Show r P E N I 1 D H N TS NATIONAL PROGRESS to he the senate and mouse house senta lives in submitting my iny seventh annual message massago to congress in tills centennial year ear of our national nasonal na tonal tonai existence as i a freo free and independent people it affords me great pleasure to recur to the advancement that has been made from the time of the colony one hundred year y eam cam ago we were then a people numbering only three millions now we number more than forty millions then industries were confined almost ex elusively clu to tile the tillage of the soil now manufactories manu factories absorb much ot the ohe labor of the country our liberties remain unimpaired the bandsman bandsmen bands men have been freed from slavery and we have become possessed of the respect if not of the friendship of all civilized nations our progress las hag been great in all the arts in insolence science agriculture commerce navigation mining mechanics law medicine etc and in general education the progress is 13 likewise encouraging c oui our thirteen states have becom become e thirty eight including colorado which has taken the initial steps to become a state and eight territories including the indian dlan territory and alaska and excluding colorado making a territory extending from the atlantic to the acetic ac itic on the south we have extended to the gulf of mexico and in the west from tile the mississippi sis sippi te to the pacific one hundred years ago the cotton gin the steamship the railroad the telegraph the reaping sawing 0 and modern printing 11 machines and num numerous erous other inventions of scarcely less value to our business and happiness liap were entirely unknown MINING AND manufactures in ill 1776 manufactures scarcely existed even in name in all this thib vast territory in lit 1870 more than two millions of persons were employed in manu manit manufactories factories producing more moro than luo yuo JUO of produce in in amount annually nearly equal to our national debt nearly the whole of the population of 1776 were engaged 11 1 1 in lit the one occupy occupation tit in of or agriculture in 1870 ao to numerous and diversified had becom beca becam becoate m the occupations cupat ions of our people that lc les ies 4 than sixteen millio millions aa out of more than forty millions cereso were fo engaged the extraordinary effect produced in our country by a resort to such occupations has built a market for the products of fertile lands distant from froin the seaboard and tile tiie markets of the world the american system of working various aud and extensive next to the plain and the pasture pastures pu sture and adding and connecting railroads and steamboats has produced in our distant distano country a result not equalled equal led by the intelligent puts PIrt pu ts bot Bof of other nations the ingenuity and sl skill kill of american amerlean mek mee mechanic hanles hanica have been demonstrated at home and abroad in a manner most fl flattering to their pride and but for the extra extraordinary ardi nary genini and ability olour of our mechanics the achievements of our agri culturists and manufacturer and transport throughout the tile country would have been impossible of attainment tain ment the progress of tile the mirler miner has bean great grett of pr coal our production was small now many millions of tons are mined annually so 80 with iron which formed scarcely an appreciable part of our pro ducts half balf a century ago but we now produce more than tho the world cc combined mb ined at the beginning of 0 our ur national existence lead lea 1 1 zinc zine and copper from being articles of imports wo we may expect to be large largo exporters of in the near future the tile development of gold and silver silve throughout tho the states and territories has not only teen remarkable but has had a large largo influence upon the business of all commercial nations COMMERCE AND LEARNING AND TREE FR SCHOOLS orr merchants iu in the last liun huni dred red years have had a and have established establish eda a reputation for en enterprise ter ler prise sagacity progress and integrity t errity unsurpassed by the people of older nationalities this good name nanae Is not confined to their homes but goes out upon every sea sen and into every port where commerce enneis with aquil arido we can point to our progress in all of the learned professions I 1 aa As we are now about to enter upon our second centennial coma our mari marl manhood hood as a natt nation tv it is a well to look back upon the pi eist p st and to study what will be best to preserve and to adv adr advance adrance anee ance our rufu future I 1 from the fall ef of adam adani for ins his tran egression to the tile present day no nation has ever been baen free froin from threatened danger to its prosperity and happiness we should look to tn the dang dangers erzi erol threatening us and remedy them so 0 o far as lies in our power we are a republic wherein one man is hi ai kod good mod as another before the law under such a form of government it is of the greatest importance that all should bo be possessed of education and intelligence telli gence enough to cast a 1 vote with a right understanding of its meaning A large association of ignorant men cannot for any considerable period oppose a successful resistance to tyranny and oppression from the educated few but bin i will inevitably sink link into acquiescence es to the will of or intelligence whether directed by the demagogue g or by pr 1 esterak L hunce hence the education of t the tho i masses becomes of the tile first necessity for the tile preservation of our institutions they are worth preserving because they have secured the greatest good to the greatest proportion of the population of any form of government yet devised all other forms af government approach it J just in ma proportion to the general diffusion of education and independence of thought and action As the primary step therefore to our advancement in all that hast hasi marked our progress in the past century it suggests for your earnest considers leonand tio lio nand most earnestly recommend thata it constitutional amendment ba be submitted to the legislatures of the several SL states ates for ratification making it the duty of each of the several states to establish and aal forever maintain free public schools adequate to the tho education of all the children in the rudimentary bran branches branchie clie cile i within their respective timit limit irrespective of sex color birthplace or rell relf religion lon ion forbidding the tiie teaching I 1 in said said schools of relli religions athel atheistic tiu tic or pagan and prohibiting hi the granting of any school funds or school taxes or any part thereof either by legislative municipal or other for the benefit of any objector object of arly any nature or kind whatever CHURCH in connection with willi this thia important question I 1 would also call your attention to the importance of correcting all au evil that if ir permitted to continue will probably lead to great trouble in our laud land before tile tiie close of tile the nineteenth century it Is the accumulation of vast amounts of untaxed church property hi lit 1850 1 believe the church property y of the united states which p bild ald lid no fax fix municipal or state amounted P to aboul about J in ill 1801 1863 tilo the amount had doubled in 1875 it 1 Is 14 4 about OW by the year 1900 without check it is haro halo tb say that this property will reach n nuch ach uch a sum suni exceeding so vast a bluin aum receiving all the prote prot atlon cation and benefits of govern government ment wi without til tit bearing its proportion of the bur burdens d uns ens and expenses of tile the samo will not be loo looked 1 1 ed upon upun acquires cantly by those who have paid taxes in n a growing k country where real rea estate denhan enhances e eq so rapidly with time as in fit tilo tile united states there thero ai H scar scarcely vely culs a limit to to tile tiie wealth that may 60 a acquired by corp corporations orations religious or otherwise if allowed to retain real estate without taxation the contemplation also or ofa m vast a property ak a k i is ii i here alluded to without taxation may lead to sequestration tion without constitutional authority alit hority and through blood I 1 would sugg suggest gest the taxation of all property equally whether church or corporation cx ex empting only ohp last resting place of the dead and possibly with pro per restrictions church edifices RELATIONS arra rovers polkas pov rov ers KRs our relations with most of the t e foreign powers continue canti nue on oil a satisfactory I 1 and friendly frie nAly fookfs fooling increased intercourse the tho extension estona ion lon of the cultivation of mutual interests have steadily improved our relations with the jame fame majority of the powers of the world rendering practicable the peaceful solution ot questions which from fron time to time necessarily arise leaving few which demand extended or particular notice the correspondence pon dence of the department of state stale with our diplomatic represent id Is transmitted herewith ABOLITION BY rolt rollou GAL I 1 am happy to announce the passage of an act by the general CO cortes of Portugal proclaimed since the tho adjournment of congress for the abolition of servitude in the portuguese colonies it is to be hoped that such le legislation isolation may be another step toward the great consummation to be reached when DO no man shall be permitted directly or indirectly under any guise excuse or form of clawy bro fro hold his fellow man mau in bondage I 1 am of the opinion also that it is the duty of the united states as contri contributing bilting toward that end and required by the tho spirit of the ace ago in which we live to provide by suitable legislation that no citizen of the united states hold slaves as property in any other country or bo be interfered therein reparation bl BY CHIL rAND trin THE 17 u S OF chili has made reparation in the case caso of the whale ship the good return without sufficient cause upwards of forty years a ago 0 o though she had hitherto denied her accountability tile the denial was never acquiesced in by this government and the justice of or the claim his li iq ever been so earnestly contended for that it ilag hai been gratifying that she should have acknowledged it the tho arbitration in itt the ca cao cao cac c of the US U S steamer for tho the selz seizure and anti detention of which th the government of the U S K of columbia was held accountable has lias been decided t in favor of the claim this dec decision ision tilon has lim settled a question which had been pending I 1 tor lor seve ial lal years seam and which while it continued open might 1 more or less lees disturb tile the good tinder understanding standing which it it 13 desi degi desirable rabla rabia should bo be maintained talked between the republics HAWAIIAN A reciprocity treaty with tile king of the hawaiian islands I 1 lands wag was m concluded some months but 19 ts as 19 it contains a stipulation that it shall not go into effect until congress shall enact the tho proper leg legislation laia lala for the purpose copies of the instrument are herewith submitted in lu order that if sieh steh such sich should be the tiie pleasure of congre congress the tho necessary legislation on tho 0 subject may bo be adopted tiiu TIRE in march last an arrangement was wai made through mr cushing 0 our ur n minister il ilis ills ter in lit madrid with tho the government for the tile payment bv by the tho latter to the tile U ri of the sum sun of hi tit coin coln for the tiiu 1 purpose 1 of of f the tile relief of tile tho fu I 1 or persons of t the ships company and certain passengers of the virginius that sum was to bavo havo been paid in lit three I 1 installment at two months each it is due to tho the spanish governs government that I 1 should state that t the he payments were fully and speedily anticipated by that government and that the whole amount was paid within but a few days more than two months st from the late date of the agreement r a copy of which is herewith transmitted in pursuance of the terms of adjustment I 1 have directed a distribution of the amount among the parties entitled thereto including the ships company and such passengers as were we re american citizens tile the payments aro are mado made accordingly on tile the application of the parties entitled thereto ME THE CONFLICT IN CUBA the past year has furnished no evidence of an approaching end of the ruinous conflict which has been raging for seven years iu in the neighboring island of cuba the same diere disregard 0 ard of the laws of civilized balfa warfare TO and anil of the tho just demands of humanity which have heretofore called forth expressions of condemnation from the nations of christendom have continued to blacken the sad scene desolation ruin and pillage are pervading th the rich fields of one of the most fertile and productive regions of the earth and the incendiaries torch lorch firing plantations and valuable factories and buildings is the agent marking tile the ali alt alternate bernate advance anil anti retreat treat of the contending conte tiding parties patties D the protracted continuance of tile the strife seriously affects the interests of all commercial nations but those of the united states more than others f by reason of its close proximity and its larger trade and intercourse ter course with cuba uba and the frequent and intimate personal and social relations which have grown up between its citizens and those of the island moreover the pr property 0 of our citizens in cuba is large and is rendered insecure and depressed in value and in capacity of production by the continuance of the strife and the unnatural mode of its conduct Thes the same ameis amels ia true differing only in degree with respect to the interests and people of other nations and the absence of any reasonable assurance of a near termination mi nation of the conflict must of necessity soon compel the states thus su frering suffering to consider what the interest of their own people and their duty towards themselves may demand chave hoped that spain would he be enabled to establish peace PL CO in her colony to afford security to the property and the interests of our citizens and to allow a lehti leAtI legitimate mate mato scope to trade and commerce com commerce herco nerce and tho the natural productions of the island because of this hope and the reluctance anco ance to interfere in the affairs of another and friendly nation especially of one choso whoso sympathy and friendship in the struggling infancy of our own existence exi exl stenico stenice must ever ba be remembered with gratitude I 1 have patiently and anxiously waited the progress of events obrown our own civil conflict ia Is too recent for us not to consider the difficulties which surround a government distracted by a dynastic rebellion at home ionic at the same time that it has to cope with a separate insurrect insurrection on in a d distant bistan t colony but whatever causes may have produced the tile situation which winch so grievously our ofir interests t te e rests it exists with all ant evils evila operating directly upon this country and its people T thus hus far all the resorts of spain have proved abortive and time has marked no improvement in the situation the armed bands of either side now occupy nearly the same ground a ai in the past with tho the difference from time to time timp of more lives being sacrificed moie property destroyed and wider extents of fertile and productive field and more property being bellig wantonly sacrificed by the lucen jacena diaries torch in contests of this nature natura where a considerable body 0 of people who have attempted to free |