Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1835-07-09
CORRESPONDENTS,
OFFICIAL.
From the Washington Giobe.


DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
July lS, 1885.
In consideration of the many important inter-
ests connected with the relations between the Uni
ted States and France, the President has directed
the publication of the following documents:
Ur. Livingston to khr Due de Brogie
LEGATION TIE UNITED STATES,
Paris, 1prH 25th, 1885
Ills ErcehcncV, The Duc DE BroGLIE, &c
SIR About to return to my own country ] am
unwilling to leave this without adding one more eff
fort to the many have already made, to restore
to both that mutual good understanding which their
best interests require, and which probable events
may interrupt, and perhaps permanently DESTROY
From the correspondence and acts of his Males
tvs Government, since the Message Of the Pres-
dent of the United States was known at Paris, il
Is evident that an idea is entertained Of making the
tumcnt Of the treaty of 1881 dependent on cx-
plantations to be given OF terms used in the Mes
SAGE, and of Withholding payment Of an acknow-
lodged debt until satisfaction he given for a sup
posed indccorum for demanding it. The hare pos
sibilitv that this opinion might be entertained and
acted upon by His Majesty Governments renders
1t incumbent on me to state explicitly what | un-
dcrstand to be the sentiments Of mine on this sub
leet.
proper attention to the structure of our Govern
mcnt, to the duties of its Chief Magistrate. to the
principle, it has adopted, and its strict adherence
to them in similar cases, might raise expectations
which could never be realized and lead to measure,
destructive to all harmony between the parties
This communication is made in full confidence that
it is the wish of His MajestyS Government, as it
most sincerely is that of the President, to avoid all
measures OF that description and it is hoped there
fore, that it will be received in the spirit by which
it is dctated-that of Cancellation and peace
Tho form of our Government, and the functions
oil the President, as "A component part Of it, have
IN their relation to tbs subject, been sufficiently
explaincdin my previous correspondence, especial
" in my letters to the Comtc de- Rigny of the Doth
of January last. have, therefore, little To add to
that part OF my representation which j., drawn from
the form Of our Government, and the duties Of the
President in administering it. If these arc fully
understood, the principles of action derived from
them cannot be mistaken.
The PRESIDENT the chief Executive power
musthavca free Il entirely nnctcrcd commGnica-
tlon with the coordinate powers Of Governments
y the organ OF intercourse with other Nations he
Is the only source from which knowledge of our
relations with them can be conveyed to the I.rgi,-
latlye branches 1t results from this that the Ut
most freedom from all restraint in the details into
which he Is obliged to enter, of international con-
Germs, and OF the measures in relation to thcrl i,
essential to the proper performance of this mpor-
tant part of his functions He must exercise hem
without having continually before him the fear Of
olcndingth susceptibility ofthc Powers whose con-
duct he is obliged to notice. In the performance
OF this duty he is subject to public opinion and his
own sense of proprety for an indiscrcct, to his
constituents for a dangerous, and TO his constitu-
tonal Judges for an illegal, exercise Of the power;
but to no other censure, foreign or domestic Were
any foreign Powers permitted to scan the commu-
nIcatIons OF the Executive their complaints, vhe-
ther real or affected, would involve the country in
continual controversies; for, the right being ac-
knowledgcd, IT would be a duty to exercise it by
demanding disavowal ofc every phrase they mirht
deem offensive, and an explanation of every word
10 which an improper Interpretation could be niy-