Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1838-12-14

4 =
freedom OF opinion, and an undiseuised ex.
Pfesslon thereof, on their part, the Govern
men' mas neither the right, nor, trust the
disposition TO interfere.
But whether the interest or the honor Of
Inc United States require. that they should
De made party to any such struggle, and.
oy inevitable consequence, TO the war which
IS waged in its support, is question which,
by our constitution. is wisely left TO Con.
gress alone TO decide. 1t is. by the laws,
already made criminal in our citizens TO EN-.
oarrass or anticipate that decision, by unnu.
thorized military operations on their part
Offences ofthis character. in addition 10 their
cnminnlity us violations of the laws Of our
country, have direct tendency to draw down
upon our own citizens at large the muhipli.
ed evils OF a foreign wal, and expose TO in.
FURIOUS impuiations the good faith and hon.
or oil the country. As such they deserve to
De put down with prompitude and decision.
| cannot be mistaken, | am confident. in
counting on the cordial and general concur
renee oil our fellow citizens in this sentiment
A copy OF the proclamation which | have
Iet u my duty 10 issue, is herewith com.
municated. cannot but hope that The good
sense and patriotism. the regard for the hon.
or and reputation Of their country, the res.
pect iorihe laws which they have themselves
enacted for their own government. and the
love Of order for which the mass of our pco
pie have been so long and so Justly dis,in..
guished, will deter the compa ratiyely few
who are engaged in them, from further
prosecution ofsuch desperate enterprises
Ia the mean time. the existing laws have
been. and viii continue TO be, faithfully exc
cuied and every effort will be made to car
~ them out 10 their full extent. Whether
they are sufficient or not, to meet the actual
state OF things on the Canadian frontier, is
for Congress to decide
II will appear. from the correspondence
herewith submitted. that the Government, of
Russia declines renewal ofthe fourth srti
Gle ofihe convention of April. 1924. between
the United States and His Imperial Majesty.
by the third article Of which il is agreed that
. hereafter there shall not be formed by tbr
citizens Of the United States, or under The
authority ofthe said States, any establish
ment upon the northwest coast OF America.
nor IN any of the Islands adjacent, 10 The
north OF 81 deg. SO min. Of north latitude.
and that in the same manner there shall n.
none formed by Russian subjects. or under
the authority ofRussia, south Of the sam-
parallel !" and by the fourth article, that
during term OF ten years. counting from
the signature ofthe present convention, the
ships OF both powers, or which belong 10
their citizens or subjects respectively, may
reciprocally frequent withou. any hindrance
whatever, the interior seas. gulfs. harbors and
creeks. upon the coast mentioned in the pre-
cediDg article for the purpose OF fishing and
trading with the natives Of the country
The reasons assigned for declining TO renew
the provisions OF this article, are. briefly.
that the only use made by our citizens Of the
privilege it secures TO them. has been 10 sup
ply the Indians with spirituous 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 10 the Russian establish
mcnts on the northwest const. and calcula-
ted 10 produce complaints between the two
Governments, His Imperial Majesty thinks
| il for the interest Of both countries NOT 10 nc
cede to the proposition made by the Ameri.
can Government for the renewal of the ar,i.
Gle last referred to.
The correspondence herewith communicated
will show The grounds upon which we con.
tend that the citizens OF the United Siates
have, independent Of The provisions of the
convention of 1924 right TO trade with the
natives apon the coast in question. at unoccu-
pied places liable however, il is admitted,
to be at any lime exlinguished by the crea.
ton OF Russian establishments at such
points. This right is denied by the Russ.
ian Government which asserts that, by the
operation ofthe treaty Of 1924. each parry
agreed to waive the general right to land on
the vacant coasts on the respective sides Of
the degree of latitude referred TO, and accep.
ted, in lieu thereof. the mutual privileges
mentioned in the fourth article. The capi.
ital and tonnage employed by our citizens in
their trade with the northwest coast Of A.
merica, will, perhaps, on adverting 10 the
official statements ofthe United States for the
last few years be deemed too inconsiderablr
in amount to attract much attention yet the
subject may, in other respects, deserve the
careful consideration Of Congress
regret 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
stituted in May last unfortunately sill con.
tinues, enforced by n competent French
Naval force. and is necessarily embarras-
sing to our own trade in the gulf, in com.
mon with that Of other nations. Every dis
position, however.is believed TO exist on the
part ofthe French Government, 10 render
this measure as little onerous as practicable
to the interests of the citizens of the United
States, and 10 those of neutral commerce