Kanawha Valley star. [volume] (Charleston, Va. [W. Va.]) 1856-1861, 1859-03-01
Msssass from thsPrssidshi oiJths United
NtatfS Fa 80 8ff
The following message was transmitted
from the President of the United States
70 Congress on Friday week:
70 Tie Senate and Horse of j
Repress1lt0tiveS

Representatives.!
The brief period which remains Of your
present session, and the great urgency
and importance of legislative action, be-
fore It's termination, for the protection Of
American citizens and their property
whilst ID transit across the Isthmus routes
between our Atlantic and Pacific posses
sions, render it my duty again to recall
this subject to your notices. I have here
tofore presented 1T IN my annual mes
sages, bothsof December, 1857 and 1858,
70, which beg leave torefer. in the lat
ter I state that q the executive govern
ment Of this country, IN Its intercourse
with foreign nations, is limited to thesem.
|ployment of diplomacy alone When this
fails it can proceed no further. Il cannot
legitimately resort to force without the
direct authority Of Congress except in re-
sisting and repelIiDg hostile attacks. II
would have no authority to enter the ter
ritories Of Nicaragua, even to prevent the
destruction Of the transit and protect the
lives and property Of our own citizens on
their passage. It is true that On sud
den emergency Of this character the Pres
ident would direct any armed force in the
yieiuity, ITO march to tEeirreli but in do
ing this he would act upon his own re-
sppnsibility.. s.. Esd
'"Under these circumstances, ] earnest
" recommend to Congress the passage Of
an act authorizing the President, under
such restrictions as they may deem prop
er, to employ the land and naval forces of
the United States in preventing the tram
sit from being INSTRUCTED or closed by
lawless violence, and in protecting the
lives and property Of American citizens
travelling thereupon, requ ring, ut the
same time that these forces shall be,with-,
drawn the moment the danger Shall have
passed away. Without such provision
ourlcitiz4ns will be constantly exposed ITO
interruption in their progress, and to law
less violence. ssf-55s, a,s sss8 i 54
- A similar necessity exists for the
passage of such an act for the protection
of the Panama and Tehauntepee routes"
Another subject, equally important,
commanded the attention of the Senate at
the laat session of Congress. ta4s
The republics south OF the United
States or this continent have, unfortu-
nately, been frequently in state ofsreyor
luton and civil war ever since they
achieved their Independence, AS one Of
the other party has prevailed and obtain
ed possession olfthe pests open toforeigp
commerce, they have seized and confiscas
ted American vessels and their cargoes in
an arbitrary and alaWless manner. and ex-
acted money from American citizens BY
forced loans. and other violent proceed
/ ings to enable them to. carry onihostilities.
The executive governments Of Great
Britain, France and other countries, pos
sessing the war 1making power, can
promptly employ the necessary means to
enforce immediate redress for similar out
RACES upon their subjects. Not So the
executive government of the United
States. If the President orders a vessel
of,war to any of these ports to demand
prompt redress for outrages committed,
the offending parties are well aware that
in case of refusalIthe commander can do
more than remonstrate. He can resort
to no hostile act The question must
then be referred to diplomacy. aud in
many cases adequate redress car. never be
obtained n Thus American citizens are
deprived Of the same protection. under
1.-THE flag Of their country which the sub
ljectsof other nations enjoy. The remedy
Tor this state Of things can only be sup
piled BY Congress, since lthe constita-
ton has confded to that body alone the
power to make. war. Without the author
ity Of Congress, the Executive cannot
lawfully direct any force. however near, it
may be to the scene of difficulty, to enter
the tefritory/or Mexico. Nicaragua, Or
Now Granada. for The purpose Of defend
ing the persons aud property Of Ameri-
can citizens, even though they may be
violently assaulted whilst passing ID peace
f1l transit over the Tehauntepec, Aicara-
qua, or Panama routes. He cannot,
without transcending his constitutional
power. direct a gun to be fired into d
port, or land a seaman orimarins to pro-
tect the, lives ofopr countrymenon shore,
or to obtain redress for "a recent outrage
on their property The banditti which
infest our neiglboring republictof Mexi-
90. always Claiming to belong to one or
the other of the hostile parties, might
make sudden descent on Vera Cruz Or
on the Tehauntepee route, and he would
have no t,owar 10 employ the force on