Tribune and telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1855-1856, 1856-01-03
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
ellov Cisi=ens Of The Senate and

Tie Constitution of the United States provides
hat Congress shall assemble annually on the first
Monday of December and it has bcea usual for the
President to make communication OF pubhc
character to the Senate and House of
until advised OF their rcadncssto receive II. have
deferred 10 this usage until the close of the first month
of the session. bat my convictions OF duty VIII not
permit me longer 70 postpone the discharge Of the
obligation eljoined by the constitution upon me
President to give to Congress information upon the
state Of the Uqon aud 70 recommend to their eonsi-
Iteration such measures he shall judge necessary
and expedcnt. -
IL TRANQUILITY advancing in of prosperity and
peace Whilst relations of ainity continue to exist
hetween the United States and all foreign powers,
with some of them grave questions are dependng,
which may REQUIRE the consideration of Congress.
OF such questions the most important is that which
has arisen out of the negotiations with Great Britain
in reference to Central America. BY the convention
concluded between the two Governments on the i0ih
of April, 1850, both parties coyenanted thar neiihef
would ever occupy, fortify, e0oniZe or assume, or
exercise any dominion oTor Nicaragua, Costa Rlca,
the Mosquito Coast, or any part OF Central America
1t was the undnubtcd un UNDERSTANDING of the United
tstesn making the treaty that all the present states
OF the former republic of Central AIneL and the
entire territory of each, would hereupon enjoy com
pletc independence, and that both contracting par
ties engaged equally and to the extent, for the
present and future, that if either OF them had any
claim or right in Central America, such catm and
all occupation or authority under It, were unreser-
vedly relndushed By the siipulations of the
ton and that no dominion was the eafter to be ex-
ercred or assumed in any part of Central America
by Great Britain or the Uaited States.
This government consented 70 restrictions in re
gard to a region of country where we had specific
aud peculiar interests only upon condition that the
like restrictions in the same obligatory on
Great Britain but for this understanding of the force
and effect of this convention it would never heye
been concluded by the L. s. So clear this un-
derstandng on the part of the L. $. that, in
pondence coneulporane0us with the ratification Of
the convention il was distinctly expressed that the
ded to apply to the British establishment at the Ba-
lie. This qualification is to be ascribed to the fact
that by virtue Of successive treaties with previous
sovcreigns of the country Great Britain had Obtain
ed q concession of the right to cot mahogany or dye
woods at the BaliZe but with positive exclusion of
all dominion sovereignty; and thus il confirms the
natural construction und understood import OF the
treaty Is to all the res of the region TO winch tile
stipulation applied 1t however, became apparent
ct early day after entering upon Tie discharge Of
my present functions that Great Britain still contin-
ued in the exercise assertion OF large authority
in all that part of Central America commonly called
the Mosquito Coast and covering the entire length
of the State of Nicaragua and part Of Costa Rca.
That she regarded the Balizc absolute domain
and has gradually extended its mes at the expense
of the state of Honduras and that she had formerly
cOlOnized a considerable insuiar group, known as
the Bay Islands, and belonging of right 10 that state.
All these acts prCensons of Great Brita H. being
contrary to the rights of the state of Central Anerca
and to the manifest tenor OF her stipulationF with the
United States understood by government, have
been made the subject of negotiations through the
American Minister in London. ! transmit herewith,
tho instructions the subject, and the correspond
ence between him and the British Secretary for 70
reign Affairs, by which you viii perceive that the
Governments differ widely and rrecOncileahly tc
the construction OF the convention and its effect on
their respective relations TO Central America
Great Britain constructs the convention as to
maintain unchanged all her previous pre- tensions on
the Mosquoto Coast and in different parts of Central
America These pre.ensions to the Mosquito Coast
are founded on the assumption of political relations
between Great Britain and the remnant of tribe OF
Indians on that coast, entered into at fine when
the whole cOuutrp colonial possession of Spain.
II cannot be successfully controVcred that, by the
public law If Europe and America, no possible act
of such Indians their predecessors could confer
Great Britain any political rights. Great Britain
does not allege the assent OF Spain the origin Of
her claims on the Mosquito Coast. she has on the
contrary, by repeated and successive treaties re
nounced and relinquisle all pretensions of her
and recognized the taif and sovereign rights Of Spain
i'll the most unequivoc Il terms vet these pre- cnsios
without soand foundation in tho beginning. aud thus
repeatedly abjurcd, were at recent period revived
by Great Britain against the Central American states
the legitimate successor 10 all the ancient iursdic
tion of Spain in that region. They were first app
ed only to defined part uf the coast of Nicaragua
afterwards to the whole of its Atlantic Coast, and
latterly to part the coast of Costa ca and they
now asserted to this extent Notwithstanding the
engagements to the United States on the eastern
coast of Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
The Interference Of Great Britain though excrtcd
Mt time in the form ri military Occupation. at the
port of Sam Juan del Norc, then in the peaceful
possession of the appropriate authorities Of the Cen
tra American States Is now presented Ivy her us the
Elghttul exercise of proi0ctrship over The Mosqu
to tribe of Indians but The establishment at the }a
lize reaching far beyond it's true limits in the
State of Honduras and that OF the Bay Islands. ap-
pertaining of right IN he state are distinct
ly colonial government. those Of Inmaica or Ca
nada and therefore contrary 10 thc letter as well as
the spirit of the Convention with the 4. s Bs it
at the time of the ratification and is understood
by this (tpVprnmpnf II he which the
British Government thus, in assertion and fact per
sists in ascribiug to the Convention. entirely chan
ges its character Whileit held US to al! our obliga
tons, II IN great measure freed Great Britain from
those which constituted the considerations with this
Government for entering into the convention. 1t is
impossible in my Judgment for the L. = tu ccquiesce
in this construction OF The respective relations Of the
two governments TO Central America. 70 our call
upon Great Britain 20 abide by and carry into effect
the stipulatons of the convention, according lis
obvious import by withdrawing from the position o.
colonization of portion of the Central American
States of Honduras. Nicaragua and Costa L ca. the
British Government has al lcAgih replied, atli ma
lively, that the operation of the rc9ty prospective
alone aud did not require Great Britain to abandon
contract, any posses lous held by her in Central
America 1T the date of its conclusion. This reply
substitutes partial issue in place OF the gcpc al one
presented 10y the L. :.
The British q lya:.l1lr1t p>s.al over the question
of the right of Great Briteia re1 or surprised, in
Central America, aud assumes that size had such
rights a the 9'c q tie treaty and tiH tho rights
cOlHSrth y f tlC rtfftAtttf~tiID 81 HE AlsE1 IN
dians tc extend az Ufjs!i non and limits ot the ia
lzc and the Colony oi I,0v Islands and tlpcrcupou
proceeds by implication - infer hat the stipuatonS
vi the treaty being mercly f~ur in effect Great Brit
DIN may stlll continue hold the contt srcd portion
OF Central America. The L. = cannot admit ether
the inference or the IFSniscs. Wcsead IL deny that
ct the date OF the treaty Great Britain Ind any pos
sessions There other thnu the limited peculiar cstab
lishnent the Bal.zc and maintain that if she had
any, they were surrendered 10y the convention. The
Government in recognizing the ohlga' ions az he
treaty has of course desired to see il executed in GOOD
faith by both parties In the discussions therefore il
has not hooked 10 rights which might asse rt, in
depeudcntly of our geo.r0li cal position, and all 9th
OF circumstances aud which create for us relations
10 the Central Aner:daa States different from those
oil any Government OF Europe.
The British Cioyer'ln ~ in It's last communication
although vel, knowing he Jews of tho L s. stl de
clarcs that il why coucliatcrv spirit
may not enable the two government, 20 overcome all
obstacles "a satisfactory adjustment uttte subject
Assured OF The correctness az the construction ul The
treaty, constantly adhered to by this Government
and resolved to iusi-' tue rights az The L. $ va,
a. actUatetl by tc same desire u Hvuwc hv the
British FovertCnt. To rcovc al causes ef serious
misunderstanding between the twn lions associated
by somany ties ofiuteroS and kindred il has appear
cd to me proper not TO consider all am cable adjust
ment of the controversy as hopeless There is how.
ever to apprchend that with Great Britain i'm
the actual occupation of the disputed territories and
the treaty therefore practically null Tar regards
our rights, This in oruaonal difficulty cannot long