The Portsmouth inquirer. [volume] (Portsmouth, O. [Ohio]) 1849-1855, 1852-12-10


transit has thrown q serions obstacle In the way
ofthe attainment Of a very desirable national
object. ! am willing to hope that the ldifferen-
ces on the subject which still exist, may here.
after arise, between the governments, will be
amicably adjusted. This subject. however, has
already engaged the attention OF the Senate of
the United States, and requires no further COM
ment in this communication.
The settlement Of the question respecting the
port Of San Juan de Nicaragua, and Of the con-
troversy between the republics Of Costa Rica and
Nicaragua in regard to their boundaries, was
considered indispensable to the commencement
Of the ship canal between the two oceans, which
was the subject Of the Convention between the
United States and Great Britain Of the 18th of
April, 1885, Accordingly proposition for the
same purposes addressed to the two govern
mcnts in that quarter, and to the Mosquito In
dians, was agreed to in April last by the Secre-
tary of State and the Minister Of her Britanic
Majesty. Besides the wish to aid in reconciling
the differences of the two Republics, engaged
in the negotiation from a desire to place the
great work Of a ship canal between the two O.
ceans under one jurisdiction, and to establish
the important port Of San Juan de Nicaragua
under the government Of a civilized power
The proposition in question was assented to by
Costa Rica aud the Mosquito Indians. 1t has
not proved equally acceptable to Nicaragua, but
is to be hoped that the further negotiations
on the subject which are in train will be car
ried on in that spirit Of conciliation and COM
promise which ought always to prevail OH such
occasions, and that they will lead to a satisfac-
tory result.
lhave the satisfaction to inform you that the
executive government 0f Venezuela has aek-
nowledged some claims of citizens of the Upis
ted States, which have for many years past
been urged by ourcharge daffaires at Caracas.
1t is hoped that the same sense Of justice viii
actuate the Congress Of that Republic in provi-
ding the means for their payment.
| The recent revolution In Buenos Ayres and
the confederated States having opened the pros
pect 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 extensive countries wat
cred by the tributaries of the La Plata; 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 invitation, our Minister at Rio janet
70 and our charge d'affaires at Buenos Ayres,
have been fully authorized to conclude treaties
with the newly organized Confederation, or the
States composing It, The delays which have
taken place in the formation of the new govern
ment, have as yet prevented the execution Of
those instructions; but there is every reason to
hope that these vast countries will be eventual
| ly opened to our commerce.
! treaty of commerce has been concluded be-
tween the United States and the Oriental Re-
public of Uruguay, which will be laid before
the Senate Should this Convention go into
operation, it will open to the commercial enter
prise of our citizens, country Of great extent,
and unsurpassed in naturul resources, but from
which foreign nations have hitherto been almost
wholly excluded.
The correspondence Of the late Secretary Of
State with the Peruvian charge d'affaires rela-
tive to the Lobos Islands was communicated to
Congress toward the close of the last session.
Since that time, on further investigation of the
subject, 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 unin-
tentionally done, from want of information,
should be repaired by an unreseryed acknowl-
edgment Of her sovereignty.
have the satisfaction to inform you that the
course pursued by Peru has been creditable tc
the liberality of her government. Before it was
known by her that her title would be acknowl
edged at Washington, her Minister of Foreign
Affairs had authorized our charge d'affaires al
Lima to announce to the American vessels which
had gone to the Lobos for guano, that the Peru
Wan Government was willing to freight them
on its own account. This intention has been
carried into effect by the Peruvian Minister here
by an arrangement which is believed to be ad.
vautageous to the parties in interest.
Our settlements on the shores of the Pacific
have already given great extension, and in
some respects n 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 frequent
ed by our whalemcn. The application Of steam
to the general purposes of navigation is becom-
ing daily more common, and makes it desirable
to obtain fuel and other necessary supplies at
convenient points on the route between Asia and
our Pacific shores. Our unfortunate country
men who from time to time suffer shipwreck on
the coasts Of the eastern seas are entitled TO pro-
lection, Besides these specific objects, the gen.
eral prosperity Of our States on the Pacific re.
quires that an attempt should be made to open
the opposite regions Of Asia TO mutually ben.
efcial intercourse. 1t is obvious that this at
tempt could be made by no power to so great
advantage ms by the United States, whose con.
stitutional system excludes every idea Of dis.
tant colonial dependencies have according
ly been led to order an appropriate naval force
to Japan, under the command Of discreet and
intelligent officer Of the highest rank known tc
our service He is instructed to endeavor to OBJ.
tain from the government Of that country some
relaxation of the inhospitable and anti.socia
system which it has pursued for about two cen
turies. He has been directed particularly to re
monstrate, in the strongest language, agsins
the cruel trertment to which our shipwreckec
mariners have been subjected, and to insist tha
they shall be treated with humanity. He is in
structed, however, at the same time, to Civ,
that government the amplest assurances that tn,
objects Of the United States are such and sucl
only as have indicated, and that the expedi
tion Is friendly and peaceful Notwithstand
ing the jealousy with which the governments oi
Eastern Asia regard all overtures from foreign
ers, / am not without hopes Of beneficial re
su 1t of the expedition. Should it be crowned
with success, the advantages will not be con
fined to the United States, but, as in the case Of
Cuba, will be equally enjoyed by all the mara
time powers / have much satisfaction in sta
ting that in all the steps preparatory to this ex
petition the Government of the United State
has been materially aided by the good Office
Of the king of the Netherlands, the only Euro
pean power having any commercial relation
with Japan.
In passing from this survey Of our foreign rt
,. ations, invite the attention Of Congress to til
condition Of that department Of the GovernmeI
TO which this branch Of the public business
entrusted. Our intercourse with foreign pow
ers has of late years greatly increased, both
consequence Of our own growth and the intr'
duction Of many more new States into the fan
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