Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1856-12-18

of the United States have by an outlay OF
several millions of dollars, constructed a
railroad across the Isthmus. and it has be
come the main route between our Atlantic
and Pacific possessions, over which multi
!udes of our citizens and vast amount OF
property are constantly passing-;o the
security and protection of all which, and
the continuance of the public advantage in
volved, it is impossible for the government
of the United States to be Indifferent.
l have deemed the danger of the re-
currence of scenes of lawless violence in
this quarter, SO imminent as to make it nv
duty to station part ofour naval force in
the harbor of Panama and Aspinwall, in
order to protect the property of the citizens
OF the United States in those ports and to
insure to them safe passage across the 18th
mus. And it would, in my judgment, be
unwise to withdraw the naval force now
in those ports, until, by the spontane-
Gus action OF the republic of New Granada
or otherwise, some adequate arrangement
shall have been made for the protection and
security of a line of interoceanic COMMUNE
cation so important a, this time. not to the
United States only, but to all other mari
time States, both of Europe and America.
Meanwhile, negotiations have been insti-
tuted by means of a special commission, to
obtain from Granada full indemnity for in
juries sustained by our citizens en- the
Isthmus, and satisfactory security for -
general interests of the Unto. States
In addressing t" you .ny last annual
Gle OCCASION seems to me an APP
pFon'...''e one to express my congratulation
III view Of the peace, greatness and felicity
which the United States now possess and
enjoy. To point you to the state of the va
rlous departments Of the government, and
OF all the great branches Of the public SER
vice, civil and military, in order to speak
OF the intelligence and the integrity which
pervales the whole; would be to indicate
but inlpelfectly the administrative cond-
ton of the country, and the beneficial eff
fects Of 1t on the general welfare Nor
would 1t suffice to say that the nation is
actually at peace at home and abroad; that
Its industrial interests are prosperous; that
the canvass of lis mariners whiten every
sea, and the plough of its husbandmen is
marching steadily onward to that bloodless
conquest of continent; that cities and pop
ulous States are springing up, as if by
enchantment, from the bosom of our wes-
tern 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 with
out passing through trials and perils, by
experience of which and thus only, nations
can harden into manhood. Our foreflth-
ers were trained to the wisdom which con
ceiyed, and courage which achieved indie
pendence, by the circumstances which sur
rounded them, and they were thus made
capable of the creation of the republic. 1t
devolved on the next generation to consol-
date the work Of the revolution, to deliver
the country entirely from transatlantic par
tialiies or antipathies, which attached 20
our colonial and revolutionary history, and
to organize the practical operation of the
constitutional and legal institutions Of The
Union. To US, of this generation, remains
the no less noble task of maintaining and
extending the power of the United States
We have, at length, reached that stage of
the national career, in which the dangers to
be encountered, and the cXcriions to be
made, are the incidents, not of weakness,
but of strength. In our foreign relations
we have to temper orr power to the less
happy condition of other republics in Amer
lea, and to place ourselves in the calmness
and conscious dignity Of right by the side
of the greatest and wealthiest of the en-
pires of Europe. In our domestic relations
we have to guard against the shock Of the
discontents, the interests, and the exuber
ant, and therefore, sometimes irregular i'm
pulses of opinion or OF action, which are the
natural product of the present elevation, the
selfreliance and the restless spirit of en-
terprise of the people of the United States.
| shall prepare to surrender the Execu-
tive trust to my successor, and retire to
private life with sentiments of profound
gratitude to the good Providence, which
during the period of my administration has
vouchsafcd to carry the country through
many difficulties, domestic and foreign, and
to ebable me to contemplate the spectacle
of amicable and respectful relations between
ours and other governments, and the es
adjustment constitutional order and tran
guilty throughout the Unioii.
FRANKLIN PIERCE.
WAsHNGroS, Dee. 9, 1855.