Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1858-12-22
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PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
I.CONCLUDED

tn August, 1872, the Accessory Transit
Comrany made its Fl rst interoccaDic trip over
the Nicaraguan rou te, ard continued in sue
casfuI operation, ith great advantage to
,be Dublic. until the 10th Of February, 1856,
when II was closed. aud the grant to this
,onpany. as we'll as its charter, was sum-
u,rly and arbitrarily revoked by the Gov
srmept Of Rivas Previous to this date,
however, in IS54, serious disputes concerning
Ne settlement of their accounts had arisen
between the Company and the Government,
threatening the interruption of the route at
snv moment These the United States in
vain endcayored to compose. It would be
useless to narrate the various proceedings
which took place between the parties, up Till
the time wheL the transit was discontinued.
Suffice it TO saw, that since February, 1880,
it hss remained closed. greatly to the preju-
dice of citizens Of the United States Since
that time the competition has ceased between
the rival routes Of Panama aud Nicaragua,
aud IN Guouce thereof. an unjust and
unreasonable amount has been exactcd from
our citizens for their passage to uud from
California
A treaty was signed on the 10Th day Of
November, 1857, by the Secretary Of State
nd Minister of Nicaragua, under the stipu-
atoms Of which the use and protection of the
transit route would nave been secured, not
rnly to the United Statds, but equally to al
ether nations. How aud on what preteXts
tbs treaty. has failed t. receive the ratifca-
ton Of the Niclraguau Government will ap-
pear bv the papers herewith communicated
from the State Department. The principal
ohcctien seems to have been to the provision
,1,honI:ng the United States to employ force
to keep the route open, in case Nicaragua
s5oud fail to perform her duty in this re-
sYet,
From the fecblencss Of that republic, its
ieluent changes of government, and the
constant internal dissentiODs, this had become
smost important stipulation. and one essen
! aly necessary not only for the security OF
tie route, but for the safety of American
citizens passing and repassing to aud from
our Pacific possessions. Were such stipu,
latiOn embraced in treaty between the
United States aud Nicaragua, the knowledge
of this fact would of itself most probably
prevent hostile parties from committing az
gresslons on the route. and render our actua
Interference for its protection unnecessary
The Executive Government of this country
| IN its intercourse with foreign nations, Is linn
tied to the employment of diplomacy alone
WheC this fails. it can proceed no further
licannot leCitimately resort to force, wlthou
tie direct authority of Congress, except i
r.ssting and repelling hostile attacks. |
sould have no authority to enter the terri
0res of Nicaragua, even to preveut the de
sruciion of the transit, and protect the live
and property of their own citizens on thei
passage Ii is true, that on sudden emer
gency Of this character, the President woul
direct any armed force in the vicinity t
march to their relief; but in doing this, h
would act upon his own responsibility.
Under these circumstances | carnestl
commend to Congress the passage Of tn
Set authorizing the President, under sue
;estrictions as they may deem proper. to em
loy the land and naval forces of the Unite
Ntatcs IN preventing the transit from bein
aos!Eucted or closed by lawless violence, an
n.PFotecting the lives and property of Amer
Nan citizens travelling thereupon, rCquirln
u the same time that these forces shall be Wit
4:aSn the moment the danger shall hav
passed away Without such a provision
14 citizens will be constantly exposed to IN
%.'TIuptiOn in their progress, and to lawles
Violence
a similar necessity exists for the passag
VI such an act for the protection of the Pa
lama and Tehuantepec routes.
,, II reference to the Panama route, th
ypl'ed States, by their existing treaty wit
Ssw ,.E Granada, expressly guarantee the net
s@aAty OF the Isthmus, with the view tn
~e Zee transit from the one to the other sc
"a. way not be interrupted or embarrassed
'U{ @ tuture time while this treaty exists"
ob;L b""1 regard to the Tehuantepec rout.
MY. nasa has been recently opened under tt
TaN TeSI favorable auspices, our treaty wit
nI tteo OF the 30th December, 1858, cure
b,n' us clezens of the United States right
j;,a jaSt' over 1t for their persons and merchal
,I,Ti anu ~! stlpulates that neither Governmel
,I,a mterpose any obstacle" thereto.
n ,.'des ,uOacedes to the United States the s'rigI
"'nsport across the Isthmus, in close