The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1856-01-09
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
feaaemea of the Aaats

on the first Monday of December, and it has
been usual for the President to make no COM
muAication of a public character to the Senate
andfdouseof Representatives until advisedo of
their readiness to receive it. have deferred
ta=thiszusage until the close of the first month
of the session, but my convictions of duty
willnot permit me longer to postpone the dis
charge of the obligation enioincd by the Con-
stitutlon upon the President "to give to Con-
grsss information of the state of the Union,
ami T~ecenimehd to their consideration such
saseesures ashe siah Judge necessary and ex-
1t isa matter of congratulation that the Re-
Wsblic,is TRANQUILITY advancing in a career of
ffcsperity and peace.
sideFeR EfGN RELArIoNs-eENTRAL AMERICA.
dtftsist relations OF amity continue to exist be-
aEeent the United States and all foreign pow
ers, with some of them grave questions are
depending, which may require the considera-
-ti5fpo Of Congress.
-ssiOfdsuch questions, the most important is
sthat Which arises out of the negotiations with
.Nreat{Britain in reference 80 Central A,neri-
ca. by the convention concluded between the
two Governments on the 1871. of .April. 1850.
both parties ceyenanted, that 'sncither will
ever occupy, or %fortify, or COLOMBO, or as
7sanie,Aor exercise any dominion over Nicara-
-gsaa, sdosta Rica, the Mosquito coast, or any
part of Central America"
1t was tho undeuhted understanding of the
UnHslHtates, in making this treaty. that all
present states of the former Republic of Cen
trail Auierica, and. the entire territory Of each
would thenccforth enjoy complete indepen-
.dchtess and that both contracting parties en-
,igaged equally, and to the same extent. for the
apresentand the future; that if either then had
any claim Of right in Central America, such
eciaim, and all occupation or authority under it.
were unreseryediy relinquished by the stipu-
siationshof the Contention; and that no domin-
ION was thereafter to be exercised or assumed
nfHe any part of Central America, by Great
iBYftaih9 or She United States.
satTh Government consented to restrictions
'tnregardto . region of country, wherein We
Ihadspecihc and peculiar interests, only upon
the convection that the like restrictions were
-sfnsthe same sense obligatory on Great Britain.
s.HHsfor this understanding of the force and
sneHectsof the convention, il would never have
been concluded BY us.
sEi Soielear was this understanding on the part
of the United States, TINT, in correspondence
Aeotefnporaneous with the ratification of the
%aonSention, it W as distinctly expressed, that
iet fefnutua covenants of non-occunation were
not intended to apply to the British establish
nshihent &c the Balize. This qualification is to be
asfstribedsto che fact, that, in virtue Of the sue
-oeessire treaties with previous sovereigns of
the country, Great Britain had obtained a con-
8. tession' OF the right to cut mahogony or dye
ssf6o6ds at the Balize, but with positive exclu-
y zion of all domain or sovereignty; and thus it
- confirms the natural construction and under
stood9import of the treaty es to all the rest
~ Or The region to- which the stipnlations an
10 plied.HTsf09 Hf sA8ea
ut, however, became apparent. at an early
-ps4a p after entering upon Che discharge of nv
present functions, that Great Britain still con-
-a.tfndSd in'the exercise or assertion of luSe au-
nt fA0r7fys in all that part Of Central America
sat6nmonly i called the Mosquito coast, and Gov
cringsthe entire length of the Stats OF Mica
.ssf1ggunt, and aphrt of Costa RIGA; that she re-
-s'garded the Baiize as her absolute domain, and
sNtfas gradually extending its limits at the ex-
.pense of the State of Honduras, and that she
sahaadi formally colonized a considerable insular
.a1ggtoup now as the Bay Islands, and belong.
.1am rightotca that State.
Alfthsse acts.or preteneions Of Great Bri.
tam being contrary to the rights Of the State,
s'sofs Central America, and to the manifest tenor
Of her stipulations with the United States, al
= Understood by this government, have beer
muuc tHc SuUJcCt VI HeSOSiatlOn tnfOugn Ilt
n7Aifntetican Minister at London. I transmi
;sshcfeAithi the instructions to lhim on the sub,
sSf5 ezcti, And the correspondence between him ant
the British Secretary for Foreign Affairs, BY
.ssowhiehfypu will perceive tia. the two govern
!. laents differ, widelyssand irreconcilably as t.
tie construction Of the convention, and its eff
- feet on their respective relations to Contra
mr. nerica
80 Great Britain so construes the convention
as t. maintain unchanged all her previou
,e,pEetensions, over the Mosquito coast and il
.EaIfarent parts of Central America. Thos
.S,pretensions, as to the Musquito coust, ar
founded on the assumption of political relation
between Great Britain and the remnant of
tribe of. Indians on that coast, entered into a
. time when the whole country was a %colonia
possession Of Spain. 1t cannot be success
i, folly controyerted, that, by the public law @
Europe and America, no possible act of sue
Indians or their predecessors could confer o.
!. .G5eppft Britain any political rights.
--aIGreat Britain does not allege the assent c
Epafn as the origin of her claims on the Mus
r Quito coast, She has, on the contrary, by re
.peated and successive treaties, renounced an
relinquished all pretensions of her own, an
recognized the full and sovereign rights c
). Spain. in the most equiyocal terms. Yet thes
=. .pIrreteensions SO without solid foundation in til
s.D s in il and thus repeatedly adjurcd, wert
=. at a recent period, revived by Great Britai
= against the Central American States, the le
-ft5. II ;noatn nsunhccessors TO all the ancient iurisdit