Red Wing sentinel. [volume] (Red Wing, M.T. [i.e. Minn.]) 1855-1861, 1859-02-26

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TH1s 1'nBsspENT;s sPBCIAL
MESSAGE! oi.qEy
Mexico and Central Americal
IMPORTANT, MOVEMENT !
WAsnlNGroN, Feb, 1s.
The President to-day transmitted a
message to Congress, as follows:
To the Senate and House Of Represe,a-
tutiUes
The brief period which remains Of
your present session, and the great 'ur-
gency and importance of legislative
action before its termination, for the
protection Of American citizens and
their property, whilst in transit across
the Isthmus between our Atlantic and
Pacific possessions, render it my duty
to recall this subject to your notice
l have heretofore presented it in my
ANIMAL messages Of December, 1857
and 1858. to which I beg leave to re-
fer. In the latter 1 stated that the
Executive Government of this country,
in its intercourse with foreign nations,
is limited to the emplyment Of diplo-
macy alone--where this fails it can
proceed no farther. It cannot legiti-
mately resort to force without the di-
rect authority of Congress, except in
resisting and repelling hostile attacks.
1t would have no authority to enter
the Territories of Nicaragua, even to
prevent the destruction of the transit,
and protect the lives and property of
our own citizens on their passages. 1t
is true that on sudden emergency of
this character, the President would di-
rect any armed force in the vicinity to
march to their relief, but in doing this
he would he acting upon his individual
responsibility. Under these circum-
stances l earnestly recommend to Con-
gress the passage Of an act authorizing
the President, under such restrictions
as they may deem proper. to employ
the land and naval forces of the United
States in preventing the transit from
being obstructed or closed by lawless
violence, and in protecting the lives
and property of American citizens
travelling thereuPon; requiring, at the
same time, that these forces shall be
withdrawn the moment the danger
shall have passed away. Without
such provision, our citizens will be
constantly exposed to interference in
their progress by lawless violence. A
similar necessity exists for the passage
of such an act for the protection Of the
Panama and Tehuantepec routes.
Another subject equally important
demands the attention OF the Senate,
at this, and the last session Of Congress.
The republics south of the United
States, on this continent, have unfor-
tunately been in state of revolution
and civil war ever since they achieved
their independence. As one or anoth.
party has prevailed and obtained pos.
session of the ports open to foreign
commerce, they have seized and con.
fiscated American vessels and their
cargoes in an arbitrary and lawless
manner, and exacted from the Ameri.
can citizens by forced loans and other
violent proceedings, to enable them to
carry on hnstilit:es. The Executive
Governments Of Great Britain, France,
and other countries possessing the war
making power, can promptly employ
the necessary means o.enforce imme.
diate redress tor similar outrages upon
their subjects. Not so the Executive
Government Of the United States. II
the President order a vessel Of war to
any of these ports to demand. prompt
redress for the outrages committed,
the offending parties are we'll aware
that the commander could do no more
than demonstrate. He can resort to ne
hostile act; the question then must be
referred to diplomacy, and in many
cases adequate redress can: never be
obtained. The American citizens are
deprived Of the same protection under
|the flag of their own country, which
the subjects Of other nations enjoy
The remedy for this state Of things
can only be supplied by Congress IS
|since the Constitution has confided te
that body alone the power to make wal
/ Without the authority of Congress, The
: President cannot lawfully direct any
!! force, however near it may be to the
: scene OF difficulty, to enter the Terri
tory Of Mexico, or Nicaragua, or New
Granada, for the purpose Of defending
the persons or property Of American
citizens, even though they may be VIC
lently assailed whilst passing in peace
! full transit over the Tehauntepec, Mic
arragua or Panama routes. He can
not without transcending his constitu.
; i;;;;;cc:a! ;;c:.a! power direct a gun to be fired
}, into port, or land a seaman or mar
(ine to protect the lives of our country
! men on shore, or to obtain redress 70,
q recent outrage on, their property
The banditti which infest our neigh
boring Republics of Mexico, Away.
|claiming to belong to one or the other
hostile parties might make a sudden
descent upon Vera Cruz or the TIE.
huantepec route, and he would have
no power to employ force on ship
board in the vicinity for their relief,
|either to prevent the plusder Of our
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