Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1856-01-10
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
FELLOw-CrrzESs or rHE suuArE AND or

The Constitution Of the United States Pro.
vides that Congress shall assemble annually on
the frat Monday Of December. and il has been
usual for the President to make no oommuni
cation Of public character to the Senate and !
House Of Representatives un.il advised of their
readines to receive it. have deferred to this
usage until tAe close Of the first month Of the |
session, but my convictions Of duty will not per.
NIT me longer to postpone the discharge of
the obligation eujOined by the constitution up
on the President to give to Congress informa-
lion Of Tie state Of the Union, aud recon
mend to their consideration such measures as
he shall judge necessary and expedient. ItI
is a matter Of congrstulatiCn that the Repub-
lie is TRANQUILITY advancing in a career Of pros
perity and peace.
FOREIGN RELATIONS CENTRAL AMERICA
Whilst relations Of amity continue to exist
between the United States and all foreign
powers, with some Of them grave questions are
depending. which may require the considera-
i lion Of Congress. ofsuch questions. the most
important Is that, which has risen out Of the ne
gOtialions With Great Britain in references to
Central America.
By the convent on concluded between the
Two governments on the 10th Of April, 1850,
both parties cOvenanted, that neither will ever
occupy, or fortify, or colOnze. or assume, or
Ixercise any dominion over Costa Riea, the
dOsquitO coast. or any part Of Central Ameri-
Ia 1t was the undoubted understanding Of
he United States, in making this treaty. that
III the present States Of the former Republic
Il Central America, aud the entire territory Of
zach would thenceforth enjoy complete indt-
pendence; aud that both contracting parties
engaged equally, and to the same extent, for
The present and for the future; and il either Of
hem had any claim of right in Central Ameri-
ia, such clam, and all occupation or authority
lnder it, were unreservendly relnquished BY
the stipuations Of the conventions; and that
no dominion was thereafter to be exercised or
assumed in any part of Central America, bv
Great Britain or the United States.
This government consented to restrictions in
regard to region of country, wherein We had
specific and peculiar interests, only upon the
conviction tha, the like restrictions were in the
same sense obligatory on Great Britain. Bu
for this understanding of the force and effect o.
The convention, it never would have been con
cluded by as. So clear was the understand
ing on the part Of the United States
that. in correspondent ce contempOraheous with
the ratification of the conven tion, il was dis
tinetly expressed that the mutual covenants Of
non occupation were not intended to apply tc
the British establishment at the Balize. Thi:
qualification is to be ascribed to the fact, that
in virtue Of successive treaties with previous
sovereigns of the country, Great Britain haC
obtained concession of tie right to cut ma
hogany or dye woods at the Baze, but will
positive exclusion of domain or sovereignty
and thus it confirms the natural construction
and understood import Of the treaty as to al
the rest of the region to which the stipulation
9 applied.
1t, However, became apparent. at an earl
day after entering upon the discharge of m
present functions, that Great Britain still con
tinued in the exercise or assertion of large au
thority in all that part Of Central America com
monty called the Mosquito coast, and GOVERN
the entire length of the State of Nicaragua
and part Of Costa Rica. and that she regard
ed the Balize as her absolute domain, and wa
gradually extending its limits at the expens
Of the stale of Honduras; and that she hat
formally colohized considerable insular grou
known as the Bay islands, and belonging {
right to that state.
F4 all these acts or pretensions of Great Br
tain being contrary to the rights of States
Central America. and to the manifest tenor
her stipulations with the United States, as vi
k derstoOd by this government, have been mao
Z the subject Of negotiation through the Amer
ean minister in London. transmit herewit
the instructions TO him on the subject, and ;h
correspondence between him and the Britil
Secretary for foreign affairs, by which yc
e win perceive that the two governments diff
widely and irrecOncilably as to the cOnstructiC
Of the convention, and the effect of their re
psstivs relations to Central America.
'ss Great Britain so construes the Oonveotio
10 as to maintain. unchallenged, all her prevO
pretensions overthe Mosquito coast, and
different parts Of Central America. The
pretensions. as 70 the Mosquito coast, a
founded on the assamptiOn Of political relatiO
between Great Britain and the remnant Of
tribe ofindians on that coast, entered into
time when the whole country was colon
possession of Spain. II cannot be successful
conrOvsrted, that. by the public law of Euro
-. 1assf.lo uoar n III "a