The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1856-01-12
Presidents Message.
FGlloD Citizens of the Senate and The House
of RepresSntdtiUes

rlueS mat congress SDdll dSStHlDle dinudIiy |
on the first Monday of December, and it has
been usual for the president to make no com
munication of public character to the SEN
ate and house of representatives until Gdvls-
ed of their readiness to receive ii. | have
deferred to this usage until the close of the,
first month ofthe session. but my convictionsI
of duty will not permit me longer to post
pone the discharge of the obligation enjoined
by the constitution upon the president, toI
give to the congress information OF the state
of the Union, and recommend to their con-
sideratiOn such measures as he shall Judge
necessary and expedlent.' !
Ii is matter of congra tulation that the re-
public is TRANQUILITY advancing in career OF!
prosperity and peace.
FOREIGN RELATIoNs-CENTRAL AMERICA.
Whilst relations of amity continue to ex-
ist between the United States and all foreign
powers, with some of them grave questions
arc depending which may require the con
sideraiion of congress. OF such questions,
the most important is that which has risen
out of the negotiations with Great Britain
in reference to Central America.
By the convention concluded between the
two goIernmen on the l9th of April, 1880,
both parties covenated, that "neither will
ever occupy, or fortify, or colonize, or assume,
Costa Rica, the Mosquito coast, or any part
Of Central America"
1t was the undoub,ed understanding OF the
United States, in making this treaty, that all
the present states of the former republic Of
Central America, and the entire territory of
each would thenceforth enjoy complete in
dependence and that both contra citing par
ties engaged equally, and to the same extent
for the present and for the future; that If
either then had any claim of right in Central
America, such claim and all occupation or
authority under it, were unreservedly relin-
uuished by the stipulations of the conven-
ton; and that no dominion was thereafter
10 be exercised or assumed in any part Of
Central America, by Great Britain or the
United States. .o.
This government consented to restrictions
in regard to region of country, wherein we
had specific and peculiar interests, only up
on the conviction that the like restrictions
were in the same sense obligatory on Great
Britain But for this underst anding Of the
force and eff ct of the convention it would
never have been concluded by us. .'
So clear was this understanding on the
part Of the United States, that in cores
pondence contemporaneons with the ratiti-
cation of the convention it was distinctly
fHpIeSjEu, tndt llc mutual CpNeIaht " ilull-
occupation were not to apply to the British
establishment at the Bali&e. This qualifica-
ton is TO be ascribed to the fact, that in
virtue of successive treaties with previous
soyercigns Of the country. Great Britain had
obtained concession of the right to cut
mahogany or dyewoods at the Balize, bat
with positive exclusion Of oil domain OF
sovereignty; and thus it confirms the natu,
ral construction and Understood import o.
he trraty as 10 all ne rest Of the region tc
which the slipnlaIiohs applied,
Il, however, became apparent at an early
day after entering upon the discharge of my
present. functions. that Great Britain Still
Continued in the exercise or assertion Of larss
authority in all that part Of Central Ameri
ca commonly culcd the Mosquito coast, and
covering tie entire l~ts'h Of The state O.