewith contains information as to certain matters which have occupied the government men t th zhe the centennial tha cordiality which attends bur relations w with 1 1 th the powers power of the earth has been veep plainly shown by lle ile lie the general participation of foreign pilona in the exhibition which has just juat closed and by the exertions niad made by distant powers cahow to show their in and friendly feelings I 1 toward the united stat states es I 1 in io commemoration of t tho h c centennial Q tann 1 1 of the nation the government and people of the un united ted states have not t only fully appreciated this exhibition on of kindly 1 feeling I ag but it may be expected that no small beit beu enita will result both t to 0 au ourselves melves and other nations frem from the better bolter acquaintance and better appreciate ar of our i mutual advantage and mutual mutual wants mip dip diplomatic 1 U ret congress at its last fasi session saw bany fit to reduce the amount usually appropriated adt for foreign intercourse by withholding the appropriation for representatives of the united sti statha in certain foreign countries and for certain coti coli consular Eular sular of offices flees and by the amount usually appropriated ed for certain other diplomatic plo matic posts and thus necessitating g a change in the grade of representatives senta tives ifor per these reasons jm ina medi tely upon the passage of tho the bill making appropriations for the tho di diplomatic and aud consular service for the tho 6 present t force instructions w were ere ero issued to th the representatives of or the united states at bolivia ecuador and columbia and find to the consular officer for whom no go appropriation had been na made 1 to close clete their ref respective legations and consulate sand leefrom ce efrom tho performances of their du duties ties and in lik ilk like ilke manner ste ate steps were immediately taken to subas substitute it tute charges dau airs forth for the ministers Mi rilmer tilMer res doht in gal I 1 denmark greece swi sud berland ze rland and paraguay thoroughly impressed with the of a 9 sound bound econ economy in ili tile the foreign service as in other branches of government ern ment I 1 cannot escape the conclusion that in some instances the thi withholding bf appropriations will prove an expensive economy and that the small retrenchment seef secured ired by a change of grade in hi certain diplomatic posts is not an ads aft adequate quatia consideration for the he loss of influence fluence and importance which will attend our forel foreign gri representatives under this reduction iam lam I 1 am ot of opinion that thit la a reexamination examination re of t ane u e s u bj t 1 I a in id so some ane ine anaila instances nees in the conclusion reached aa on these sun subjects at I 1 the last session af pf congress p 1 I 1 aib aih alb alabama claims the court of commissioners of mab alabama a ma cI aIms claims alms whose functions were continued by ad ati act of bf latt session ess lori iori of Cori corl congress gress until the th first t d day y of df january jannary 18 1877 7 haa has carried on an its I 1 labors labora with diligence and ge gen eral satisfaction by thie t report ap pp oti ott fro from m the clerk of bt the court transmitted date nov 14 Git appears pars that during the time tim now wed by law mw the court coutt will have disposed cfall of all ail the claims pr presented anted for adjudication this thit re report port also contains a of the general i results result s odthe of the coart to date thereof it Is 4 cause for satisfaction that thit thi the e method adopted for the satisfaction of the classes of claims submitted to the court which are of long standing an and aud d justly entitled to early consideration should have haye proved successful and ace acceptable eatable ep table tabie edy E Bount d lary larj y tic line kine commission atlon it is with satisfaction that thai I 1 am enabled to state tb that A th the work W irk of the joint foint commission for def det determining er ili iii the tho the boun boundary daryline lane between the united states and the british POS c asforis from froin the the northwest anglo of ot the lal lake 0 o of the woods to the life rocky mountains commenced in 1872 has been completed the final arrangements of the commis signers with tle the tie mapa have hid bian been bean duly signed and the work eltrin commission alstion I 1 is com complete lug ing ot of the 66 boundary ao 10 1 upon ubon the pacific coast by the tho pro proto eglof colof of march loth 1872 pursuant tor lor the award of the em of germany by article of thet the treaty of washington the termination of tho work of this commission adjusts and fixes the boundary between the united states and edt brit i ish pt as to tha portion of territory ceded by iRus alato aiato the united states under the ther treaty of 1867 tho the work entrusted nt rusted to the tle commissioners and the ther derat ceral of the army artoy attached to the commis has bas been well and satis satisfactorily fael foel wa tho original t of e finai final 01 P agreement t of the the commissioners n signed upon the tho or of may mav maje mase 1876 isto 46 3 the original hl list list of or a as t trono rono mical stations station sr observed iho original onni ofil olal cial list of or marking K boundary lines iines nes and a fid Maps records anu and general reports relating to the commission have ave been deposited in the department 7 mentor af pf state the off iclal official report of the commissioner on the part of the united state with the report of the ahe chief st r of qt abb the united tates will be submitted ta Con congress greib greik within a short timp time extradition 0 I 1 reserve for a ie separate communication to congress a statement ot the tho condition of the questions which hlf lately arose nrose with gread great britain respecting the surrender of f fugitive criminals under the treaty of lp 1812 M io treaty th tho otto ottoman nian ninn government govern me rit gawe gae rae under anti january a ry ja of ita lla its ila desire to term terminate nate the treaty of 1862 concerning commerce and navigation pursuant to tb tle the provis long lons of the article thereof udder this notice tiie tile treaty terminated tipon tho ath day of june 1863 that government has his invited negotiations I bation towards the conclusion sion slon of a newt new treaty reak t J 1 lu ees ray pl ily ky the act of congress of march 3 1874 the president Eres ident was authorized j when he lie should receive satisfactory information that the ottoman government oc or that of egypt had organized urbanized new tribunals likely 0 t secure to citizens of thet the united S states t ates atea ate a the ob same Impart impartial lal lat justice ejde C cd under the exercise of judicial c lal ial functions by diplomatic and con consular sular officers of the united states to suspend of t tho the he act of june rune 52 1860 aud and to aa accept pt for the citizens of the united states the jurisdiction of the new tribunal tribunals satisfactory information having been beed received of tho the organization of such new tribunals 1 ais als iii in egypt caused a be issued on dit the 2711 9 of V maren last operation bract 27 jun june n 1860 1660 in egypt according tc th the provisions of the act net A copy of bf the tig proclamation 11 tion kacon accompanies this mussa missa message gd thu the united states bas united with uther pd powers in telu the organization of thee cottrie it is hoped the jurisdiction ques |
