Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1842-12-23
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
To The Senate and House of
Representatives. Of the United States :

To the Senate and House Of
Representatives OF the United States:
| We have continued reason to express our
profound gratitude 10 the great Creator of all
things for numberless benefits conferred upon
US as People. Blessed with genial seasons
the husbandman has his gamers filled with a.
| bundance. and the necessares of life, not TO
speak Of its luxuries, abound in every direc-
ton. While in some other nations, steady and
| industrious labor can hardly find the means Of
| subsistence, the greatest evil which we have
to encounter, is a surplus of production be-
yond the home demand, which seeks, and
| with difficulty finds, partial market in other
| regions. The health of the country, with par
| tial exceptions, has for the past year been
well provided; and under their free and wise
| institutions, the United States are rapidly adj
vancing towards the consummalion OF the high
destiny which an overruling Providence seems
| 10 have marked out for them. Exempt from
| domestic CONFUSION, and at peace with the
world, we are left free TO consult as to the best
means o: securing and advancing the happi-
| ness OF the People. Such are the circumstan.
ces under which you now assemble in your re-
spective chambers, aud which should lead us
| TO unite in praise and thanksgiving to that
Great Being who made US, and who preserves
us nation.
| congratulate you, fellow-ci,izens, on the
happy change in the aspect of our foreign at
| fairs since my last annual message. Causes
Of complaint at that time existed between the
United States and Great Britain, which, atten.
ded irritating circumstances, threatened most
seriously the public peace. The difficulty Of
adjusting amcably the questions at issue be-
tween the two countries, was In no small de-
gree augmented by the lapse Of time since they
had their origin. The cpininions entertained
by the Executive on several of the leading to-
pics in dispute, were frankly set forth in the
Message a, the opening of your late session.
The appointment Of special minister by
Great Britain 10 the United States with pow
er TO negotiate upon most OF the points OF cit-
ference, indicated desire on her par. AMIGA
bly, to adjust them, and that minister was met
by the Executive in the same spirit which had
dictated his mission. The Treaty consequent
thereon, having been duly ratified by The two
Governments, a copy. together with the cor
respondence which accompanied 1t, is, here
with, communicated. trust that whilst you
may see in it nothing objectionable, il may be
the means of preserving, for an indefinite peri
cd, the amcable relations happily existing be-
tween the two Governments. The question OF
peace or war between the United States and
Great Britain, is question Of the deepest IN
!erest, not only to themselves, but 10 the civi-
Iized world, since it is scarcely possible that
war could exist between them without endan-
gering the peace of Chris;endom. The lmme-
daie effect of the Treaty upon ourselves VIII
he felt in the security afforded to mercantile
enterprise, which, no longer arprehensive of
Interruption, adventures its specula,ions In the
most distant sea- and, freiehted with the d.
versifed productions Of every land, returns TO
bless cur own. There is nothing in the Trea-
ty which, in the slightest degree, compromlts
the hour Of dignity Of either nation. Next 10
the settlement of the boundary line, which
must always be matter of difficulty between
States as between individuals, the question
which seems to threaten the greatest embar-
rassment, was that connected with the African
slave trade.
BY the 10th article Ct the Treaty Of Client
it was expressly declared, that whereas the
traffic in slaves is irreconclable with the prin-
cples of humanity and justice; and whereas
+ both His Majesty and the United States are de-
sirous Of continuing their efforts to promote its
entire abolition. i, is hereby agreed that both
the contracting parties shall use their best en-
deavors TO accomplish so desirable an object"
In the enforcement OF the laws and treaty stip-
ula,ions of Great Britain, practice had ,hrea-
tened to grow up on the part OF its cruisers OF
subjecting to visitation ships sailing under the
! American flag, which, while it seriously in
volved its maratime rights, would subject to
vexation branch Of our trade which was dali
Iy increasing, and which required the fostering
care Of the Government. And although Lord
Aberdeen. in his correspondence with the A.
merican ENJOYS at London, expressly disclai-
med all right TO deiain an American ship on
the high seas, even if found with cargo Of
slaves on board, and restricted the British pre-
tension to a mere claim to visit and enquire,
yet it could not well be discerned by the En-
ecutive of the United States how such visit
and enquiry could be made without detention
on the voyage, and consequent interruption to
the trade. Ii was regarded as the right Of
search, presented only in new form, and ex-
pressed in different words and therefore felt
it to be my duty distinctly to declare, in my
annual message TO Congress, that no such con-
cesson could be made, and that the United
States had both the will aud the ability 10 en-
force their own laws, and to protect the flag
from being used for purposes wholly forbid
den Dy those laws, and obnoxious to the moral
censure of the world. Taking the Message as
his letter Of instructions. our then Minister at
Paris felt himself required to assume the same
ground in a remons,rance which he felt 10 be
his 6uty to present to nj. Guizot, and through
. him TO the King Of the French, against wha,
has been called the Qu:n,uple treaty; and his
conduct in this respect, met with the approval
of this Government. In close conformity with
, these views, the eighth article Of the Treaty
f was framed, which provides that " each nation
! shall keep af1oat in the African seas force
not less than eighty guns, tc act separately and
' apart, under instructions from their respective
S Governments, and for the enforcement of their
respective laws and obligations" From this