The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-12-08
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.



abundance. and the necessares of liie not 10
speak Of lis luxuries, abound in every direction
w lille in some other nations steady and indus
Iious labor can hardly find the means of sub
,istence, the greatest evil which we have TO en-
is surplus of production beyond The
home demand, which seeks, and with difficulty
finds, partial market in other regions. The
health of the country, with partial EXCEPTIONS
has TOR the past year been well preserved; and
under their free and wise institutions, the
United States are raridly advancing towards
the contamination Of The high destiny which
an everything Providence seems to have marked
out for them. Exempt from domestic convul-
sion, and at peace with the world, we are left
free 10 consult as TO the best means of securing
and advancing the happiness of the People
Such are the circumstances under which you
now assemble in your respective chambers,
and which should lead US 10 unite in praise and
TO that great Being who made US,
and who preserves us nation.
| congratulate you, iellow-citizens, on the
happy change in the aspect OF our foreign affairs
since my last annual message. Causes OF com
plaint at that time existed between the United
States and Great Britain, which, attended by
irritating circumstances, threatened most seri-
ously the public peace. The difficulty Of ad-
iusting amicably the questions at issue between
the two countries, was in no small degree aug
menled by the lapse of time since they
had their origin. The opinions enter
tanned by the Executive on several OF
the leading topics in dispute, were frank
ly set forth in the Message at the opening OF your
late session The appointment ofa special minister by
Great Britain to the United States with power to ne
go,iae upon of the points of difference, indicat-
ed desire her part amicably to adjust them and
that minister was me, by the Executive in the same
spirit which had dictated his mission. The Treaty
consequent thereon having been duly ratified by the
two Governments copy together the corresPon-
dence which accompanied it, is, herewith, communi-
caied trust that whilst you may see in il nothing
Objectionable, it may be the Of preserving for
I'm indefinite period, the amicable relations happily
existing between The two Governments. The ques
ton of peace or war between the United States and
Great Britain, is a question Of the deepest interest
not only TO themselves, but 10 the civilized world
since it is scarcely possible that war could exist be-
tween them without endangeIng the peace Of Chris
tendon. The immediate effect of the Treaty upon
ourselves will be felt in the security afforded to meI-
camille enterprise, which, longer arprehensive o.
interruption, adventures lis specuations in the mos
distant sea and, freghed with the diversified PRO-
ductions of every land, returns 10 bless our own
There is nothing in the Treaty which, in the slight
est degree comprom,s the honor dignity of either
nation. Next to the settlement of the boundary hne
which mus, always be matter Of difficulty between
States as between individuals, the question which
seemed to threaten the greatest embarrassment, was
tina, connected with the African slave trade.
By the 10th article Of the Treaty of Client il wa
expressly declared that "whereas the traffic in slave
is lreconcilable with the principles of humanity ant
Justice; and whereas both His Majesty and the Uni
ted States are DESTROYS Of continuing their Efforts
promote its entire abolition it is hereby agreed tina
both the contracting parties shall use their best en-
deavors to accomplish so desirable object" In tn
enforcement of the laws and treaty stipulations o
Great Britain, practice had threatened 70 grow VI
the part of its cruisers of subccting to visitation
ships sailing under the American flag, which, while
seriously involved our maritime rights, would subject
to vexaiion a branch of our trade which was daily
increasing and which required the fostering o
the Government. And although Lord Aberdeen, il
his correspondence with the American Enjoys a
London expressly disclaimed all right TO detain al
American ship on the high seas, even II found with
cargo of slaves on board, and restricted the British
preension mere claim TO visit and enquire, yet j
could not well be dscerned by the Executive of tn,
United States how such visit and enquiry could be
made without detention on the voyage, and conse
| quent interruption to the trade II was regarded al
the richt ofsealch presented only in new form, ant
EXPRESSED in different: words; and therefore felt il
10 be my duty distinctly to declare, in my annual
SAGE to Congress, that no such concession could be
made and that the U United States had both the viii
and the ability to enforce their own laws, and to pro-
tect their flag from being used for purposes wholly
forbidden by those laws, and obnoxious to the mora
censure of The world. Taking the Message his
letter of Instructions our then Minister at Paris fell
himself required TO assume the same ground IN re-
monstrance which lie felt il to be his duy TO present
to M. Guiz6i, and through him to the King of the
French against what has been called the Quin,uple
treaty aud his conduct in this respect met with the
approval of this Government. In close conformity
with these views, the eighth article of the Treaty was
framed, which provides that each nation shall keep
anoa in the African force OF not less than eighty
guns to ac, separately and apart, under instructors
from their respective Governments, and for the en-
forcement of Their respective laws and Obligations
From this it will be seen that the ground sumed in
the Message has been fully maintained, at the same
time that the stipua,ions of the Treaty of Client
to be carried out in good faith by the TWO countries
and that all preeLce removed for interference with
our commerce for any purpose whatever by foreign
Government. While, Therefore, the United States
have been standing up for the freedom of The seas,
they have not though, proper 10 make that preexi
for avoiding fuilment OF their Treaty siipuaiions,
or ground for giving countenance TO trade repro
bated by our laws. A similar arrangement by the
other great powers could not fail to sweep from the
ocean the slave trade, without The inter- oalion of
any new principle into the maritime code. We may
cd hal he py an sct
be followed by some if not all of them, We thereby
also afford suitable protection 10 the fair trader in
those seas thus fulfilling at the time the dictates
of a sound policy, and complying with the claims OF
justice and humanity.
1t would have furnished additional cause Cor con-
graduation, if the Treaty could have embraced all
subjects calculated in future to lead to q misunder-
standing between the two Governments. The terri