Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1861-12-06
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Felloao- Citizens Of the Senate
and House of ReDresentafires

FelIoac Citizens of the Senate
and House of Representatives.:
In the midst of unprecedented politica
troubles, we have cause of great gratitude tt
, God for unusual good health and most abun
. dant harvests
You will not be surprised to learn that, il
the peculiar cxigencies of the times, our in
tercourse with foreign nations has been ut
tended with profound solicitude, chiefly turn
ing upon our own domestic affairs. A dis
loyal portion of the American people have
during the whole year, been engaged in al
attempt to divide and destroy the Union. A
nation which cndures factious domestic di
visions is exposed to disrespect abroad, ant
one party, or both, is sure, sooner or later, t.
invoke foreign Intervention. Nations thus
tempted to interfere are not always able tC
resist the cOunsels of seeming expediency
and ungenerous ambition, although measures
adopted under such influences seldom fail te
be unfortunate and injurious to those adopting
them. The dlsloyal citizens of the United
States, who have offered the ruin of our coun
try in return for the aid and comfort which
they have invoked abroad, have received less
patronage and encouragement than they prob
ably expected, if it were just to suppose, as
the insurgents have seemed to assume, that
foreign nations in this case, disrcgarding all
naval, social and treaty obligations, would act
solely and sellishly for the most speedy res
toration of commerce, including specially the
acquisition of cotton. Those nations appea.
as yet not to have seen their way to their OBJ.
.ject more directly through the destruction
than the preservation of the Union. If we
could dare to believe that foreign nations are
actuated by no higher principle than this, l
am quite sure a 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 encour-
agenent to the principal lever relied
on by the exciting of foreign nations to hos
tility against us, as already intimated, as the
embarrassment Of commerce.
| Those nations, however, not improbably
saw from the first that it was the Union which
made as we'll our foreign as our domestic com
merce. They can scarcely fail to perceive
that the effort for disunion produces the ex-
isting 'ifficulty, and that one strong nation
promises more durable peace and more and
extensive, valuable and desirable commerce
than can the same nation broken into frag-
ments. It's not my purpose to review our
discussions with foreign States. Whatever
integrity of our country anu the stability of
our government mainly depends, not upon
them, but upon the loyalty, patriotism, vir-
tue and intelligence of the American people.
The correspondence itself, with the usual res
ervatons, is herewith submitted l venture
to hope it will appear that we have prac,iced
prudence and lib raity towards foreign pow
, ers, avoiding causes of irritation, and, with
firvpNn rfoypi nyyr r,orl,f nd
honor. Since, however, it is apparent that
essariiy attend domestic difficulties, I rec
ommend that adequate and ample measures
be adopted for maintaining the public defens-
es on every side.
While under this general recommendation,
provision for defending our coast line readily
occurs to the mind also, in the same con-
great lakes and rivers. 1t is believed that
some fortlcations and depots of arms and
munitions with harbor and navigation i'm
provements at well selected points upon these,
would be of great Importance to the national
defcnse and preservation | ask attention to
the views of the Secretary Of War, expressed
in his report upon the same general subject.
deem it of Importance that the loyal re
Carolina should be connected with Kentucky
and other faithful parts of the Union by rail
road. |, therefore, recommend, as !, military
struction of such a road as speedily as posi-
BILE. Kentucky will no doubt cooperate, and
through her Legislature, make the most Judi
cious selection OF the line. The northern ter
minus must connect with some existing rail-
,ho<t, \, hall Ho F,o,> T
ington or Nicholas, lille, to Cumberland Gap,
or from Lebanon to the Tennessee line, in
the direction of Knoxville, or some still differ
ent line can easily be determined. Kentucky
and the general government cooperating, the
work can be completed in a very short time,
and when Gone it will be not only of vast
present use, but also an available permanent
improvement, worth its cost in all the future
Some treaties designed chiefly for the in
terests of commerce, and having no grave po
litical importance have been negotiated, and
will be submitted to the Senate for their con-
sideration. Although we have failed to in
duce some of of the commercial powers to
adopta desirable ameloration for the rigor Of
maritime 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.
invite your attention to the correspond
ence between Her Britanic Nlajesty's minis
ter, accredited to this Government, and the
Secretary of State relative to the detention of
the British ship Perthshier, in June last, by
the U. S. steamer Massachusetts,, for sup
posed breach of the blockade. As this de-
tenSion was occasioned by an obvious misap-
prehension of the facts, and as justice requires
that we should commit no beligerent act not
founded in strict right and sanctioned by
public law, | recommend that an approppia-
ton be n.ade to satisfy the reasonable de-
mand of the owners of the vessel for her de.
tention.
| repeat the recommendation of my prede-
cessor, in his annual message to Congress in
December, in regard to the disposition of the
surplus which will probably remain after sat
isfying the claims OF American citizens against
China, pursuant to the awards of the Commits
sioners under the act of Sd of March, 1859.
If, however, it should not be deemed advisa-
BILE to carry that recommendation into feet,
would suggest that authority be given for
investing the principal over the surplus
referred to in good securities, with view to
the satisfaction of such other just claims of
our citizens against hina as are not unlike
ly to arise hereafter in the course of our extcn-
sion trade with that Empire. By the act of
the 5th of August last, Congress authorized
the President to entrust the commanders of
suitable vessels to defend themselves against,
and to capture, pirates This authority has
been exercised in single instance only. For
the more eff,ctual protection Of our extensive
and valuable commerce in the Eastern seas,
especially, it seems to me that it would also
be advisable to authorize the commanders of
sailing vessels, to recaptnre any prizes which
pirates may make, of United States vessels
and their cargoes, and the consular courts
established by law in Eastern countries to
adjudicate the cases of the government, if
this should not be objected to by the local
authorities.
If any good reason exists why we should
perscvere longer in Withholding our recogni-
ton of the independence and sovereignty Of
lUT i r IL