The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-12-04
STATE OF THE Gu TRY.
THE PRESIDENTS MESSACE.
The Reports of The Navy, Post Office
and Interior Departments.
Splendid Array OF Facts for
the People.
=
How an Effective Navy Can
Be Improvised.
Six Hundred and Fifty Thousand Union
Troops in the Field.
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OUR PUBLIC DOMAIN.
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Improvement im the Post Office
Department.,
&C.. &C.. Go.
Six Hundred and Fifty Thousand Union
Troops in the Field.
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

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FELLOW CITIZENS OF THE SENATE Arp HOUSE, or
REPRESENTATIVES,
In the midst Of unprecedented political troubles
we have cause OF great gratitude to God for un-
usual good health and most abundant harvests.
You will not be surprised to learn that. in the
peculiar exigencies of the times. our intercourse
with foreign nations has been attended with pro-
found socitnde, chiefly turning upon our own do
mestic affairs. distoyal portion Of the American
people have, during The whole year, been engaged
in an attempt to divide and destroy the Union. A
nation which cndures factious domestic divisions is
exposed to disrespect abroad, and party. if not
both is sure, sooner or later, to invoke foreign in
terventon. Nations TINS tempted to interfere are
not always able to resist the counsels Of seeming
expectancy and ungenerous ambition, although
measures adopted under such influences seldom
fail to be unfortunate and injurious to those
adopting them.
THE REBEL INVOCATION OF FOREIGN AID
The disloyal citizens of the United States, who
have offered the ruin of our country in return for
the aid and comfort which they have invoked
abroad, have received less patronage and en-
enlargement than they probably expected. If it
were just to suppose, as the insurgents have
seemed to assume, that foreign nations, in this
case, discarding al moral. social and treaty obi
cations, would act solely and sefshiy for
the most speedy restoration Of commerce, In
Guiding especially the acquisition Of cot.
ton, those nations appear as yet not to
have seen their way to their object more directly
clearly through the destruction than through the
preservation of the Union. If we could dare to
believe that foreign nations are actuated by no
higher principle than this, am quite second
argument could be made to show them that they
can reach their aim more readily and easily by
aiding to crush this rebellion than by giving en-
couragement to it.
THE QUESTION OF INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE.
The principal lever relied on by the insnr-
gents FOR exciting foreign nations to hostility
against us, as already intmated, is the embarrass-
ment Of commerce. Those nations however, not
improbably saw from the first that it was the
Union which made as well our foreign as our do
nestle commerce. They can scarcely have failed
to perceive that the effort for disunion produces
the existing difficulty, and that one strong nation
promises more durable peace and more extern
sive, valuable and reliable commerce than can the
same nation broken into hostile fragments.
COAST AND GENERAL PUBLIC DEFENCEs.
IL Is my puIpusc w tCfitH oW Ws-
cussions with foreign States, because, what.
ever might be their wishes or dispositions. the
integrity Of our country and the stability of our
government mainly depends not upon them, but
on the loyalty virtue, patriotism and intelligence
Of the American people. The correspondence
itself, with the usual reservations, is herewith sub
mitted. venture to hope it will appear that we
have practised prudence and liberality towards
foreign Powers, avertiug causes of irritation
| and with firmness, maintaining our OWL
! rights and honor. Since, however, it i:
| apparent that here, as in every other State
| foreign dangers necessarily attend domestic
| difficulties, / recommend tina. adequate and ample
measures be adopted for maintaining the public
defences on every side, while, under this general
recommendation, provision for defending coast
line readily occurs to the mind. ! also,
in the same connection, ask the atten-
ton of Congress to our great lakes and
rivers. 1t is believed that some Notifications
and depots OF arms and munitions, with harbor and
| navigation improvements at well selected points
upon these, would be of great Importance to the
national defence aud preservation.
ask attention to the views OF The. Secretary Of
War, expressed in his report upon the same general
! subjects.
| MILITARY RAILROAD BETWEEN THE LOYAL PARTS OF
| TENNESSEE, NORTH CAROLINA, KENTUCKY, ETC.
[ | deem it of importance that the loyal regions O
! East Tennessee and Western North Carolina should
be connected with Kentucky and other faithful
parts o. the Union by railroad. | therefore re
| commend, as a military measure that Congress
provide for the construction Of such road as speed
lily as possible. Kentucky will no doubt co
operate, and through her Legislature make th,
most judicious selection Of line. The northern
terminus must connect with some existn,
railroad; and whether the route shall he from
Lexington or Nashville to the Cumberland Gan
or from Lebanon TO the Tennessee line in tn
direction of Knoxville, or on some stn differ
ent line, can easily be determined, Kentucky an,
the general government cooperating, the worl
can be completed in very short time: and whel
done will not only be Of vast present usefulness
but also valuable permanent improvement, wort
its cost in all the future.
! NEW FOREIGN TREATIES.
| Some treaties, designed chiefly for the interest
Of commerce, and having no great political impoi
lance, have been negotiated, and will be submitte
to the Senate for their consideration. Althoug
we have failed to induce some Of the commercial
/ Powers to adopt q desirable moderation of tn
rigor Of maritime war, we have removed all oh
structions from the way Of this humane reform, ex
cept such as are merely Of temporary and accident
| al occurrence.
| THE DETENTION OF THE BRITISH sRr PHRrHsH1Rs
invite your attention TO the correspondence be
tween her Britannia Majcsiy's Minister, aceredte,
to this government and the Secretary of State
relative to the detention of the British ship Perth
shire. in June last, by the United States staame