6'JO 



PUBLIC DOCUMENTS. 



The liberal provision made by Congress for paying 

 pensions to invalid soldiers and sailors of the repub- 

 lic, and to the widows, orphans, and dependent 

 mothers of those who have fallen in battle, or died 

 of disease contracted, or of wounds received in the 

 service of their country, have been diligently admin- 

 istered. There have b'een added to the pension rolls 

 during the year ending the 30th day of June last 

 the names of 10,770 invalid soldiers, and of 271 dis- 

 abled seamen, malcing the present number of army 

 invalid pensioners 22,797, and of navy invalid pen- 

 sioners, 712. 



Of widows, orphans, and mothers, 22,193 have 

 been placed on the army pension rolls, and 248 on 

 the navy rolls. The present number of army pen- 

 sioners of this class is 25,433, and of navy pension- 

 ers, 793. At the beginning of the year the number 

 of Revolutionary pensioners was 1,430 ; only twelve 

 of them were soldiers, of whom seven have since 

 died. The remainder are those who, under the law, 

 receive pensions because of relationship to Revo- 

 lutionary soldiers. During the year ending the 30th 

 of June, 18C4, 4,504,016.97 have been paid to pen- 

 sioners of all classes. 



I cheerfully commend to your continued patronage 

 the benevolent institutions of the District of Colum- 

 bia which have hitherto been established or fostered 

 by Congress ; and respectfully refer, for information 

 concerning them, and in relation to the Washington 

 Aqueduct, the Capitol, and other matters of local 

 .ntcrest, to the report of the Secretary. 



The Agricultural Department, under the super- 

 vision of its present energetic and faithful head, is 

 rapidly commending itself to the great and vital 

 interest it was created to advance. It is peculiarly 

 the people's department, in which they feel more 

 directly concerned than in any other. I commend 

 it to the continued attention and fostering care of 

 Congress. 



Tne war continues. Since the last annual message 

 all the important lines and positions then occupied 

 by our forces have been maintained, and our arms 

 have steadily advanced ; thus liberating the regions 

 lei't in rear, so that Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, 

 and parts of other States have again produced rea- 

 sonably fair crops. 



The most remarkable feature in the military oper- 

 ations of the year is General Sherman's attempted 

 march of three hundred miles directly through the 

 insurgent region. It tends to show a great increase 

 of our relative strength that our General-in-Chief 

 should feel able to confront and hold in check every 

 active force of the enemy, and yet to detach a well 

 appointed large army to move on such an expedition. 

 The result not yet being known, conjecture in regard 

 to it is not here indulged. 



Important movements have also occurred during 

 the year to the effect of moulding society for dura- 

 bility in the Union. Although short of complete 

 success, it is much in the right direction, that twelve 

 thousand citizens in each of the States of Arkansas 

 and Louisiana have organized State governments, 

 with free constitutions, and are earnestly struggling 

 to maintain and administer them. The movements 

 in the same direction, more extensive, though less 

 definite, in Missouri, Kentucky, and Tennessee, 

 should not be overlooked. But Maryland presents 

 the example of complete success. Maryland is se- 

 cure to liberty and Union for all the future. The 

 genius of rebellion will no more claim Maryland. 

 Like another foul spirit, being driven out, it may 

 seek to tear her, but it will woo her no more. 



At the last session of Congress a proposed amend- 

 ment to the Constitution, abolishing slavery through- 

 out the United States, passed the Senate, but failed 

 for lack of the requisite two-thirds vote in the House 

 of Representatives. Although the present is the 

 same Congress, and nearly the same members, and 

 without questioning the wisdom or patriotism of 

 those who stood in opposition, I venture to recom- 



mend the reconsideration and passage cf the mcaa. 

 ure at the present session. Of course the abstract 

 question is not changed ; but an intervening election 

 shows, almost certainly, that the next Congress will 

 pass the measure if this does not. Hence there ia 

 only a question of time as to when the proposed 

 amendment will go to the States for their action. 

 And as it is to go, at all events, may we not agree 

 that the sooner the better ? 



It is not claimed that the election has imposed a 

 duty on members to change their views or tl.eir 

 votes, any further than, as an additional element to 

 be considered, their judgment may be affected by it. 

 It is the voice of the people now, for the first time, 

 heard upon the question. In a great national crisis 

 like ours unanimity of action among those seeking 

 a common end is very desirable, almost indispensa- 

 ble. And yet no approach to such unanimity is at- 

 tainable unless some deference shall be paid to the 

 will of the majority, simply because it is the will of 

 the majority. In this case, the common end is the 

 maintenance of the Union; and, among the means to 

 secure that end, such will, through the election, is 

 most clearly declared in favor of such constitutional 

 amendment. 



The most reliable indication of public purpose in 

 this country is derived through our popular elections. 

 Judging by the recent canvass and its result, the 

 purpose of the people, within the loyal States, to 

 maintain the integrity of the Union was never more 

 firm nor more nearly unanimous than now. The ex- 

 traordinary calmness and good order with which the 

 millions of voters met and mingled at the polls give 

 strong assurance of this. Not only all those who 

 supported the Union ticket, so called, but a great 

 majority of the opposing party also may be fairly 

 claimed to entertain and to be actuated by the same 

 purpose. 



It is an unanswerable argument to this effect that 

 no candidate for any office whatever, high or low. 

 has ventured to seek votes on the avowal that he waa 

 for giving up the Union. There has been much im- 

 pugning of motives, and much heated controversy 

 as to the proper means and best mode of advancing 

 the Union cause ; but on the distinct issue of Union 

 or no Union the politicians have shown their instinct- 

 ive knowledge that there is no diversity among the 

 people. In affording the people the fair opportunity 

 of showing, one to another and to the world, this 

 firmness and unanimity of purpose, the election has 

 been of vast value to the national cause. 



The election has exhibited another fact not less 

 valuable to be known the fact that we do not ap- 

 proach exhaustion in the most important branch of 

 national resources that of living men. While it is 

 melancholy to reflect that the war has filled so many 

 graves, and carried mourning to so many hearts, it 

 is some relief to know that, compared with the sur- 

 viving, the fallen have been so few. While corps, 

 and divisions, and brigades, and regiments have 

 formed, and fought, and dwindled and gone out of 

 existence, a great majority of the men who composed 

 them are still living. The same is true of the naval 

 service. The election returns prove this. So many 

 voters could not else be found. The States regularly 

 holding elections, both now and four years ago, to 

 wit, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, In- 

 diana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachu- 

 setts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hamp- 

 shire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Penn- 

 sylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, 

 and Wisconsin, cast 3,982,011 votes now, against 

 3,870,222 cast then, showing an aggregate now of 

 3,982, Oil. To this is to be added 38,762 cast now in 

 the new States of Kansas and Nevada, which States 

 did not vote in 1860, thus swelling the aggregate to 

 4,015,733, and the net increase during the three 

 years and a half of war to 145,551. A table is ap- 

 pended showing particulars. To this again should 

 be added the number of all soldiers in the field ftoa 



