Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1836-12-16
MESSAGE
OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
TO BOTH HOUSES OF CONGRESS
Fellow Citizens Of the Sennie

and House of Representatives
Addressing to you the last annual mes.
sage shall ever present to the Congress
OF the United States, it is a source of the
most heartfelt satisfaction to be able to
congratulate you m the high state ofpros
perity which our beloved country has at
tanned; with no causes at home or abroad
to lessen the confidence with which we
look to the future Tor connuing p,o0fs Of
The capacity Of our free institutions to pro.
duce oil the fruits of good Government,
the general condition Of our affairs may
well excite our national pride.
] cannot avoid congratulating you and
my country, particularly, on the success of
effnrts made during my administration by
the executive and legislature, in conformity
vii! the sincere, constant and earnest de-
sire Of the people, to maintain peace, and
establish cordial relations with oil foreie n
powers Our gratitude is due TO the Su-
preme Ruler Of the Universe, and ! invite
you to unite with me in Offering TO Him
fervent snpplcalion, that his providen,al
care may ever be extended TO those who
follow us, enabling them to avoid the dan.
gers and the horrors of war, consistently
with Just and indispensable regard to the
rights and honour of our country. But, oil
though the present state of our foreign af
fairs, standing, without important change,
ns they did when you separated in July
last is fatterng in the extreme, regret
to say, that many questions of an interest
ing character at issue with other powers,
are yet nnadiusted Amongst the most
prominent OF these is that of our Northens-
tern Boundary. With an undminshed
confidence in the sincere desire Of his Brit
annie Majesty's government to adjust that
question, ! am not yet in possession of the
precise grounds upon which il proposes a
satisfactory adjustment.
With France our diplomatic relations
have been resumed, and under cireumstan.
ces which attest the disposition of both
Governments TO preserve mutually bene-
fetal intercourse, and foster those amicable
feelings which are so strongly required by
the true interests Of the two Countries
With Russia. Austria, Prussia, Naples,
Sweden, and Denmark, the best underslan.
ding exists, and our commercial intercourse
is gradually expanding itself with them
IL is encouraged in all these countries, ex
cept Naples, by their mutually advantage.
Gus and liberal treaty stlpula,ions with us.
The claims OF our citizens on Portugal
are admitted to be just, but provision for
I he paymen, of them has been unfortunate
" delayed by frequent political changes in
that Kingdom.
Tie blessings or peace have not been Sc
cured by SPAN. Our connexions with that
are on the best footing, with the
exception of the burdens still imposed upon
our commerce with her possessions out Of
Europe.
The claims of American citizens for los
Sos snsl aimed a, the bombnrdmcnt Of Ant
wcrp have been presented to the govern
ments Of Holland and Belgium, and will be
pressed, in due season. to settlement.
With Brazil, ard all our neighbors of
this continent, we continue TO MAINTAIN re-
la,ons of amity and concord, extending our
commerce with them as far as the resour
ces OF the people and the policy of their
Governments will permit. The just and
long standing claims of our citizens upon
some ofthem, are yet sources of dlssatisfac
ton and complaint. No danger is appre
hended. however, that they will not be
peaceably, although ,ardily, acknowledged
and paid by all. unless the irritating effect
Of her struggle with Texas should unfor.
tuna'ely make our immediate neighbor,
Mexico, an exception.
1t is already known to you, by the cor
respondence between the Two governments,
communicated at your last session,t that our
conduct in relation to that struggle is reg
uated by the same principles that governed
us in the dispute between Spain aud Mex
leo herself, and, | trust that 1t will be found,
thot nj.
have strictly correspondent with our PROBES
sions That the inhabitants of the United
States should feel strong prepossessions for
the one party is not surprising. But this
circumstance should of ltself,teach us great
caution, lest il lead US into the great error
of suffering public policy To be regulated by
partiality or prejudice; and there are con
siderations connected with the possible re
suit of this contest between the two parties,
of so much deicacy and importance to the
United States, that our character requires
that we should neither anticipate events,
nor attempt to control them. The known
desire of the Texans to become part OF
our system, although its qualification DE
ponds upon the reconcllement OF various
and conflicting interests, necessarily work
of time, and uncertain in itself, is calcula
ted to expose our conduct to msconstruc
ton in the eyes of the world. There are
already those who, Indifferent TO principle
themselves, and prone to suspect the want
of it in others. charge us with ambitious
designs and insiduous policy.
You will perceive, by the accompanying
documents, that the extraordinary mission
from Mexico has been terminated. on the
sole grounds that the obligations Of this
Government in itself and to Mexico. under
treaty slipulations, have compelled me to
trust discretionary authority to high Of
ficer of our army, to advance into territory
claimed as part Of Texas, if necessary to
protect our own or the neighboring frontier
from depreciation. In the opinion of the
Mexican fnnc'ionary who has just left US
the honor OF his country will be wounded
by American soldiers entering, with the
most amcable avowed purposes, upon
ground from which the followers of his Gov
ernment have been expelled, ana over which
here is at present no certainly Of a serious
effort on its part being made to re esta bl lsl