Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1856-01-09
II q r. M s:
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
,,o-citii-cns of The Senate and

FenOtc- citizens or lfS sSeHst<c ufte1
House of Representatives,
Th. constitution of the United States pro-
sx;des that Caassess shall assemble annually
on the 6rst Monday of December, and it has
been usual for the President to make no COM
munication of public character to the Senate
aId House of Representatives until advised of
their readiness to receive it | have deferred
10 this usage until the close Of the FIRST month
OF the session, but my convictions of duty will
not permit me longer to postpone the discharge
of the obligation enjoyned by the constitution
upon the President - to give to the Congress
Information of the state of the Union. and re-
commend to their consideration such measures
as | e shall judge necessary and expedient."
1t is matter of congratulation that the Re-
public is TRANQUILITY advancing in career OF
prosperity and peace
roRsIGN RELATIoNs-cENTRAL AMERICA.
Whilst relations of amity continue to exist
between the U. States and eli foreign powers,
with some of them grave questions are depen-
ding, which may require the consideration of
Congress.
OF such questions, the most important is
that which has arisen out Of the negotiations
with II eat Britain in reference to Central A
merica.
By the convention concluded between the
two government. Oh the 10Th Of April 1850,
both parties coyenanted, that . neither will
ever occupy, or fortify. or colonize. or assume.
or exercise any d1miuion over Nicaragua.
Costa Rica, the Mosquito coast, or any part
of Central America"
1t was the uldoubted understanding of the
United States, in making this treaty, that all
tho present States OF the former republic of
Central America, and the entire territory of
each. would thenceforta enjoy complete inde-
pendence; aud that both contracting parties
engaged equally. ard 70 The same extent, for
the present and for the future that if either
then had any claim of right in Central Ameri-
ca, such claim. and all occupation or authori-
ty under it, were unreservedly relinquished
by the stipulatioas of the Convention and
that ne -deasiuion was thereafter to be exerci-
sed or assumed in any part of Central Ameri-
ca by Great Britain the United States
This government consented to restrictions
in regard to region Of country, wherein we
had specific and peculiar interests. ouly upon
the conviction thas the like restrictions were
in the same sense obligatory on Great Britain.
But for this understanding of the force and
effect of the convention it would never have
been concluded by US.
So clear this understanding on the part
of the United States, that, in correspondence
contemporaueous with the ratification of the
convention. it was distinctly expressed, that
the mutual covenants of non-occupalion were
not intended to apply 10 the British establish
mer. at the Balize This qualification is to
b, aseribed to the fact, that, III virtue of sue
cessive treaties with pre- sious sovereigns of the
country, Great Britain had obtained conces-
sion of the right to cut mahogany or dye-woods
at the Balize. but with positive exclusion of
all ldomain or sovereignty; and thus it confirms
the natural construction and understood i'm
port of the treaty as to all the rest of the re-
gion to which the stipulations applied.
1t, however, became apparent at an early
day, after entering upon the discharge of my
present functions that Great Britain still con-
tinued in the exercise or assertion of large au-
thority in all that part of Central America
commonly called the Mosquito coast. and COW
ering the entire length of the State of Near
aqua aud a part of Costa Rica; that she re-
garded the Balize as her absolute domain, and
was gradually extending its limits at the ex-
pense OF the State of Honduras and that she
had formally colonized considerable insular
group known as the Bay Islands, aid belong
ing, of right, to that State
- All these acts or pretensions Of Great Bri-
tain, being contrary to the rights of the States
of Central America, and to the manifest tenor
of her stipuations with the United States, as
understood by this government, have been
made the subject of negotiation through the
American Minister in London. l transmit
herewith the instructions to him on the sub.
ject, and the correspondence between him anc
the British Secretary for Foreign Affairs, by
which you will perceive that the two govern
lnents differ widely and irreconcileably as tt
the construction of the convention, aud it's eff
feet On their respective relations TO CeDtra
America.
Great Britain SO construes the convention
as to maintain unchanged all her previou:
pretensions over the Mosquito coast and il
different parts Of Central America. These
pretensions, as to the Mosquito coast. are
founded Gu the assumption Of political rela
tiops between Great Britain and the remnan,
of tribe of Indians ON that coast, entered in
TO at time when the whole country was
colonial possession of Spain. 1t cannot b.
successfully controverted, that, by the publi
Law of Europe and America, no possible ac
Of such Indians or their predecessors coult
confer on Great Britain any political rights
Great Britain does not allege tho assent o
Spain as the origin of her claims on the Mos
quito coast. She has, on the contrary, b,
repeated aud succassiye treaties, reuounosd