Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1856-12-10

purpose mas OePH recently zIessHS "
OF New Granada, BY the enactment OF law 10
snbject vessels visiting her Porls 70 me Tonnage
duty Of forty cents per5ton; and, athohen Inc
law has not been put in force, yet tue r'sns "
enforce it is still asserted, and may; al any ',ne'
BE- acted on blythe government OF that repuolp:
+ The Congress of New Granada has also en-
acted a law, during the last year, when IeVies
tax of more than three dollars on every Pouho
IF mail matter transported across the islhhes
The sum, thus required to be- PAID on lne ih'i,s
of the United States would be near y TWO mill
lions of dollars annually, in addition TO tie large
sum payable by enntFaetIo-t Panama hah
Road Company. If the only objection 10 this
exaction were the exorbitancy OF ITS amount, u
could not be submitted to by the United states
The imposition of it, however, would oo,l
ously contravene our treaty with New urahaoa'
and infringe the contract OF that repuDi'c WIN
the Panama Rail Road Company. Ihe Ia"
providing for this tax was, by its terms, 10 take
effect on The first Of September last, but the
local authorities on the isthmus have been IN
duced to suspend its execution, and to await
further Instructions on the subject from the
government of the republic. am not yet nd.
vised of the determination of that government.
IF measure 50 extraordinary in >its character
and So oSlearly contrary to treaty stipulatlons,
and the contract rights of the Panama Rall
Road Company, composed mostly of American
citizens, should be persisted in, it will be the
duty of the United States 10 resist its execu.
ton.
[ regret exceednly that occasion exists to
invite your attention to subject of still graver
import in our relations with the Republic of
New Granada On the fifteenth day of April
last, a riotous assemblage of The inhabitants OF
Panama committed violent and outrageous
attack on the premises Of the rail road company,
and the passengers and other persons in or near
the same involving the death of several citizens
of the United States, the pillage Of many others,
and the destruction of Q large amount of pro.
perty belonging to the rai road company. |
caused full Investigation Of that event to be
made, and the result shows satisfactorily that
complete responsibility for what occurred at.
taches to the government Of New Granada l
have, therefore, demanded Of that government
that the perpetrators of the wrongs in question
should be punished, that provision should he
made for the families of citizens Of the United
States who were killed, with full indemnity for
the property piaged or destroyed.
The present condition of the lsthmus of Pam
ana, in SO far as regards the security Of persons
and property passing over it, requires serious
consideration Recent incidents tend to show
that the local authorities cannot be relied on TO
maintain the public peace of Panama, and there
ia Just ground for apprehension that portion
of the inhabitants are meditating further out
RACES, without adequate measures for the securl-
ty and protection of persons or property hav-
ing been taken, either by the State Of Panama,
or by the general government of New Granada.
Under the guarantees If treaty, citizens Of the
United States have. by the outlay Of several
millions of dollars, constructed n rail road across
the lshmus, and it has become the main roate
between our Atlantic and Pacific possessions,
over Which multudes Of our citizens and n vast
amount of property are constantly passing-to
the security and protection of all which. and the
continuance Of the public advantages involved,
it is impossible for the government Of the Uni
ted States to be Indifferent.
have deemed the danger of the recurrence
of scenes of awless violence in this quarter so
imminent as 10 make it my duty to station Il part
of our naval force in the harbors Of Panama and
Aspinwall, in order 10 protect the persons and
property of the citizens Of the U. States in those
ports, and to insure to them safe passage across
the Isthmus. And it would, in my judgment,
be unwisc 10 Withdraw the naval force now in
those ports, until, by the spontaneous action Of
the republic OF New Gruiada, or otherwise,
some adequate arrangement shall have been
made for The protection and security Of u line
of interoceanic communication 80 important ut
this time, not to the United States only, but 10
all other maritime States both Of Europe and
America.
Meanwhile, negotiations have been instituted
by means of d special commission, 10 obtain
from New Granada full indemnity for injuries
sustained by our citizens on The lshmus, aud
satisfactory security for the general interests Of
the United States
The Message is concluded in The following
appropriate and solemn terms. Let every one
read and reflect:
In addressing TO you my last annual message,
the occasion seems to ME IN appropriate one to
express my congratulations in view of the peace,
greatness, and felicity which the United States
now possess and enjoy. TO point you TO the
state of the various departments of the govern.
ment, and of all the great branches of the pub
liz service, civil and military, in order TO speak
Of the intelligence and the integrity which per-
yades the whole, would be to indicate but i'm
perfectly the administrative condition of the
country, and the beneficial effects of that on the
general welfare. Nor would it suffice 10 say
that the nation is actually ut peace ut home and
abroad that its industrial interests are prospe-
rous that the canvass of its mariners whitcns
every sea and the plough of its husbahdmen is
marching steadily onward 10 the bloodless con.
quest Of the continent; that cities AID populous
States are springing up, as if by enchnntment,
from the bosom of our western wilds, and that
the courageous energy of our people is making
of these United States the great republic of the
world These results have not been attained
without passing through trials and perils, by ex-
perience of which, and thus only, nations can
harden into manhood. Our forcfathers were
trained to the wisdom which conceived, and the
courage which achieved independence, by the
circumstances which surrounded them, and they
were thus made capable of the creation of the
republic. 1t devolved on the next generation
to consolidate The work of the revolution, to de-
liver the country entirely from the influences Of
conflicting transatlantic partiailies or anipathes
which attached 10 our colonial and reyoutiona-
ry history, and to organize the practical opera
ton of the constitutional and legal institutions
Of the Union. To US, of this generation, re-
mains the not less noble task of maintaining and
extending the power of the United States We
have, at length reached that stage Of the nj.
lional career, in which the dangers 10 be en-
countered, and the eSertions 10 be made, are the
Incidents. not of weakness, but of strength. In
our foreign relations We have to attemper our
power 10 the less happy condition Of other re-
Pubcs in America, and to place ourselves in the
calmness and conscious divinity of riuht bv the