The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1856-01-08
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
FeIi,,r-ci,izcns ofhe Senate and
ofHc House Of RePresea.

Senate and House of Representatives until
advised Of their readiness To receive It.
have deferred 10 this usage uutil the close
nf tie first month "f the session bat my con-
victiunS of duty viii 10. permit nc ."n1er L"
POSTPONE the discharge of the q, !i1aati"n en-
Joined hy the Constitution upon the PrcsI-
dent 10 give to ihc Congress Information
# tie state of the I Iri"n, and recommend
tu their consideration such measures as be
shall Judge recess ny and cxpcdicnt."
II j. Il matter Of congratulation that the
Republic i TRANQUILITY advancing III u career
az prosperity and peace.
FuREIGN RELATIONS CENTRAL A3EEICA.
Whilst relations Of amitv continues 10 *
ist between the United States and all foreign
powers, with some Of them grave questions
are depending Which may require the con-
sidcTatiun of Congress.
Of such questions, the most important i
that which has arisen out of the ncgotia-
tions with Great Britain in reference to
Central America,
BY tho convention concluded between the
two governments on the l9th Of April, lo5O.
both parties c"vcnaHItcd, that ''ncithcr will
ever occupy, or fuTtifv. Or c"loiizs, or as
sumo, or exercise any dominion OYER, Nicara-
qua, Costa Ei-a. the Mosquito coast. or any
part Of Central AHfcrica.
1t w;l- tie aHdpuhtcd understanding of
the United State in NAH king til, treaty. that
Hil the present States OF the former republic
of Central america, and The entire territory
of each would thcmccf"rth enjoy complete
independence, and that both contracting
parties engaged equally. and t" the same
extent, for the pro sent and for the future.
that if either then had amy claim of right in
Central America. such claim, and all "ccu-
patton or authority under it, were unrc
scrvcdly rriinTIi>hed by the stipulation of
the conventions: and that no dominion was
thereafter to- bc exercised or assumed in any
part Of Central America, by Great Britg.r
or tic United States.
Ibis government consented 10 restrictions
i'll regard ."a region uf country, wherein we
lad specific AND peculiar interests, only Upo..
the conviction that the Ike restrictions were
III tire sam" sense obligatory on Great
Britain. But for this Understanding # the
force and ciiyc: of tho CONVENTION, L would
never have been concluded lay Us. ="
;" clear was this understanding on the
part of I'll" United States, that, i'll CORES
-p"ndcncc cGntCiupormcoUS with the ratifi-
cation Of the convention, it was distinctly
cXpEcS~t d. that the mutual covenants of nol-
occupation were not intended to apply.to
the British establishment at the Ealizc.-
This qualification i 10 he a~cribcd TO the
fact, that, in virtue of successive trcatic,
~ Ci-h I,'rinuS SI''Tr':hS OF the country,
60. mum EAU ""I"iil'" II concession "l
the right (" cut mahogany or dvC-woOd ut
tn" Ealizc, bat with positive exclusion of ali
H"''hlii or sovereignty; and thus 1t c"nfIr!hS
tic 'lHcu y construction ami Understood mn
port ol me treaty as I" All IN" rest OF III"
I'G'oI' l" winch The StipuInti"hS arPii'd.-
H. however Il! came apparent at an carly
"y ih''f entering upon In" discharge OF
i.'tH'I'' mons lhat ''r'i't sun
Iu III '':' cNIrTiH' or assertion "i
i"'S' authority III All that part II central
america commonly Called tho Mosquito
COAST and covering the cnt!r" length of the
,S'atr 81 Nicaragua, ami part OF Costa Rica;
'I't' &Nr regarded the ljalIZc as her absolute
,:''.''li, ana was Gf"em"ly cNtcndIhg us
''''S at 'i' ~ ''HT' 81 inc ~ti''' VI Ii'iio"-
I''S' I''" tia' she ilau I"FhaIiE col"hiZ'u Il
considerable msuiar group known as the
lay lands AMI Belonging oI right, to
thit >t%te.
Al II = acts or prctcnsIons at Great
IfIt.'n, BENG contrary tn the rights OF the
SstatnS OF Central America, and to- the mani
test tenor of Ecr >tipuati"nS with the United
STATES. a. understood by this governments
nave pGcn made the subject OF h"&"tiatI"n
through the American Minister III London.
| transmit herewith the. Instructions tn him
OIL the subject, and the correspondence be-
tween him and the British Secretary for
Foreign Affairs, by which You will perceive
that tie two governments differ widely and
irrcc"ncilcahly IL to the construction # the
convention, and IFS effect on their rcspcc
tive relations to Central America.
Great Britain so CONSTITUTES the convention
as &c maimtuim unchanged all her previous
prctcnsiOus over the Mosquito coast, and
in different parts OF Central America. These
prctcHsieEs, as to the Mosquito coast are
founded on the assumption Of political rcla-
tions between Great Britain and the remnant
OF Il tribe Of Indians on thar coast, entered
INTO at time when the whole country was
Il colonial possession of Spain. 1t cannot
he successfully controversial that, by the
public law of Europe and America, no pos
sible act of such Indians, or their prcdeccs-
s"TS' c"ul! confer on Great Britain any
political rights.
Great Britain docs not G!ICgc thc assent