The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1861-12-13
Presidents S Message.
FeiiOw Chisens Of The Seaote and House Of
RrprtsentaLUes:


troubles VIZ have cause of great gratitude
to God for unusual good health aud most
abundant harvesIs. You will not DO sur.
priscd TO learn that in tho pccnliar exig
gcnciGs of tho times our intercourse viii
Iorelgn nations has been attended with pro.
found solicnude. chiefly turning upon our
own domestic affairs.
A dsloyai portion of tho American peo.
Pile have, during tho whole year, boon en.
gagged in an uttompt to dividu aud destroy
tho Unon. A nation which cndurcs factIous
domestic divisions is exrnsed to disresp pect
abroad, and ono party. or both are sure, soon.
er or later, to invoke foreign Intervention
Nations thus tempted to Interfere arc not
always ablo to resist the couusels of seeming
exprdicncy and ungeneruus ambition, al.
though measures adopted under such in
flueuccs seldom iail to be- unfortunate and
Injurious 10 those adopting them.
Tho diSloyal cilizons Of the United States.
who have offered the ruin o! our country in
reward tor tho aid aud cnmturt which they
havo invoked abroad, Lavo received less
patronage and encouragement tkan thoy
probably expected. If II woro Just to sup.
pose, us tho insurgents havo seemed to as
sumo, that foreign nations, in this case, dis
regarding all moral, social and treaty obi.
cations, would uct solely and sellishv for
the most speedy restoration of commerce,
including, specially, tho acquisition o. cotton.
these nations appear as YET not TO have suen
their way To ihoir object more directly or
clearly through the destruction than through
tho preservation of tho Union. 1t wo could
dare to believe that foreign nations are
actuated by no higher principle than this.
am quito sure second argument could
be made to show that thoy could reach
their aim moro readily and easily by aiding
to crush this rebellion than by giving en-.
ceurogement to the principal lover rolled
on by 1.-THE exciting Of toreign nations
to hostility against US, rs already iutimated,
in tho embarrassment of cOn.me.co. Those
natious, however, not improbably saw from
the first that il was tho Union which mado
as we'll our foreign as our domestic com.
merce. They can scarcely fail to perceive
that the effort tor dlsunion produces the
existing difficulty, and that ono strong ma.
tion promises moro durable peace, and II
more extensive, valuable and reliable com
merco, than tho same nation broken into
hostile fragments. IL is not my purpose to
roview our discussions with foreign Statos
because, whatever might DO their wishes or
dispositions, the integrity of our country
and the stability Of our Government uninly
depend, not upon them. but upon the low.
atty, patriotism, virtuo and intelligence of
the American people. The correspondence
itself, with tho usual reservations, is herewith
submitted. venture to hopo il will appear
that VIC have practiced prudence and ibor.
aiity towards foreign p0wors, ,avorting causes
of irritation, and with firmness maintaining
our own rights and honor. Since. Eowoycr
IL is apparent that here, MS in evorv other
State. foreign dangers neces ssariiy attend
domestic difficulties, recommend that ade.
quate and ample measures be adopted for
maintaining the public defences on every
side; while under this general recommend.
alton provision for defending our coast line
readily occurs to tho mind.
l also, IN the same connection, ask the
attention Of Congress to our great lakes aud
rivers. IL is believed that somo iortificu
tons and dcpots of arms and munitions.
with harbOr aud navigation Improvements
ut we'll selected points, upon these, would
be ot great importance to the national de-
tense aud preservation. / ask attention to
the views of the Secretary of War, expressed
in his rcpOrt upon the Same general subject
deem il of Importance that the loyal re-
giOns Of East Tenn, ssee and Western North
Carolina should be connected with Ken.
tucky ard other faithful parts of tho Union
by railroad. | therefore recommend as a
military measure, that Congress provide for
tho construction of such u road as speedily
as possible. Kentucky will no doubt CO
operate, and through her Legislature make
the most judiciOus selection of the limo -
Tho northern terminus must connect with
some existing railroad, and whether the
route shall be from Legington or Nicholas.
viilo to Cumberland Gap, or from Lebanon
20 the Tennessee line. in tho direction OF
Knoxville, or some still different line. can
easily be determined Kentucky and the
General Government cooperating. the work
can be completed in a very short time, and
when done. it will be not only of vast pres
sent usefulness, but also an available per
manent improvement. worth its cost in all
the future.
Some treaties designed chiefly for the In.
forests of commerce, and having no gave
political importance, have been negotiated.
and will be submitted to tho Senate for their
consideration. Although wo have failed to
induce some of the commercial powers 10
adopt desirable melioratiOn for tho rigOr
OF maritime war, wo have far removed oil
tho obstacles from the way of their humane
reform, except such as are merely OF TEN
porary and accidental occurrence. l in
vito your attention TO the correspondence
between her Britantic Majesty's Minister
accredited to this Government, and the
Secretary of State, relative to the detention
of the British ship Perthshire. in June last
BY the United States steamer Massach usetts
for a supposed breuch OF tho blockade. A.
this detention was accustomed by an obvious
misrepresentation of the facts, aud as jus
tice requires that we should commit M
bellgerent act not founded in strict right as
sanctioned by public law, / recommend that
an appropriation be made to satisfy tho
reasonable demands of the ownors of the
vessel for her detention.
repeat tho recommendation of my pred
ecessor. in his annual message TO Congress
in December last, in regard to tho dispOsi'
| tiOn of tho surplus which will probably ro
main after satisfying tho claims of American
citizens against China, pursuant to the
awards Of the Commissioners, under the
act OF the Sd of March, 1859. II. however
! it should not be deemed advisable to carry
that recommendation into effect. would
suggest that authority be given for investing
the principal. over tho surplus referred to
in good securities, with view to the satis
faction of such other just claims of Oul
citizens against China as arc not unlikely
to arise hereafter in the course of our OK