Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-02-22
Message from the President ofths United
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states.
The following message was transmitted from
the President 81 the United States 70 Congress-
Friday: 80
10 N; Senase and House Of Representatives
The brief period which remains OF your present
session, and the great urgency and importance Of
Legislative action before it's termination, for the
protection Of American citizens and their proper
ty whilst in transit across the 1sthmus routes be-
tween our Atlantic and Pacific possessions, render
it my duty against to recall this subject to your
notice ! have heretofore presented it in my an
nual messages of December, 1857 and 1858. To
which beg leave TO refer. In the latter state
"ihat the executive government OF this country, IN
its intercourse with fore On nations is limited IL
the employment Of plomacy alone When this
fails it can proceed no further. IL cannot legit-
mately resort To force without the direct authori-
ty of Congress, except in resisting and repe,iing
hostile attacks. 1t would have no authority to
ter the territories Of Nicaragua, even to prevent
the destruction of the transit aud protect the lives
and property of our own citizens on their pas
sage. 1t is true that on sudden emergency Of
this character the President woud direct any
force in the vicinity to march to their relief,
but in doing this he would act upon his
sponsibility.
Under these circumstances, | earnestly recon-
mend to Congress the passage of an net authori-
zing the President, under such restrictions ms hey
may deem proper, to employ the land and naval
sit from being obstructeJ or closed by lnwless yo-
lcnce, and in protecting the lives and property Of
American citizens travelling thercupon, requiring
Mt the same tins that these forces shall be with
drawn the moment the danger shall have passed
AWAY. Without such provision our citizens will
be constantly exposed to interruption in their pro-
gress, and to nwlcss violence.
"A similar necessity exists for the passage of
such an act for the protection Of the Panama and
Tehuanicpee routes.
Another subject, equally important commanded
the altcnti Of the Senate at the last session oi
Congress.
The republics south of the United States ON this
continent have, unfortunately, been frequently IA
IA stne Of revolution aud civil war ever since they
achieved their Independence. As one "r the other
party has prevailed and obtained possession Of the
ports open to foreign commerce. they have selzed
and conliscateI American vessels and their car
goes in mn arbitrary and las less manner, and ex-
tractcl money from Americans citizens by forced
Loans, and other violent proceedings to enable
them to carry ON hos,ilities. The executive gov
rrnments of Great Britain, France. and other
countries. possessing the war-making power, eau
promptly employ the necessary means to enforce
immediate redress for similar ouragos upon their
subjects. Not ~ the executive government Of the
nitcd States It the President orders II vessel
oi-war /, any Of these States to demand prompt
redress toi outrages committed. the offending par
ties ARE we'll aware that in case Of refusal the
mnndcr can do more than rcm0nstrntc. lie
can resort To hostile act. The question must
then hc referred to diplomacy and in many
adequate redress can never be obtained. Thus
American citizens are depriy ed of the same protcc
ton, under the flag of their country, which the
subjects Of other nations enjoy. The remedy for
this state of things can only be supplied by Com
grcss, since the constitution has confided to that
body nj me the power to make war. Without the
authority of Congress- the executive cannot law
tul "A tDrpp however q /
the Of diilculty,to enter the territory Of Mex
leo, Nicaragua, or New Grenada, for the purpose
of defeating the persons and property OF American
citizens, even though they may be violently as
sailed whilst passing in peaceful transit over the
Tchunntcprr, Nicaragua, or Panama routes. lie
cannot, without transcrnding his constitutional
power. direct gun to b. fired into porter land
IL seaman marine to protect the lives Of our
coun,rymcn on shore. or to obtain redress for n
recent outrage on their property. The banditi
which lnies our neighborng republic Of Mexico.
always claiming to belong to one or the other Of
the hostile parties, might make n sudden descent
ON Vera Cruz the Tehuantepec route and he
would hive no power to employ the force on ship
board in the vicinity for their relief either to pre-
vent the plumber of our merchants or the dcstruc-
ton Of the transit.
In reference to countries where the local author
tiles are strong enough to enforce the laws, the
difficulty here indca ted can seldom happen
but where this is not the case and the local author
tiles do not possess tho physical power, even if
they possess the will, protect citizens within
their limits, recent experience has shown that the
American Executive should itself he authorized to
render this protection. Such grant of authority,
thus limit Il in its extent could III no Just sense be
be regarded transfer of the war making pow
er to tho executive. but only as on appropriate
exerc e Of that power by the body to
whom it exclusively belongs. The riot at Panama
in lSj6, in which great number OF our citizens
lost their lives furnishes pointed ILLUSTRATION Of
the necessity which may arise for the exercise of
this authority.
|, Therefore, earnestly recommend to Congress,
on whom the responsibility exclusively rests, To
pass law before their adjournment comforting on
the President the power TO protect tho lives and
property Of American citizens in the cases winch
! have indicated, under such restrictions and CON
dtions IL, they may deem advisable The knoWl-
edge that suco - law exists would of itself 90 far
to prevent the outrages which it is intended to
dress and To render the employment Of force
necessary
W,thott this the President may he placed in
painful position before the meeting of the next Con
srcss In the present disturbed condition OF Mex
leo. and one or more OF the other republics south
"t Us, no person can loresec what occurrences may
take place before that period In ofemergen-
cy, seeing that they do not enjoy the same proiec
ton with subjects of European governments Will
have ust cause to complain. On the ether hand,
should the executive interposc, and especially
should the result prove disastrous, and valuable
lives lie lost. he might subject himself to severe
censnre for having assumed power not contidel
to him by. the constitution. It's to guard against
this contingency that | now appeal to Congress
Having thus recommended 70 Congress. mea-
sure which deem necessary and expedientio for the
interest and honor Of the country, leave the
whole subject to their wisdom and discretion.
JAMES BUCHANAN