Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1842-12-16
NI1y,R PRIRSS
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
bth Senate and House Of
Representatives. Of de United Stotes.

genial seasons the husoandman has his gamers filed
win abundance and the necessities of life, not to
speak OF It's luxnries abound in every dirccon.--
Nhie IN some other nations steady and industrious
labor can hardly find the means of subsistence, the
greatest evil which we have to encounter is surplus
oiproductinn beyond the home demand, which seeks
ana win dificuty hnds partial market in other re-
glons The health OF the country, with partial ex
cep'one, has for the past yea been well preserved
and under their free and wise institutions, the United
States are rapidly advancing towards the consum-
nation OF the high destiny which overruliug Prov
hence seems to have NAKED out for them. Exempt
from domestic conyus.on, and at peace with all the
world we are le free to consult the hes, means
OF securing and advancing the happiness of the Peo-
pie such ATE the circumstances under which You
now assemble IN vonr respective chambers, and which
should lead us 10 unite a praise and thanksgiving to
that great being who made MS, and who preserves US
. nation.
icongralnlae you, fellow citizens. on the happy
change IN he aspect of our foreign ailnrs since my
last annual message. Causes OF complaint at thai
time existed between the United States and Great
Britain, which attended bv irritating circumstances,
threatened most serion-ly The public peace. The DIFF
hculty of adjusting amca0ly the questions nj issue
between TWO countries was in no small degree aug
nented Ivy the lapse OF time since they had Their orign
The opinions entertained by the Executive sever
el oil the ssdng topics in dispute, were frankly set
for'h IN the Message az the opening of your late SEES
sloh The appointment ola special minister by Great
Britain TO the United States. with power TO negotiate
uPon most Of the poas of difference indicated de-
sire on her part nmicohlv TO adjust them, and tim,
minister was met by the Executive IN the same spirit
which had dictated his MISSION The treaty conse
qacnt thereon having been duly ratified by the two
governments, copy together with the correspon-
dencc which accompanied il, is herewith comnunIca-
ted. trust that whilst YOU in it nothing Obiec-
Gonabc II mag be the means of preserving for M in
definite period the amcab!e relations happily existing
between the two Uoyefnn,nis. The question of
peace or war between the United States and Great
Britain Is question o.! the deepest interes, not only
u themselves bm TO the civilized world, since II is
scarcely possible ''at war could exist between them
without cniange ny 'he peace Of Chrisiandom. The
iIlmciiato eff &c, 81 I've Treaty u2on ourselves will he
Siti :hes ..tv al|,"isd to mercantile enterprise,
winch, 40 oDsef app nhensivc Of incrrnp'Ion adj.
ventures Is spocoA jns in the most distant sea ;nnd
fe2aiea WIN the ,lvcrsed productions Of every land
retH.g5 10 j. -, oHr own. There is nothing in the
Tfeaty yaItn IN the slightest degree, comproni,s
the honor or dignity ofcither nation. Next to the
settlement of the boundary line which must always
be m1Iier OF difficulty between States ms between
individuals, the question which seemed TO threaten
the greatest embarrassment, was that connected with
the African slave trade.
BY the 10Th article of the Treaty Of Client it WIS
expressly declared that whaeas the traffic in slaves
isrreconcihlc with the PRINCIPLES of humanity and
justice and whereas both His Majesty and the United
States are desrous OF continuing Their cois TO pro-
mote ITS entire abolition it is hereby agreed that both
the contracting parties shall use Their best endeavors
10 accomplish 50 desirable an object" In the en-
forcement of the laws and treaty sripnn of Great
Britain. practice had threatened TO grow up on the
part O! is cruisers of sihectlng to visitation ships
me American nag, wnlcll, Wnl'e IL
od.iyi involved Our maritime rights, would subject 10
vexailon a branch Of our trade which was daily in
creasng, and which required the fostering care OF the
Government And although Lord Aberdeen, in his
correspondence with the American Fnvoys nj Lon
don, expressly dscai'ned all right to dctaln an Amer
lean ship on the high seas. if found with cargo
Of slaves on board, and restricted the British preen,
SION to mere clam 10 visit and enquire yet 1t could
not be well dlscerned by the Executive OF the United
States how such visit and inquiry could be made
without detention on the voyage, and consequent in
terrupton To the trade. Il regarded the right
OF search, presented only in now form. and express
eed in different words and therefore felt il TO be my
duty distinctly to declare, in my annual message to
Congress thar no such concession could be mad e,
and that tho United States had both the will and the
ability to enforce their own laws and TO protect their
flag from being used for purposes wholly forbidden BY
those lays, and obnoxious to the moral censure OF
the world.
Taking the message "a his letter Of instructions,
eur then minister al Paris felt him self required to as
sumo the same ground in rcmoG truce which he
felt 1t to be his duty to present TO NJ. Grznt, nnh
through him To the King of the French against what
has been called the q lniuHe rcatv an! his con 'nct,
in this respect met with the approv, Of his Govern
ment In c.psf conformity with these views, the
eighth article %! the Treaty was framed which pro.
yilcs that och nation shall keep ahoat in the Afrl-
can seas force not less than eighty guns, TO act
separately ana apart under instructions from thclr
respective Governments, ard FOR the enforcement of
Their respccvelnws and obligations. From this II
will he seen that the ground assumed in the Message
has been fully maintained, at The same time that the
stpulaions the Treaty of Ghent are to be carried
out in COOL faith by the two countries, and that all
Pretence s removed Tor interference with our com
merce for any purpose Whatever by foreign Govern
ment Whlle, therefore, the United states have been
standing upio the freedom of the seas, they have
not thought proper 10 mike that rreteXt for avoid
ing flihlment Ofthcr Treaty stipuaIlens- ground
for giving countenance TO trade reproba1ei by our
laws. similar ngenent by the other great pow
ers could not fail 10 sweep from the ocean the Hnve
trade, wlihon. the Interpolation of any new principle
s,fn IL, In tod IN
hope tia, he example thus set Will be followed by
some if no, all of them. We thereby also afford
suitable protection 10 the fair trader IN those seas
thus fulfilling al the same time. the dictates Of a
sound policy and complying with the claims oil JUS
tice and humanity.
1t would have furnished additional cause for con
graduation, if the Treaty could have embraced nj
eRbjecis calculated IN future TO lead 10 m:sunder
standing between the two Governments. The terri
tory Of hs United States commonly called the Ore
gon territory lying on the Pacific ocean north of p,
degree Of atitn ie, to portionol which Great Brail
lays claim, beglus 10 attract the attention of our feel
low citizens, and III, fde ofpopulalon which has re
claimed what was SO lately an unbroken wilderness
IN more contiguous regions, is preparing To- flow owe
those vast districts which stretch from the Rock,
Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. In advance of tn
requirement OF individual rghls to these lands, soun
policy dictates that every ellJrl shoplG be resUrted Il
by the two Governments, 10 se.e then RESPECTIVE
CLAIMS !. became manifest at an early hoer of tn
late negotiations that any attempt for the tuie ben
satisfactorily to determine those rights would lead Il
q protrscted discussion, which might embrace IN II
failure other moro pressing matters, and the Execl
tive did not regard II proper 10 waive all the ad
vsntsres of an honorable adjustment Of other di
6cul,es orgrcat magnitude and Importance hecans
this not 81 immediately pressing stood IN the way
Although the difficulty referred TO may not for sever
sl years to come, involve the peace Of the two coun
tries yet shall not delay To urge on Great Bntal
che importance offs early settlement. Nor will ohe
matters of commercial importance 10 the two coun
tries be overlooked; and have good reason to be
lisve thu, it will comport with the policy of England
asi, dots with that Of the Uued States to seize upo
this moment w'icN most Of the causcs Of irritation
have passed Az , 10 cement the peace and unity d
the two rom. g by wisely removing all grounds O
yfnhs IL" - .le COLLISION.
Wih taa other rrsers of Europe. our relation
soaanus IN the st amieahe footing. Treatc
nov ex suns WI hen should he rssnd,, observed
nod .9ery OPT tHnlty, compatible with the interest
Of the Unrtl States sbonid be seized mon 10 eularg
the bss- pi commerciai intercourse. Peace with al
the void is the true foundation flour policy. whic
can only be rem Tered permanent by the practice q
eoual and impartial justice TO all. Our great desir
should b. 10 enter only into that rivalry which look
"a IN. general good in the cultivation of the sciences
an. of the field for the exercise Of the the
shan;coI ars aud the spread of connerce that grea
.;y,i;zer--,o every land and sea. Carefully abstan
IN. from the interference in all questions excusyel
80 he nOlItlcal EU