pproach to this
end from year to year is confidently relied on, and the day is not far
distant when the Post-Office Department of the Government will prove a
much greater blessing to the whole people than it is now.

The suggestions of the Postmaster-General for improvements in the
Department presided over by him are earnestly recommended to your
special attention. Especially do I recommend favorable consideration of
the plan for uniting the telegraphic system of the United States with
the postal system. It is believed that by such a course the cost of
telegraphing could be much reduced, and the service as well, if not
better, rendered. It would secure the further advantage of extending the
telegraph through portions of the country where private enterprise will
not construct it. Commerce, trade, and, above all, the efforts to bring
a people widely separated into a community of interest are always
benefited by a rapid intercommunication. Education, the groundwork of
republican institutions, is encouraged by increasing the facilities to
gather speedy news from all parts of the country. The desire to reap the
benefit of such improvements will stimulate education. I refer you to
the report of the Postmaster-General for full details of the operations
of last year and for comparative statements of results with former
years.

There has been imposed upon the executive branch of the Government the
execution of the act of Congress approved April 20, 1871, and commonly
known as the Kuklux law, in a portion of the State of South Carolina.
The necessity of the course pursued will be demonstrated by the report
of the Committee to Investigate Southern Outrages. Under the provisions
of the above act I issued a proclamation[48] calling the attention of
the people of the United States to the same, and declaring my reluctance
to exercise any of the extraordinary powers thereby conferred upon me,
except in case of imperative necessity, but making known my purpose to
exercise such powers whenever it should become necessary to do so for
the purpose of securing to all citizens of the United States the
peaceful enjoyment of the rights guaranteed to them by the Constitution
and the laws.

After the passage of this law information was received from time to time
that combinations of the character referred to in this law existed and
were powerful in many parts of the Southern States, particularly in
certain counties in the State of South Caroli