The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-12-21 00:00:00

MESSAGE

OF THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

TO THE
TWO HOUSES OF CONGRESS,
DECEMBER 4, 1838.

The steam-ship Liverpool, Captain Fayrer, came
round the rock this morning, at a quarter to eleven
o'clock, and made a successful voyage from New York

in 14 days and 10 liours. She brought with her files
of the American papers to the 6th instant, inclusive.
She passed the packet-ship Sheffeld, from Liverpool,
just at New York. We are indebted to the attention
of Captain Reed, of her Majesty's Postoffice packet
Redwing, for early supplying us with a file of Ame-
rican papers. The Liverpool came to anchor at three
o'clock this morning off the Floating Light. We sub-
join the President's Message and other late intelli-
gence :

MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT.
Fellow-citizens of the Senate
and House of Representatives:
I congratulate you on the favourable circumstances
in the condition of our country, under which you re-
assemble for lhe performance of your official duties.
Though the anticipations of an abundant harvest have
not evhrywhere been realised, yet, on the whole, the
labours of the husbandman are rewarded with a boun-
tiful return ; industry prospers in its various channels
of business and enterprise; general health again pre-
vails through our vast diversity of climate; nothing
threatens, from abroad, the continuance of external
peace; nor has any thing at home impaired the
strength of those fraternal and domestic ties which
constitute the only guaranty to the success and per-
menaucy of our happy union, and which, formed in
the hour of peril, have hitherto been honourably sus-
tained through every vicissitude in our national af-
fairs. These blessings, which evince the care and he-
nifieence of Providence, call for our devout and fer-
vent gratitude.
We haue not less reason to be grateful for other
bounties bestowed by the same munificent hand and
more exclusively our own.
The present year closes the first half century of our
federal institutions ; and our system, differing from all
others in the acknowledged, practical, and unlimited
operation which it has for so long a period given to
the sovereignty of the people—has now been fully
tested by experience.
The constitution devised by our forefathers as the
frame-work and bond of that system, then untried, has
become a settled form of government; not only pre-
serving and protecting the great principles upon
which it was founded, but wonderfully promoting in-
dividual happiness and private interests. Though
subject to change and entire revocation, whenever
deemed inadequate to all these purposes, yet such is
the wisdom of its construction, and so stale has been
the public sentiment that it remains unaltered, except
in matters of detail, comparatively unimportant. It
has proved amply sufficient for the various emergen-
cies incident to our condition as a nation. A formid-
able foreign war; agitating collisions between domes-
tic and, in some respects, rival sovereignties; tempta-
tions to interfere in the intestine commotions of neigh-
bouring countries ; the dangerous influences that arise
in periods of exccessiue prosperity; and the anti-re-
puslican tendencies of associated wealth—these, with
other trials not less formidable, have all been encoun-
tered, and thus far successfully resisted.
_

It was reserved for the Anierican Union to test the
advantages of a Government entirely dependant on
the continual exercise of the popular will; and our
experience has shown that it is as beneficent in prac-
tice as it is just in theory. Each successive change
made in our local institutions has contributed to extend
the right of suffrage, has increased the direct influence
of the mass of the community, given greater freedom
to individual exertion, and restricted, more and more,
the powers of government; yet the intelligence, pru-
dence, and patriotism of the people have kept pace
with this augmented responsibility. In no country
has education been so widely diffused. Domestic
peace has no where so largely reigned. The close
bonds of social intercourse have in no instance pre-
vailed with such harmony over a space so vast. All
forms of religion have united, for the first time, to
diffuse charity and piety, because, for the first time in
the history of nations, all have been totally untram-
melled, and absolutely free. The deepest recesses of
the wildness have been penetrated; yet, instead of
the rudeness in the social condition consecinent upon
such adventures elsewhere, numerous communities
have sprang up, already unrivalled in.prosperity, ge-
neral intelligence, internal tranquillity, and the wis-
dom of their political institutions. Internal improve.
rnent, the fruit of individual enterprise, fostered by the
protection of the States, has added new links to the
confe ieration, and fresh rewards to provident industry.
Doubtful questions of domestic policy have been
quietly settled by mutual forbearance; and agricul-
ture, commerce, and manufactures, minister to each
other. Taxation and public debt, the burdens which
bear so heavily upon all other countricm, bore prccrat.l
with comparative lightness upon us. Without one
entangling alliance, our friendship is prized by every
nation ; and the rights of our citizens are every where
respected, because they are known to be guarded by a
united, sensitive, and watchful people.
To this practical operation of our institutions, so
evident and successful, we owe that increased attach-
ment to them which is among the most cheering exhi-
bitions of popular sentiment, and will prove their best
security, in time to come, against foreign or domestic
assault.
This review of the results of our institutions, for
half a century, without exciting a spirit of vain exul-
tation, should serve to impress upon us the great prin-
ciples from which they have sprung; constant and
direct supervision by the people over every public
measure ; strict forbearance on the part of the govern-
ment from exercising any doubtful or disputed powers;
and a cautious abstinence from all interference with
concerns which properly belong, and are best left to
State regulations and individual enterprise.
Full information of the state of our foreign affairs
having been recently, on different occasions, submitted
to Congress, I deem it necessary now to bring to
your notice only such events as have subsequently
occurred, or are of such importance as to require par-
ticular attention.
The most amicable dispositions continue to be exhi-
bited by all the nations with whom the government
and citizens of the United States have an habitual in-
tercourse. At the date of my last annual message,
Mexico was the only nation which could not be in-
cluded in so gratifying a reference to our foreign re-
lations.
I am happy to be now able to inform you, that an
advance has been made towards the adjustment of our
difficulties with that republic, and the restoration of
the customary good feeling between the two nations.
This important change has been effected by concilia-
tory negotiations, that have resulted in the conclusion
of a treaty between the two governments, which, when
ratified, will refer to the arbitrament of a friendly
power all the subjects of controversy between us
growing out of injuries to individuals. There is, at
present, also, reason to believe, that an equitable set-
tlement of all disputed points will be attained without
further difficulty or unnecessary delay, and thus autho-
rize the free resumption of diplomatic intercourse with
our sister republic.
With respect to the northeastern boundary of the
United States, no official correspondence between this
Government and that of Great Britain has passed
since that communicated to Congress towards the close
of their last session. The offer to negotiate a conven-
tion for the appointment of a joint commission of sur-
vey and exploration, I am, however, assured will be
met by her Majesty's Government in a conciliatory
and friendly spirit, and instructions to enable the Bri-
tish Minister here to conclude such an arrangement
will be transmitted to him without needless delay. It
is hoped and expected Oa these instructions will be
of a liberal character, and that this negotiation, if
successful, will prove to be an important step towards
the satisfactory and final adjustment of the controversy.
I had hoped that the respebt for the laws and regard
for the peace and honour of their own country, which
has ever characterized the citizens of the UnitaStates,
would have prevented any portion of them from using
any means to promote insurrection in the territory of
a power with which we are at peace, and with which
the United States are desirous of maintaining the
most friendly relations. I regret deeply, however, to
be obliged to inform you that this has not been tt.e
case. Information has been given to me, derived from
official and other sources, that many citizens of the
United States have associated together to make hos-
tile incursions from our territory into Canada, and to
aid and abet insurrection there, in the violation of the
obligations and laws of the United States, and in open
disregard of their own duties as citizens. This info',
Damon has been in part confirmed, by a hostile inva-
sion actually made by citizens of the United States, in
conjunction with Canadians and others, and accompa
uied by a forcible seizure of the property of our citi-
zens, and an application thereof to the prosecution of
military operations against authorities and people of
Canada.
The results of these crimind assaults upon the peace
and order of a neighbouring country have been, as
was to be expected, fattally destructive to the mis-
guided or deluded persons engaged in them, and highly
injurious to those in whose begalf they are professed
to have been undertakan. The authorities in Canada,
from intelligence received of such intended move-
ments among our citizens, have felt themselves obliged
to take precautionary measures against them ; have
actually embodied the militia, and assumed an attitude
to repel the invasion to vihich they believe the Colo-
nies were exposed from the United States. A state of
feeling on both sides of the frontier has thus been pro-
duced, which called for prompt and vigorous inter•
ferencce. If an insurrection existed in Canada, the
amicable dispositions of the United States towards
Great Britain, as well as their duty to themselves,
would lead them to maintain a strict neutrality, and to