Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1837-12-13

quire any thing for themselves by its
exercise.
A rigid adherence to this policy has
left this government with scarcely a
claim upon its justice, for injuries ari-
sing from acts committed by its autho-
rity. The most imposing add ~perplex-
ing of those of the United States upon
foreign Governments, for aggressions
upon our citizens, were disposed of by
my predecessor. independently of the
benefits conferred upon citizens by
restoring to the mercantile community
so many millions ofwhich they had been
wrongfully Invested, a great service
was also rendered to his country by
the satisfactory ad adjustment of so many
ancient and irritating subjects of con
tention /; and it reflects no ordinary
credit on his successful administration
of public affairs, that this great object
was accomplished, without %compromi-
sing, on any occasion, either the hon.
or, or the peace of the nation.
With European powers, nc new sub
jects of d%ificulty have arisen, and those
which were under discussion, although
not terminated, do not present a more
unfavorabIe aspect for the future pre-
%servation of hat good understanding,
which it has ever been our desire 10
cultivate.
Of pending questions, the most i'm
portant is that which exists with the
Government of Great Britain, in res
pect to the northeastern boundary. 1t
is with unfeigned regret that the people
of the United States must look back
upon the abortive efforts made by the
Executive, for "a period of more .han
half a century, to determine, what no
nation should suffer long to remain in
dispute, the true line which divides its
possessions from those O other powers.
! The nature of the settlements upon the
borders Of the United States, and of
the neighboring territory, was for a
eason such, that this perhaps vas not
indispensable to a faithful performance
Of the duties OF the Federal Govern
ment. Time, has, however, changed
this state of things, and brought about
a condition Of affairs in which the true
interests ofboth countries imperatively
require that this question should be put
at resi-. 1t is not to be disguised, that
with full confidence, often expressed,
in the desire of the British Government
to terminate it, we are apparently as
far from its adjustment as we were at
the signing of the treaty of peace in
1893. The sole result Of long pending
negotiations, and a ~perplexing arbltra-
ton, appears to be a conviction, on its
part, that a conventional line must be
adopted, from the impossibility Of as
certaining the true one according to
the description contained in thattreaty.
Without coinciding in this opinion,
which is not thought to be well found
ed, my predecessor gave the strongest
proof of the earnest desire of the Uni
ted States to terminate, satisfactorily,
this dispute, by proposing the substitu-
ton of a conventional line, if the con-
sent ofthe States interested in the ques-
ton could be obtained. To this propo'
sitior no answer has yet been received.
| The attention Of the British Govern
ment, has, however, been urgently in
vited to the subject, and its reply cam
not, | am confident, be much longer
delayed. The general relations be-
tween Great Britain and the United
States are OF the most friendly charac-
ter, and | am well satisfied of the sin.
cere disposition Of that Government to
! maintain them upon their presen; foot-
ing. This disposition has also, | am
persuaded, become more general with
the people Of England than at any pre-
vious period. 1t is scarcely necessary
to say to you, how cordially it is recip-
rocated by the government and people
of the United States. The conviction
which must be common to all, of the
injurious consequences that result from
keeping open this irritating question,
and the certainty that its final settle
ment cannot be much longer deferred,
will, | trust, lead to an early and salts
factory adjustment. AT your last ses-
sion, | laid before you the recent COM
munications between the two Govern
ments, and between this Government
and that Of the State of Maine, in whose
solicitude, concerning a subject in
which she has SC deep an interest, ev-
cry portion Of the Union participates.
The feeling produced by a Temporal
ry interruption of those harmonious re.
%lations between France and the United
States, which are due, as we'll to the
re~collections of former times, as 10 q
correct appreciation of existing inter
ests, have been happily succeeded by q
cordial disposition on both sides to cul'
tivate an active friendship in their III
ture intercourse. The opinion, undoub