The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1820-12-18 00:00:00

AM E hIC A.

MESSAGE

OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TO
BOTH HOUSES AT THE OPENING OF THE SE-
COND SESSION OF THE i6rn CONGRESS....
TRANSMITTED BY ML JAMES agoliaos, JUN.

" FePow-Citizen, of the Senate and of the Rowse of
Representatives.
. . _

,
" In consmnnicating to you • just view of public affairs,
at the commencement of your present labours, I do it with
great satisfaction; beenet.e, taking all circumstances into
consideration which claim attention, I see much cause to
rejoice in the feliedy of our situation. In making this re.
mark, I do not wish to be understood to imply that an an.
varied prosperity is to be seen is, every interest of 1,114 great
community. In the progress of a nation inhabiting • ter-
ritory of such vast extent and great variety of Howe, every
portion of which is engaged in foreign cJmnieice, and
liable to be affected, in some degree, by the changes which
occur in the condition and regulations of fors ign cuutionea,
it would be strange if the produce of our soil, nod abe
dustry and enterprise of our fellow-citizens, received at all
times, and in every quarter, an Inuit:era and equal 'menu.
farPlllelll. This would be more than we have • right to ex-
pect, muter ciresimstances the must favourable. Pressures
WI certain interesta, it is admitted, have been felt; but,
allowing to these their greatest extent, they detract but
little from the force of the remark already made. 10 form.
ing a just estimate of our present sitnation, it is proper to
look at the whole; in the-outline, as well as in the detail.
I. A free, virtuous, and enlightened people, know well the
great principles and causes on which their happiness de-
pend.: anJ even those who suffer most occasionally In
their transitory cuaerrue, And grestutief under their suffer.
new, from the blessings which they Otherwise enjoy, and in
the consoling and animating hope which they admittiater.—
From whence do these premieres come? Not from • tin-
vernswelet which is founded by, administered for, Pod sop.
ported by the people. We trace them to the peculiar elm.
meter of the epoch in vehicle we live, mid to the extrfordi.
nary occurrences whirls have signalised it. The cement-
Mons with which several of the Powell of Europe have been
shakos, mid the long and elestructile wars iu which all were
engaged, with their sudden transition to a state of peace,
presenting, iu the Bret instance, unusual encourarement to
our commerce, and withdrawing it in the second, even
within its wonted limit, could tint fail to be sensibly felt
here. The station, too, which we bad to support through
this long conflict, compelled, as we were, &lolly to become
a party to it with a principal Power, and to make great
exertion's, suffer heavy lenses, and to contract cossiderable
debt., disturbing the ordinary cinema of affair'', by augment.
ing, to • vast amount, the circulating medium, and thereby
elevating at one time the price of every article above • just
standard, and depressing it at another below it, had like-
wise its due effect.

" It is manifest that the preasurca of which we complain
have proceeded, iii a great measure, from these causes.—
When, then, we take into view the proveroui and happy
condition of our country, in all the great cirroneetanecs
which constitute the felicity of a nation—every individual
in the full enjoym,nt of all his rights—the Union blessed
with plenty, and rapidly rising to greatness, under a National
Government, which operates with complete success in every
part, without being felt in any, except by the ample pro-
tection which it affords, and undergtate Governments, which
perform their equal share, according to a wise distribution
of power between them, in promoting the public happi-
ness—it is impossible to behold so gratifying, so glorious
a spectacle, without being penetrated with the most pro-
Gonad and grateful acknowledgment, to the Supreme Au-
thor of all good fur such maul fold and inestimable blessings.
Deeply impressed with ohm sentiments, 1 eaunotcegard
the pressures to whirl, 1 have athrei mil, otherwise than in
the light of mild and imiructire admonitions; w truing us
of dangers to be shunned in future ; teaching us lesson, of
economy, correspoodiug with use simplicity and purity of
our itictitutunci, and best adapted So their support; evinc-
ing the connexion and dependince whir Is the various parts
of oar happy Union have on each other, thereby augment-
ing dilly our social iticorporstioO, sod adding, by it,
stung ties, new strength and vigour to the political ; open-
ing a wider range, mid with new encouragement, to th►
inilicitry and enterprise of our frllow-citisems at home and
abroad; and, more especially, by the multiplied routs
which it has aeritmultite.l or the great perfection of our
inns, excellent systems of enc. the powerful invtru.
talent, in the to.titilv of ao dill Creator, is iieturiuic
us these blessings.

" Happy as unr sititation is, it sloes out exempt us from
solicitude mid care for the future; un the contrary, as the
weavings whirls we enjoy are Carat, proportionably great
abould be our vigilance, seal, and activity to preserve them.
Feu-rime w.,rs Illay again expose us to new wrung% whirls
wunlil impose on us new Butter, fur which we ought to be
prepared. The stale of Europe is unsettled, and how long
peace may be preserved is altogether uncertain: in eddition
to which, we have interests of our own to adjust, which will
require particular @Motion. A correct view of our slat
with each Power will rumble you to form a jest idea of ex
isting difficulties, and of Om measities of precautiou beat
adapted to them.
" K. opectifig our relations with Spain, nothing explicit
can now 1.. corumunicated. Uu the 34/Immune tit of Clingresa
in May hat, the Minder Plenipotentiary of the United
States at Madrid was instructed to inform the Government
of Spam, ilmt, if hes Catholic Majesty should then ratify the
Treaty, this Goverioneut would accept toe ,atioemion, so
fir as t•i submit to the derision of the Senate the Titration
n Seedier such ratihratiue should be ft( t 11441 is, exchange fur
ghat ofit., Ulliteal Strifes, lie re tufore give es. By latter• from
the Browder of the United Slates to the Secretary of State,
it appear, that a cummunicatiuti. in conformity with his
instructions, had hero made to the Government of Spain,
nod that the Cortex had the subject under. cnosideretiore.
The result of the ale I itierati.ins at that budy, which is daily
expected, will be made knows to Congreas as soon as
it is received. The flithtliy vesotiment which wse experiecl