Southern telegraph., 1838-12-15

alreauy made Criminal IN our cluZen3 10
embaTass or anticipate tha, decision, by
Unauthorized military operations on their
part Offences Of this character, in add
lion to their criminaliiy as violations Of the
laws of our country, have a direct tendency
to draw down upon our own citizens at
large the multiplied evils of foreign war,
and expose toinlurious impuIations the good
faith aud honor Of the country. As such
they deserye-tn be put down with promptl-
tude and decision. | cannot be mistaken,
am confident, in counting on the cordial
and general concurrence of our fellow citl-
zens in this sentiment. A copy of the pro-
clamalion which have felt il my duty 70 is
sue, is herewith communicated. cannot
bat hope that tho good sense and patriotism,
the regard for the honor and reputation OF
their country, the respect for The laws which
they have themselves enacted for their own
government, and the love Of order for which
the mass Of one people have been so long
and so justly distinguished, will deter the
comparatively few who are engaged in them
from further prosecution Of such desperate
enterprise. In the mean time, the existing
laws have been, and will continue 10 be,
faithfully executed; and every effort will be
made to carry them out in their full extent.
Whether they are sufficient or not, TO meet
the actual state of things on the Canadian
frontier, it is for Congress 10 decide.
Il will appear from the correspondence
herewith submitted, that the government Of
Russia declines a renewal Of the 4th article
Of the convention Of April 1923 between
the United States and his imperial majesty,
by the Sd article Of which 1t is agreed thai
thereafter there shall not DO formed By the
citizens Of the United State, or under au-
hority of the sand States, any establishment
On the northwest coast OF America, or in any
Of the Islands adjacent, To the north OF 81
ceg. 40 min. Of north latitude; and that in
the same manner there shall be none form
ed by Russian subjects, or under the au-
thority Of Russia, south ofthe same PARALLEL"
and by the 1th article, "that during a term
Of ten years, counting from the signature of
OF the present convention, the ships OF both
powers or which belong to their citizens or
sui jscts respectfully, may reciprocaily fire.
qucnt, without any hindranco VIII tever, the
interior seas, gulis, harhors, and creeks up
on the coast mentioned in the proceeding
article, for the purpose of fishing and trad
ing with natives of the country The
reasons assigned for declining TO renew the
provisions of the Article, are, briefly, that
the only use made by our citizens Of The
privilege il secures 10 them, has been to sup
ply the Indians with spiriuous liquors, am
munition, and firearms; that this traffic has
been excluded from the Russian trade: and
as the supplies furnished from the United
States are injurious to the Russian establish
ments on the northwest coast, and calculat-
ed TO produce complaints between the two
governments, his imperial majesty thinks it
majesty thinks it for the interest of both
countries not to accede to the proposition
made by the American government for the
renewal Of the article last referred to.
The correspondence herewith commune
Gated, will show the grounds upon which
we contend that the citizens of the United
States have, independent Of the provisions
of the convention of 1924, right to trade
with the natives upon the coast IN question,
at unoccuped places, liable, however, it is
admitted to be at any time extInguisbed by
the creation Of Russian Establishments at
such points. This right is denied by the
Russian government, which asserts that, bv
the operation OF the treaty of 1924, each
party agreed to waive the general right to
land on the vacant coasts on the respective
sides of the degree of latitude referred to.
and accepted, in lieu thereof, the mutual
privileges mentioned in the fourth article.
The capital and tonnage employed by our
citizens in the trade with the northw st
coast of America will perhaps, on adyerting
to the official statements of the commerce
and navigation of the United States for the
last few years, be deemed too Inconsidera-
Bile in amount to attract much attention;
yet the subject may, in other respects, de-
serve the careful consideration of congress.
lregret TO state that the blockade of the
principal ports on the eastern coast Of Mex
leo, which, in consequence of differences
between that republic and France, was in
;tituted in May last, unfortunately stir con
nues, enforced by a competent naval force,
md is necessarily embarrassing to our own
rade in the Cult, in common with that off
1ther nations. Every disposition, however,
IS believed to exist on the part of the
French government, to render this measure
as little onerous as practicable to the inte-
rests of the citizens of the United States,
and to those of neutral commerce; and il is
o be hoped that an early settlement of the
difficulties between France and Mexico,
will soon re-establsh the harmonious rela-
lions formerly subsisting between them, and
again open the ports of that republic to the
vessels OF all foreign nations.
A convention for marking that part of the
between the United States and