The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1842-12-08
M = s SIlA GE
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

We have continued reason 10 express our pro-
found gratitude to the great Creator of all things
for the numberless benefits conferred upon US as
People Blessed with genial seasons, the hu sband-
man has his garners filled with abundance and
the necessaries of life not TO speak of its Injuries,
abound in every direction. 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 pro-
duction beyond the home demand, which seeks,
and with difficulty finds, partial market in other
regions. The health of the country, with partial
exceptions, has, for the past year, been well pre-
served; and under their free and wise institutions,
the United States are rapidly advancing towards
the consummaion ofthe high destiny which an over
ruling Providence seems TO have marked out for
them. Exempt from domestic CONFUSION, and at
peace with all the world, we are left free to con.
suit as the best means of securing and advancing
the happiness of the People. Such are the cir,
cumstances under which you now assemble in
your respective chambers, and which should lead
us to unite in praise and thanksgiving to the great
Being who made liz, and who preserves us nation.
Congratulate you, fellow citizens, on the happy
change in the aspect OF foreign affairs since my
last annual Message. Causes of complaint at that
time existed between the United States and Great
Britain which, attended by irritating circumstances,
threatened most seriously the public peace. The
difficulty IF adjusting amicably the questions at is
sue between the two countries, was, in no small
degree, augmented by the lapse of time since they
had Their origin The opinions entertained by the
Executive on several of the leading topics in dis
pute, were frankly set forth in the Message al the
opening OF your late session. The appointment of
special minister by Great Britain to the u States
with power to negotiate upon most OF the points of
difference, indicated desire her part amicably
to adjust them. and that minister was met by the
Executive he same spirit which had dictated
his mission The Treaty consequent thereon ha-
wing been duly ratified by the two Governments,
coy, together with the correspondence which ac-
companed it, is herewith communicated. trust
that whilst you may see In it nothing objectionable
il may be the Of preserving for an indefinite
period the amlcable relations happily existing be,
peace or war between the United States and Great
Britain, is question of the deepest interest not
only to themselves, but to the civilized world,
since 1t is scarcely possible that war could exist
between them without endangering the peace of
Christendom. The immediate effect of the Treaty
upon ourselves will be felt In the security afforded
to mercantile enterprise, which, no longer appre-
henslve OF interruption, adventures its speculation
In the most distant sea and freighted with the di.
vershed productions OF every land. returns to bless
our own There Is nothing In the Treaty which, in
the slightest degree, compromits the honor or dig
nifty OF either nation Next to the settlement OF the
boundary line, which must always be matter of
difficulty between States as between individuals,
the question which seemed to threaten the greatest
embarrassment, was that connected with the Afri-
can slave trade
BY The 10th article of the Treaty Of Client. it was
expressly declared that whereas, the traffic in
slaves IS lrreconclleabe with the principles of hui
mainly and justice; and whereas both his Majesty
and the United States DESTROYS Of continuing
their efforts to promote its entire abolition, it is
hereby agreed that both the contracting parties
shall use their best endeavors to accomplish so de
slrabe an object" In the enforcement of the laws
and treaty s'pulaions of Great Britain, practice
had threatened to grow up the part Of its cruisers
OF subjecting to visitation ships sailing under the
American flag, which, while it seriously involved
our maratime rights, would subject TO vexation
branch Of our trade which daily increasing, and
which required the fostering care of the Govern
ment. And, although Lord Aberdeen, in his cor
respondence with the American ENJOYS, at Lon
don, expressly d'scIamed all sht to detan an Anne
ship on the high seas, even if found with
cargo OF slaves on board, and restricted the British
pretenslon to mere claim 10 visit and enquire, yet
il could not well be discerned by the Executive of
the United States how such visit and enquiry could
be made without deten ion on the voyage, and con-
seqnent interruption to the trade 1t was regarded
as the night OF search, presented only in new FORM
and expressed 10 different words; and therefore
felt it 10 be my duty distinctly to declare in nv an
nua message TO Congress, that no such concession
could be made, and that the United States had both
the will and the ability to enforce their own laws,
and TO protect their flag from being used for pur-
poseswholly forbidden by those laws, and obnoxious
to the moral censure Of the world. Taking the
Message rs his letter of instructions our then Mi
mister at Paris felt himself required to assume the
same ground In remonstrance which he felt it 10
be hts duty to present TO M Guizot, and through
hll me Mig OF the French, against what has been
called the Qunuple treaty; and his conduct, in this
respect, met with the approval of this Government
In close conformity with these views, the eighth
srllcle OF The Treaty was framed, which provides
that leach nation shall keep afoat in the African
seas force not less than eighty guns to act sepa-
rately and apart, under instructions from their res
pective Governments. and for the enforcement of
their respective laws and obligations" From this
1t will be seen that the ground assumed in the Mes
sage mas been fully maintained, at the same time
that the stipuatlons of the Treaty of Client are to
be carried out In good faith by the two countries
and that all pretence Is renewed for interference
with our commerce for any purpose whatever bv a
foreign Government While, therefore, the United
States have been standing up for the freedom of the
seas, they have not thought proper to make that a
pretext for avoiding fulfment OF their Treaty
surulanons, or ground for giving couhtenance TO
trade reprobated by our laws. similar arrange
men. ~ 'he other great powers could not fail to
sweep rom the ocean the slave trade, without the
incorporation OF any new principle into the mara
time code We may be permitted to hope that the
enap ,s mus set VIII be followed by some if not
lection to the fair trader in those seas thus fulfilling
at the same time the dictates of sound policy, and
complying with the claims of Justice and humanity
. woua nave furnished additional cause for con
grstu a'ion II the Treaty could have embraced all
SUBJECTS calculated In future to lead TO mjs,,nder
standing between the two Governments. The terri
tory q the United Statee, commonly called the Or
eson Territory, lying on the Pacific Ocean north nc
the 42I degree Of latitude, to portion 81 ,yoh
treat Britain lays claim, begins to attract the atten
ton OF our Fellow citizens, and the tide of poonla-
ton which has reclaimed what was so lately nm n~
broken wilderness in more contiguous regions ;s
preparing TO flow over those vast districts which
! stretch from the Rocky Mountains TO the Pacific
ocean. Ia advance OF the requirement of individual
rights to these lands, sound policy dictates that eve
ry effort should be rcsortcd to by the two Govern
ments, TO settle their respective claims Ii became
manifest, at an early hour of the late negotiations
tho
determine those nights. would lead to prorracted
discussion, which might embrace in its failure other
more pressing matters and the Executive did not
of an honorable ad;,isfraent of othax u; s..ISs