The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1854-12-20

rs returned through France to Spain. Iherewit
l lay before congress the correspondence on TIL
70 subject between our envoy at Paris, and th
t, minister foreign relations of the French COY
,e eminent.
Z, Theposition Of our affairs with Spain remain
al as at the close Of your last session. Inferno
! agitation, assuming very nearly the characte
of political revolution, has recently convulse
d that country. The late ministers were violent
II y expelled from power and men of very differ
d ent views in relation to its internal affairs hav
succeeded. Since this change there has bee
Re no propltious opportunity to resume, and pres
d ION negotiations for the adjustment Of seriou
y questions OF difficulty between the Spanish gov
:. eminent and the United States. There is rea
IS son to believe that our minister will find TIL
y present government more favorably incline
n than the preceding to comply with our jus
J. demands, and to make suitable arrangement
g for restoring harmony, and preserving peac
e between the two countries
e Negotiations are pending with Denmark t.
d discontinue the practice of levying tolls on GU
: vessels and their cargoes passing through tn
4 sound. do nos doubt that we can claim ex
0 emption therefore, as matter of right 1t i
! admitted on all hands, that this exacton i
sanctioned, not by the general principles of thu
: law Of nations, but only by special conventions
J which most Of the commercial nations have en-
f tered into with Denmark. The fifth article O
f our treaty Of 1926, with Denmark, provides
t that there shall not be paid, on the vessels o
! the United States and their cargoes, when pass
ing through the sound higher duties than those
Of the most favored nations, This may be re-
! garded as an implied agreement to submit tc
the tolls during the continuance of the treaty,
and consequently, may embarrass the assertion
| Of our right to be released therefrom.
r There are also other provisions in the treaty
which ought to be modified. 1t was foreman
in force for ten years, and until one year after
either party should give notice to the other of
intention to terminate it. 1 deem it expedient
that the contemplated notice should be given to
the government of Denmark
The naval expedition, dispatched about two
years since, for the purpose of establishing re-
lations with the empire of Japan, has been ably
and skillfully conducted to a successful termina-
ton by the Office to whom it was entrusted A
treaty, opening certain of the ports of that po-
pulous country, has been negotiated, and in
order to give full effect thereto, it only remains
to exchange notifications, and adopt requisite
commercial regulations.
The treaty lately concluded between the Uni
ted States and Mexico settled some of our most
embarrassing difficulties with that country, but
numerous claims upon it for wrongs and inju
rles to our citizens remained unadjusted, and
many new cases have been recently added to
the former listof grievances. Our legation has
been earnest in its endeavors to obtain from the
Mexican government favorable consideration
Of these claims, but hitherto without success
This failure is, probably, in some measure, to
be ascribed to the disturbed condition of that
country. It has been my anxious desire to
maintain friendly relations with the Mexican
republic, and to cause its rights and territories
to be respected, not only by our citizens, but
States for the purpose of organizing hostile ex-
public The defenseless condition in which its
frontiers have been left has stimulated lawless
adventures to embark in these enterprises, land
greatly increased the difficulty of enforcing our
obligations of neutrality. Regarding it as my
solemn duty to fulfil, efficiently, these obliga-
tons, not only toward Mexico, but other foreign
nations, [ have exerted all the powers with
which l am invested to defeat such criminal
proceedings, and bring to punishment those
who, by taking part therein, violated our
laws The energy and activity of our civil and
military authorities have frustrated the designs
of those who meditated expeditions of this char
acter, except in two instances One of those,
composed of forei gners, was at first counte-
nanced and aided by the Mexican government l
itself, it having been deceived as to their real
object. The other, small in number, eluded
The vigilance of the magistrates at San Fran I
cisco, and succeeded in reaching the Mexican I
erritores, but the effective measure taken BY 7
his government compelled the abandonment of &
be undertaking. I
The commission to establish the new line be c
ween the United States and Mexico, according i
o the provisions of the treaty of the 3Oth Of +
December last has been organized, and the U
work is already commenced. il
Our treaties with the Argentine confederation G
md with the republics of Uruguay and Para c
quay, secure to us the free navigation of the t.
liver La Plata, and some of itslarge tributaries, v
tut the same success has not attended our en- 6
eavors to open the Amazon. The reasons in r
avor OF the free use of that river had occa- S
ion to present fully in former message, and a
onsldering the cordial relations which have Il
ong existed between this government and Bra n
II, 1t may be expected that pending negotia- I
ons will eventually reach a favorable result. o
Convenient means of transit, between the p
everal ports of a country, are not only desira- a
ie for the object of commercial and personal p
COMMUNICATION, but essential to its existence O.
nder one government Separated as are the tt
tlantlc and Pacific coasts of the United States fc
y the whole breadth of the continent, still the p
habltants of each are closely bound together til
y community of origin and institutions, and by tn
rong attachment to the Union Hence the o.
instant and increasing intercourse, between T
ese remote divisions of the republic At the pc
time, the most practicable and only COM or
odlous routes for communication between of
ZEN are by the way of the istbmus of Central sh
merca. 1t is the duty of the government to dc
cure these avenues against all danger of in ce
Eruption. co
IN relation to Central America perplexing tb
1estlons existed between the United States and b
reat Britain at the time of the admission of an
aelltornla. These, as well as questions which an
bsequently arose concerning inter oceanic to
mmuncation across the isthmus, were, as it ce
J c CRY ol,, L. Il