Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1861-12-13
Presidents Message,

Presidents Message.
Fsllow- Citizens Of the Senate and
House Of Representatives:
In the midst of unprecedented political
troubles we have cause for great gratitude to
God for unusual good health and most abun-
dant harvests. .u..., ..a...r. a.
.-.rr4 FOREIGN RELATIONS. -. ..s.E
You will not be surprised to learn that in
the peculiar exigencies of the times our inter-
course with foreign nations has been attended
with profound solicitude, chiefly turning up
on our own domestic affairs. A disloyai por.
ton of the American people have, during the
whole year, been engaged in an attempt to
divide and destroy the Union. A nation
which endures factious domestic divisions is
exposed to disrespect abroad, and one party
or both is sure, sooner or later, to invoke
foreign Intervention. Nations thus tempted
to interfere are not always able to resist the
counsels of seeming expediency and ungener
Gus ambition, although measures adopted
under such influences seldom fail to be un.
fortunate and injurious to those adopting
them. The @fsloyal citizens of the United
States who have offered the ruin of our coun-
try in reward for the aid and comfort which
they have invoked abroad, have received less
patronage and encouragement than they
probably expected. fit were just to suppose,
as the insurgents have seemed to assume,
that foreign nations in this case disregarding
all moral, social and treaty obligations, would
act solely and seltishly for the most speedy
restoration Of commerce, including specially
f1,n nf
pear as yet not to have seen their way
to their object more directly or clearly
through the destruction than through the
preservation Of the Union. five could dare
to believe that foreign nations are actuatcd
by no higher principle than this, am quite
sure second argument could be made to
show them that they could reach their aim
more readily and easily by aiding to crush
this rebellion than by giving encouragement
to the principal lever relied on by the exciting
of foreign nations to hostility against us, as
already intimatcd, in the embarrassment of
commerce. Those nation, however, not i'm
probably saw from the first that it was the
Union which made as well as our foreign as
our domestic commerce. They can scarcely
fail to perceive that the effo,t for disunion
produces the existing difficulty, and that one
strong nation promises more durable peace
and a more extensive valuable and reliable
commerce than can the same nation broken
into hostile fragments. 1t is not my purpose
to review our discussions with ftreign States,
because, whatever might be their wishes or
disposition, the integrity of our country and
the stability Of our Government mainly de-
pends, not upon them, but upon the loyalty,
patriotism, virtue and intelligence of the
American people. The correspondence itself,
with the usual reservations, is herewith sub
lnitted. venture to hope it will appear that
we have practiced prudence and liberality
towards foreign powers, averting causes Of
irritation, and with firmncss maintaining our
own rights and honor Te"
-. COAST AND LAKE DErENcEs.
Since, however, it is apparent that here as
in every other State, foreign dangers necessa-
rily attend domestic difficulties, recommend
that adequate and ample measures be adopted
for maintaining the public defences on every
side. While under this general recommen-
dation provision for defending our coast line
readily occurs to the mind. l also, in the
same connection, ask the attention of Con
gress to our great lakes and rivers. 1t is be-
lieved that some Notifications and depots for
CATION improvements at selected points upon
these, would be of great importance to the
national defence and preservation. ask at
tention to the views of the Secretary Of War,
expressed in his report, upon the same gen
eral subject.
MILITARY RAILROAD TO EAST TENNESSEE
| deem it of importance that the loyal re-
gions of East Tennessee and Western North
Carolina should be connected with Kentucky
and other faithful parts of the Union by rail
road. /, therefore, recommend as military
measure, that Congress provide for the con-
structiOn of such road as speedily as possl-
BILE. Kentucky will no doubt cooperate, and
through her Legislature make the most judic-
ious selection of the line. The northern ter
minus must connect with some existing rail
road, and whether the route shall be from
Lexington or Ncholasyille to Cumberland
Gap, or from Lebanon to the Tennessee line
in the direction of Knoxville, or some still
different line, can easily be determined Ken
tncky and the General Government co-opera-
ting, the work cat1 be completed in a very
short time, and when done it will be not only
OF vast present usefulness, but also an availa-
ble permanent improvement, worth the cost
in all the future. s.......
COMMERCIAL TREATIES. g..
= Some treaties designed chiefly for the in
terests Of commerce, and having no grave
political importance, have been negotiated
and will be submitted to the Senate for their
consideration. Although we have failed to
induce some of the commercial powers to
adopt desirable meiiorat.pn for the rigor of
Of maratime war, we have far removed all the
obstacles from the way Of their humane re-
form, except such as are merely of temporary
and accidental occurrence.
THE BRITITH SHIP PERTHsnIRE.
invite your attention. to the correspond
ence between Her Britannia Majesty's Minis
ter accredited to this Government and the
Secretary of State, relative to the detention
of the British ship Pcrthshire, in June last,
by the United States steamer, Massachusetts,,
for supposed breach of the blockade. As
this detention was occasioned by an obvious
Of the facts, and as justice
requires that we should commit no belligercnt
net not founded in strict right as sanctioned
by public law, recommend that an appro-
prati0n be made to satisfy the reasonable
demand nf the Oyvners nf tho vcccnl fnr har |