The intervening time to my first inauguration was filled up with wranglings between Congress and the new Executive as to the best mode of “reconstruction,” or, to speak plainly, as to whether the control of the Government should be thrown immediately into the hands of those who had so recently and persistently tried to destroy it, or whether the victors should continue to have an equal voice with them in this control.  Reconstruction, as finally agreed upon, means this and only this, except that the late slave was enfranchised, giving an increase, as was supposed, to the Union-loving and Union-supporting votes.  If free in the full sense of the word, they would not disappoint this expectation.  Hence at the beginning of my first Administration the work of reconstruction, much embarrassed by the long delay, virtually commenced.  It was the work of the legislative branch of the Government.  My province was wholly in approving their acts, which I did most heartily, urging the legislatures of States that had not yet done so to ratify the fifteenth amendment to the Constitution.  The country was laboring under an enormous debt, contracted in the suppression of rebellion, and taxation was so oppressive as to discourage production.  Another danger also threatened us—­a foreign war.  The last difficulty had to be adjusted, and was adjusted without a war and in a manner highly honorable to all parties concerned.  Taxes have been reduced within the last seven years nearly $300,000,000, and the national debt has been reduced in the same time over $435,000,000.  By refunding the 6 per cent bonded debt for bonds bearing 5 and 4-1/2 per cent interest, respectively, the annual interest has been reduced from over $130,000,000 in 1869 to but little over $100,000,000 in 1876.  The balance of trade has been changed from over $130,000,000 against the United States in 1869 to more than $120,000,000 in our favor in 1876.

It is confidently believed that the balance of trade in favor of the United States will increase, not diminish, and that the pledge of Congress to resume specie payments in 1879 will be easily accomplished, even in the absence of much-desired further legislation on the subject.

A policy has been adopted toward the Indian tribes inhabiting a large portion of the territory of the United States which has been humane and has substantially ended Indian hostilities in the whole land except in a portion of Nebraska, and Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana Territories—­the Black Hills region and approaches thereto.  Hostilities there have grown out of the avarice of the white man, who has violated our treaty stipulations in his search for gold.  The question might be asked why the Government has not enforced obedience to the terms of the treaty prohibiting the occupation of the Black Hills region by whites.  The answer is simple:  The first immigrants to the Black Hills were removed by troops, but rumors of rich discoveries of gold took into that region increased numbers.  Gold has actually been found in paying quantity, and an effort to remove the miners would only result in the desertion of the bulk of the troops that might be sent there to remove them.  All difficulty in this matter has, however, been removed—­subject to the approval of Congress—­by a treaty ceding the Black Hills and approaches to settlement by citizens.