The hydraulic press. (North San Juan, Nev. Co., Cal.) 1858-18??, 1859-01-01
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.


On one point, doubtless, allwill agree
that it is elaborate, perspicuous, able,
and lengthy. The last it could not but
be, owing to the unusual number of in
teresting topics requiring to be treated
the Kansas embrogIio, the Utah war,
our relations with China and Japan,
with Great Britain, France, Spain, and
Mexico; the Cuban annexation project,
Central American affairs, the Paraguay
affair, the SLAYER Echo, and the various
questions of domestic cenoernment, not
emitting the great topic of the Pacific
Railroad On all these questions the
President-expresses himself with an ap-
pearance of candor and with clearness,
giving a comprehensive statement of
the present condition of each. He de-
votes the most attention to the Kansas
question, and suggests to Congress the
propriety of passing a general act which
shall permit the admission of new States
only at such time as they shall contain
a sufficient number of inhabitants to
entitle them to one member of Con-
gress. 1t is In connection with this
subject of Kansas, which has been such
sore one to him, that the President
makes the only allusion to "Divine
Providence" which is to be found in
the whole message. In regard to the
acquisition of Cuba, he reiterates the
well known arguments heretofore en-
ployed by the friends of that measure;
thinks the slave trade cannot be stop
ped so long as that island remains a
Spanish colony, which fact also will pre-
vent peaceful relations with Spain; en-
larges upon the commercial Importance
of the island to the people of the Uni
ted States; says it commands the mouth
of the Mississippi, and the immense
and annually increasing trade of which
that noble stream is the highway; and
intimates that he should be intrusted
with the means of making an advance
to the Spanish government iu case of
successful negotiation, and without wait
ing the tedious action of Congress on
the treaty.
The most striking feature of the
message is proposition for the govern
ment of the United States to ass me a
temporary protectorate over the northern
portions of chihuahua and Sonora, and
to establish military posts within the
same; "this protection to be withdrawn
as soon as local governments shall be es-
tablished in those Mexican States, ca
pable of performing their duties to the
United States, restraining the lawless,
and preserving peace along the border"
The President takes decided yet fair
and uDobjectionable ground in favor of
the free and unobstructed use of the
Isthmus transit routes to all nations
equally. Inregard to the difficulty with
Paraguay, he alludes to the fact of the
appointment of commissioner to pre-
cede the naval expedition to that coun-
try, and INDUCES the hope that he may
prove successful in his mission.
10 swell the revenue so as to make it
equal to tho expenses of the govern
ment, an increased tariff by specific
duties is advised, and deliberate opin-
ion expressed that specific duties are
the best, if not the only means of secu-
ring the revenues against fraud.
The Pacific Railroad the President
considers to be, in a commercial point of
view, "the great question of the day."
and while he disclaims all authority to
appropriate money for the construction of
the road, except that derived from the
war-maklng power of the constitution,
he thinks there are important collateral
considerations urging us to undertake
the work as speedily as possible. He
thinks the construction of the road
ought to be committed to companies in
corporated by the States, or other agen-
cies, and that Congress might then
assist them in the work by grants of land
or OF money, or both, under such con-
ditlons and restrictions as would secure
| the TRANSFORMATION of troons and Nun;