Washington telegraph., 1852-12-22

zens of the United States, which have for
many years past been urged by our Charge
de Affairs at Caracas. 1t is hoped that the
same sense of justice will actuate the Con-
gress of that Republic in providing the
means for the payment.
The recent revolution in Buenos Ayres
and the conferated States, having opened
the prospect Of an improved state of things
in that quarter, the Governments of Great
Britain and France determined to negotiate
with the Chief of the new confederacy for
the free access Of their commerce to the cx-
tensive countries watered by the tributaries
of the La Platte, and they gave friendly
notice of this purpose to the United States
that we might, if we thought proper, pursue
the same course In compliance with this
intimation. our Minister at Rio Janeiro, and
our Charge de Affairs at Buenos Ayres,
have been fully authorized to conclude trea-
ties with the newly organized confederation
or the States composing it. The delays
which have taken place in the formation
of the new government, have, as yet, pre-
vented the execution of these instructions,
but there is every reason to hope that those
vast countries will be eventually open to our
commerce.
A treaty of commerce has been conclu-
ded between TIE United States and the ori-
entail Republic of Uruguay, which will be
laid before the Senate. Should this con-
vention 60 into operation, it will open to the
commercial enterprise of our citizens a
counlry of great extent and unsurpassed in
natural resources, but from which foreign
nations have been heretofore almost wholly
excluded
The correspondence of the late Secretary
of State with the Peruvian Charge de Af-
fairs relative to the Lobos Islands, was COM
municated to Congress toward the close of the
last session. Since that time no further in
vestigation of the subject, has been made and
the doubts which had been entertained Of
the title of Peru to those Islands have been
removed, and have deemed it just that the
temporary wrong which had been uninten-
tionally done her from want of information,
should be repaired by an unreserved ac-
knowledgment of her sovereignty
| have the satisfaction of informing you
that the course pdrsued by Peru has been
credtable to the liberality of her Govern
ment. Before it was known by her that
her title would be acknowledged at Washing
ton, her Minister of Foreign Affairs had
authorized our Charge de Affairs at Ii
ma to announce to the American vessels
which had gone to the Lobos for guano that
the Peruvian Government was willing to
freight them on its own account This in
tention has been carried into effect by the
Peruvian Minister here, by an arrangement
which is believed to be advantageous to par
ties in interest.
The settlements on the shores of the Pa
cifc have already given great extension,
and in some respects a new direction to our
commerce in that ocean. A direct and
rapidly increasing intercourse has sprung
up with Eastern Asia The waters of the
Northern Pacific, even into the Arctic Sea,
have Of late years been frequented by our
whalesmen. The application of steam to
the general purposes Of navigation is be-
coming daily more common, and makes it
desirable to obtain fuel and other necessary
supplies at the convenient points on the
route between Asia and our Pacific shores.
Our unfortunate countrymen who, from
time to time, suffer shipwreck on the coasts
Of the Eastern seas, are entitled to protection.
Besides these specific objects, the gener-
al prosperity of our States on the Pacific
requires that an attempt should be made to
open the opposite regions Of Asia to mutu-
ally beneficial intercourse. 1t is obvious
that this attempt could be made by no pow
er to SO great advantage as by the United
States, whose constitutional system excludes
every idea Of colonial dependencies l have
accordingly been led to order an appropri-
ate naval force to Japan, under the COM
mand of discreet and intelligent officer of
the highest rank known to our service
He is instructed to endeavor to obtain from
the government of that country some relax
alton of the inhospitable and anti-social
system which it has pursued for about two
centuries. lie has been directed particu-
larly to demonstrate, in the strongest Ian
guage, against the cruel treatment to which
our shipwrecked mariners have often been
subjected, and to insist that they should be
treated with humanity. He is instructed,
however, at the same time. to give that gov
ernment the amplest assurances that the OBJ
iects of the United States are such only as
1 have indicated and that the expedition is
friendly and peaceful Notwithstanding the
jealousy with which the Governments of East
ern Asia regard all overtures from foreign
ers, am not without hope of beneficial
result of the expedition. Should it be
crowned with success, the advantages will
not be confined to the United States, but as
in the case Of China, will be equally enjoy
ed by all other marine powers. I have
much satisfaction in stating, that in all the
steps preparatory to this expedition, the
Government of the United States has been
materially aided by the good Offices of the