American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1856-01-05
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Citizens Of the Senate
and Of the House Of Representattye

public char acter to the Senate s. House
OF Representative until advised of their
readiness TO receive j.. have deferred
to this usage until tho close of tho first
month of the session, but my convictions
of duty will not permit mo longer to
postpone the discharge of tho obligation
enj"ined by the constitution upon tho
President "io give to tho Congress in.
formation OF the state of the Union, and
recommend TO their consideration such
measures as he shall judge necessary
and expedienl."
l, is 4 matter Of congra,ulation that
the Republic is TRANQUILITY advancing in
u career of prosperity and peace.
FOREIGN RELATloNs-cENTRAL AMERICA.
Whilst relations of amity continue to ex.
ist between the United States and all TO-
reign powers, with some of them grave
questions are depending, which may re-
quire the consideration of Congress.
Or such questions, the most important
Is that which has arisen out of the ncgo-
tiations with Great Britain in reference to
Central America. ..
By the convention concluded between
the two governments on the 10Th of April
1880, both parties covenanted, that "nei-
Their will ever OCCUPY, or fOrtify, or col
onlze, or assume or exercise any dominion
| over, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, the Mosquito
coast, or any part of Central America.
1t was the undoubted understanding of
the United States, in making this treaty,
that all the present States of the former
republic of Central America, and the en-.
tire territory of each, would thcnceforth
enjoy complete independence and that
both contracting parties 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 un-
der it, were unrescrvedly relinquisheG by
the stiprlations Of the convention and
that no dominion was thereafter to be OK
ercised or assumed in any part of Central
America, by Great Britain or the United
States.
Thissgovernmcnt consented to rcstric-
tons in regard to II region of country
wherein we had specific and peculiar in
tcrests, only upon the conviction that the
like restrictions were in the same sense OBJ
! llgatory on Great Britain. But for this
nSderstopd;nr of ,ho f,s., nj or',, -
the convcntinn l. would nevor baro ham
concluded bv ne
So clcnr was this undors,ond;ro ~, ,bo
mart of tho ITnitoI S,.tos that ;,9s $500
popdencc contemnor,,onno With .ho rat;-
iieation of the convention il was distinct.
! ly expressed, that the mutual covenants
OF non-occupation were not intended to APP
DIV to the British establishments At Tie
| Balize This qualification i. 70 10 cell
ed to the fact, that. in virtua If sncccs.ivo
treaties with prcvious sovrrc;gps If Tho
countrv Grc,t R,;to;n had ohtainoao onn
ccssion of tho RIGHT IN cut mohor,,v ar
dyc.woods ut the Rolize but With 9ns;,iUo
exclusion Of ali domain or sovern;gn,,. and
Tins il confirms tho natural cnns,r1'.t;nn
and understood ;pnort If tha trnotv 80 -
all the rest of the rc,,;op n which Tho sim
ulotions onnl;rd
If. however,. becomo onn,rcpt If an
early dav after entering man Tho DISCHARGE
of NV nroscnt rrnc,;er. H., Croa, re;
to,n s,;ii continued i, tI,o nvnro;.o or me-
sortion of LARGE outhor;tv in nh that nnrt
of Central America commonly colIrd tho
Mosouito coast, and covcrin@ ,Le cnt;rc
! length of the State of Nicar,pua. and =
part of Costo R;ca: that she rcgardcd tho
| Balizc az her absolute domain. and was
gradually extending ito limits NJ III, cx-
Dcnse of the State If Honduras and, that
she had formally colonized considerable
insular group known as the Bny Islands,
and belonging, of right to that State.
All these acts Or prctensious of Groot
Britain, being contrary to the rights of the
States of Central America, and to the
manifest tenor Of her stipulation. with the
United States, as understood by this gov
ernmcnt, have been made the subj ect of
negotiation through the American Minis
ter at London. [ transmit herewith the