The Democratic pioneer. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1845-1853, 1848-12-29
Presidents Message
Feliow Citizens Of the Senate
and House of Representatives.

and House Of Representatives.
g In anticipation Of the establishment
ofthe regular governmtsh,s over the ac-
quired territories, joint commission of
oficers of tho Army and Navy has been
ordered to proceed TO the CO ast oT alifor-
mia and Oregon, for the purpose Of max.
ing reconnoissance and me report as TO
tie proper sites for the erection Of forti-
6cstions or other defensive works on land, &,
and Of suitable situations for Naval sta.
tions, aud the information which may be
expected from a scientific and skill ex.
animation Of the W hole face Of the coast,
would be eminently useful to Congress,
when they come to consider the proprie.
~ of making appropriations for these
greatEnational objects. Proper defences
on land will be necessary for the secur-
ty and protection OF our possessions; and
the establishment of our navy yards, and
dock for the repair and construction Of
vessels, will be important alike to our
navy and commercial ma arines. Without
such establishments, every vessel, whelh-
er Of the Navy or Of the merchant service,
requiring repair, nv ST. at great expense,
come round Cape Horn to one of our At.
laotic Yards for that purpose; with such
establishments, wherever it is believed
may be built or repaired as cheaply 10
California as upon the Atlantic coast -
They would give empIoyme to many Of
our enterprising ship builders aud me-
cbanics, and greatly facilitate and enable
our commerce in the Pacific.
As it is ascertained that mines Of gold,
silver. copper and quicksilver exist in
New Mexico and California, and that
nearly all the lands where they are found
belong to the United States 1t i. deemed
important to the public interests that
provision be made for a geological and
hinersiogic ical examination Of these re-
EioOs. Measures should be adopted to
preserve the mineral iauds, especially
such as contain the precious metals, for
the use OF United States, or if brongh,
into market, to separate them from the
farming lands, and dispose OF them in such
manner as to secure = large return Of
money 10th treasury, and at The same
time lead to the development Of their
wealth by individual proprietors and pur-
chasers. To do this, il will be necessary
10 provide for an immediate survey and
r ~ Ii.
deem IL proper 10 dispose of the mineral
lands, they should be sold 10 small quan,i.
ties. and at Fixed minimum price.
recommend that Surveyor Generals
rffices be authorized to be established in
New Mexico and California, and pross-
ion made for surveying and bringing pub
lie lands into market at the earliest prac.
ticsble period. In dispos,ng of these
lands, ] recommend that the right pre-
emptiob be secureu, and liberal grants
made to the early emigranb. who have
settled or may settle ON ihetn
1t will be ihportaD, to extend our rev.
eDus laws over these territories. ahd es.
pecially over California, at an early per-
iod. There is already a considerab BILE
commerce with California; and Until ports
of entry shall be established, and collec-
tors appointed ,hn revenue can be receivs
ed.
IF these and other necessary and proper
measures be adopted for the development
Of the wealth OF New Mexico and Califor
mia. aud regular territorial goverhmen nts
be established over them, such will prob
ably be the rapid enlargement of our
Commerce and navigation. and such the
addition to the national we alth. that the
present generation may live to witness
the controlling Commercial and monetary
power of the world transferred from Lon
don, and other European emporiums, to
the city of New York.
The abprehensions which we're enter.
tertaihed by sothe Of our statesmen, in
the earlier periods OF our government,
that our system was iucapable of opera.
tibg with sufficient energy and snccess
=.
and that if this were adopted, it #ohld
fall to pieces by its own weakness, have
been dissipated by our experience. BY
the division Of power between the States
and federal governments, the latter is
found TO operate with as much energy in
the extremes as in the center. 1t is eff
cient in the remotest of the thirty States
which now Compose the Union, as it was
IN the thirteen States which formed our
Constitutions. Indeed. it may be doubted
whether If our present population had
been confined within the limits of the
original thirteen States, the ten denotes
10 concentration and cons ol lid a tion would
not have been such as to have encroacb-
ed upon the essential reserved rights Of
the States; and thus make the fedora
government a widely different one, prae-