TABLE OF CONTENTS.

PART IV.

POLITICAL MANUAL FOR 1869.

XXXVII.

MEMBERS OF THE CABINET OF PRESIDENT JOHNSON,

AND OF THE FORTIETH CONGRESS, THIRD SESSION.

Secretary of State-WILLIAM H. SEWARD, of New Michigan-Zachariah Chandler, Jacob M. HowYork.

† In place of Darwin A. Finney, deceased.

XXXVIII.

PRESIDENT JOHNSON'S LAST ANNUAL MESSAGE,

DECEMBER 7, 1868.

The following extracts relate to reconstruction | ganized condition under the various laws which and other controverted subjects: have been passed upon the subject of reconstruction.

the timely revocation of injurious and oppressive measures is the greatest good that can be conferred upon a nation. The legislator or ruler who has the wisdom and magnanimity to retrace his steps, when convinced of error, will sooner or later be rewarded with the respect and gratitude of an intelligent and patriotic people.

tion as near completion as was within the scope of its authority, and the nation was encouraged by the prospect of an early and satisfactory adjustment of all its difficulties. Congress, however, intervened, and,,refusing to perfect the work so nearly consummated, declined to admit members from the unrepresented States, adopted a series of measures which arrested the progress of restoration, frustrated all that had been so successfully accomplished, and after three years of agitation and strife has left the country further from the attainment of union and fraternal feeling than at the inception of the congressional plan of reconstruction. It needs argument to show that legislation which has produced such baneful consequences should be abrogated, or else made to conform to the genuine principles of republican government.

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Our own history, although embracing a period less than a century, affords abundant proof that most, if not all, of our domestic troubles are directly traceable to violations of the organic law and excessive legislation. The most striking illustrations of this fact are furnished by the enactments of the past three years upon the question of reconstruction. After a fair trial they have substantially failed and proved pernicious in their results, and there seems to be no good reason why they should remain longer upon Under the influence of party passion and secthe statute-book. States to which the Constitu- tional prejudice, other acts have been passed not tion guaranties a republican form of government warranted by the Constitution. Congress has have been reduced to military dependencies, in already been made familiar with my views reseach of which the people have been made sub-pecting the tenure-of-office bill." Experience ject to the arbitrary will of the commanding has proved that its repeal is demanded by the general. Although the Constitution requires best interests of the country, and that while it that each State shall be represented in Congress, remains in force the President cannot enjoin Virginia, Mississippi, and Texas are yet ex- that rigid accountability of public officers so cluded from the two Houses, and, contrary to essential to an honest and efficient execution of the express provisions of that instrument, were the laws. denied participation in the recent election for a President and Vice President of the United States. The attempt to place the white population under the domination of persons of color in the South has impaired, if not destroyed, the kindly relations that had previously existed be. tween them; and mutual distrust has engendered a feeling of animosity which, leading in some instances to collision and bloodshed, has prevented that co-operation between the two races so essential to the success of industrial enterprises in the Southern States. Nor have the inhabitants of those States alone suffered from the disturbed condition of affairs growing out of these congressional enactments. The entire Union has been agitated by grave apprehensions of troubles which might again involve the peace of the nation; its interests have been injuriously affected by the derangement of business and labor, and the consequent want of prosperity throughout that portion of the country.

The Federal Constitution-the magna charta of American rights, under whose wise and salutary provisions we have successfully conducted all our domestic and foreign affairs, sustained ourselves in peace and in war, and become a great nation among the Powers of the earth-must assuredly be now adequate to the settlement of questions growing out of the civil war waged alone for its vindication. This great fact is made most manifest by the condition of the country when Congress assembled in the month of December, 1865. Civil strife had ceased; the spirit of rebellion had spent its entire force; in the Southern States the people had warmed into national life, and throughout the whole country a healthy reaction in public sentiment had taken place By the application of the simple yet effective provisions of the Constitution the executive department, with the voluntary aid of the States, had brought the work of restora

Its revocation would enable the executive department to exercise the power of appointment and removal in accordance with the original design of the Federal Constitution.

The act of March 2, 1867, making appropriations for the support of the army for the year ending June 30, 1868, and for other purposes, contains provisions which interfere with the President's constitutional functions as Commander-in-Chief of the Army, and deny to States of the Union the right to protect themselves by means of their own militia. These provisions should be at once annulled; for while the first might, in times of great emergency, seriously embarrass the Executive in efforts to employ and direct the common strength of the nation for its protection and preservation, the other is contrary to the express declaration of the Constitution, that, "a well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

It is believed that the repeal of all such laws would be accepted by the American people as at least a partial return to the fundamental principles of the Government, and an indication that hereafter the Constitution is to be made the nation's safe and unerring guide. They can be productive of no permanent benefit to the country, and should not be permitted to stand as so many monuments of the deficient wisdom which has characterized our recent legislation.

The condition of our finances demands the early and earnest consideration of Congress. Compared with the growth of our population, the public expenditures have reached an amount unprecedented in our history.

The population of the United States in 1790 was nearly four millions of people. Increasing each decade about thirty three per cent.. it reached in 1860 thirty one millions-an increase of seven hundred per cent. on the population in

1790. In 1869 it is estimated that it will reach | $372,000,000, estimated as necessary for the fiscal thirty-eight millions, or an increase of eight year ending the 30th of June, 1869, we obtain a hundred and sixty-eight per cent. in seventynine years.

The annual expenditures of the Federal Government in 1791 were $4,200,000; in 1820, $18,200,000; in 1850, $41,000,000; in 1860, $63,000,000; in 1865, nearly $1,300,000,000; and in 1869 it is estimated by the Secretary of the Treasury, in his last annual report, that they will be $372,000,000.

total expenditure of $1,600,000,000 during the four years immediately succeeding the war, or nearly as much as was expended during the seventy-two years that preceded the rebellion, and embraced the extraordinary expenditures already named.

These startling facts clearly illustrate the necessity of retrenchment in all branches of the public service. Abuses which were tolerated during the war for the preservation of the nation will not be endured by the people, now that profound peace prevails. The receipts from internal revenues and customs have during the past three years gradually diminished, and the continuance of useless and extravagant expenditures will involve us in national bankruptcy, or else make inevitable an increase of taxes, already too onerous, and in many respects obnoxious on account of their inquisitorial character. One hundred millions annually are expended for the

By comparing the public disbursements of 1869, as estimated, with those of 1791, it will be seen that the increase of expenditure since the beginning of the Government has been eight thousand six hundred and eighteen per cent., while the increase of the population for the same period was only eighteen hundred and sixtyeight per cent. Again: the expenses of the Government in 1860, the year of peace immediately preceding the war, were only $63,000,000; while in 1869, the year of peace three years after the war, it is estimated they will be $372,000,000-military force, a large portion of which is eman increase of four hundred and eighty-nine per cent., while the increase of population was only twenty-one per cent. for the same period.

These statistics further show, that in 1791 the annual national expenses, compared with the population, were little more than $1 per capita, and in 1860 but $2 per capita; while in 1869 they will reach the extravagant sum of $9 78 per capita.

It will be observed that all of these statements refer to and exhibit the disbursements of peace periods. It may, therefore, be of interest to compare the expenditures of the three war periods-the war with Great Britain, the Mexican war, and the war of the rebellion.

ployed in the execution of laws both unnecessary and unconstitutional; $150,000,000 are required each year to pay the interest on the public debt; an army of tax gatherers impoverishes the nation; and public agents, placed by Congress beyond the control of the Executive, divert from their legitimate purposes large sums of money which they collect from the people in the name of the Government. Judicious legislation and prudent economy can alone remedy defects and avert evils which, if suffered to exist, cannot fail to diminish confidence in the public councils, and weaken the attachment and respect of the people toward their political institutions. Without proper care the small balance which it is estimated will remain in the Treasury at the

ized, and additional millions be added to a debt which is now enumerated by billions.

In 1814 the annual expenses incident to the war of 1812 reached their highest amount-close of the present fiscal year will not be realabout thirty-one millions; while our population slightly exceeded eight millions, showing an expenditure of only $3 80 per capita. In 1847 the expenditures growing out of the war with Mexico reached $55,000,000, and the population about twenty one millions, giving only $2 60 per capita for the war expenses of that year. In 1865 the expenditures called for by the rebellion reached the vast amount of $1,290,000,000, which, compared with a population of thirty-year ending June 30, 1869, will be $341,392,868, four millions, gives $38 20 per capita.

From the 4th day of March, 1789, to the 30th of June, 1861, the entire expenditures of the Government were $1,700.000,000. During that period we were engaged in wars with Great Britain and Mexico, and were involved in hostilities with powerful Indian tribes; Louisiana was purchased from France at a cost of $15,000,000; Florida was ceded to us by Spain for $5,000,000; California was acquired from Mexico for $15, 000,000; and the Territory of New Mexico was obtained from Texas for the sum of $10,000,000. Early in 1861 the war of the rebellion commenced; and from the 1st of July of that year to the 30th of June, 1865, the public expenditures reached the enormous aggregate of $3,300,000,000. Three years of peace have intervened. and during that time the disbursements of the Government have successively been $520,000,000, $346,000,000, and $393,000,000. Adding to these amounts

It is shown by the able and comprehensive report of the Secretary of the Treasury that the receipts for the fiscal year ending June 30 1868, were $405,638,083, and that the expenditures for the same period were $377,340,284, leaving in the Treasury a surplus of $28,297,798. It is estimated that the receipts during the present fiscal

and the expenditures $336,152,470, showing a small balance of $5,240,398 in favor of the Government. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 1870, it is estimated that the receipts will amount to $327,000,000, and the expenditures to $303,000.000, leaving an estimated surplus of $24,000,000.

It becomes proper, in this connection, to make a brief reference to our public indebtedness, which has accumulated with such alarming rapidity and assumed such colossal proportions.

In 1789, when the Government commenced operations under the Federal Constitution, it was burdened with an indebtedness of $75,000,000 created during the war of the Revolution. This amount had been reduced to $45,000,000 when, in 1812, war was declared against Great Britain. The three years' struggle that followed largely increased the national obligations, and in 1816 they had attained the sum of $127,000,000. Wise