The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1861-12-11
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE

for unusual good health and most abundant
harvests.
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 upon
our own domestic affairs. A disloyal portion
of the American people have, during the whole
year, been engaged in an attempt to divide
and destroy the Union. A nation which en-
dures factious domestic divisions is exposed
to disrespect abroad, and one party, if not
BOTH is sure, sooner or later, to invoke for
eign Intervention. Nations thus tempted to
interfere are not always able to resist the
counsels of seeming expediency and ungener-
oUs ambition, although measures adoDted un-
der such influences seldom fall to be unfor-
tunate and injurious to those adopting them.
The dsloyal citizens of the United States, who
have offered the ruin of our country in return
for the aid aud comfort which they have in
voked abroad, have received less patronage
! and encouragement than they probably ex-
pected. If it were just 10 suppose, as the in
! surgents have seemed TO assume, that foreign
nations in this case, discarding all moral, So
/ cial, and treaty obligations, would act solely
and seliShly for the most speedy restoration
of commerce, including, especially, the acqui-
sition of cotton, those nations appear as vet
not to have seen their way TO their object
more directly or clearly through the dcstruc-
ton than through the preservation of the
/ Union. If we could dare to believe that for
/ eign nations are actuated by no higher prin-
ciple than this, | am quite sure Il second "a
gument 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 encouragement 10 it. The principal
lever relied on by the insurgents tor exciting
foreign nations to hostility against US, as al
ready intimated, is the embarrassment of com
merce. Those nations, however, not improb-
ably saw from the first that it was the Union
which made as well our foreign as our domes-
tic commerce. They can scarcely have failed
/ to perceive that the effort for disunion pro-
duces the existing difficulty, and that one
strong nation promises more durable peace,
ani a more extensive, valuable, and reliable
commerce, than can the same nation broken
into hostile fragments.
1t is not my purpose to review our discus
sions with foreign States, because, whatever
might be the wishes Or dispositions, the in
tegrity of our country and the stability of our
| Government mainly depend. not MON them,
but on the loyalty, virtue, patriotism. and in
telligence of the American people. The cor
respondence ITSELF with the usual reserva-
tions, is herewith submitted. | venture to
hope it will appear that we have practised
prudence and liberality toward foreign pow
ers, averting causes of irritation, and with
/ frmnesS, maintaining our own rights and hon.
or. Since, however, it is apparent that here
as in every other State, foreign dangers nec-
I eSsarily attend domestic difficulties, | recon-
mend that adequate and ample measures be
adopted for maintaining the public defences
on every side. While under this general re-
cOmmendation, provision for defending our
coast line readily occurs 10 the mind, also,
! in the same connection, ask the attention OF
! Congress TO our great lakes and rivers 1t is
believed that some Notifications and depots
/ Of arms and munitions, with harbor and nav
7 igation improvements, at wcll-selected points
uron these. would be of great Importance to
: the National defense and preservation.
/ l ask attention to the views of the Secreta,
~ of War. expressed in his Report, upon the
same general subjects.
/ | 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 a military
measure, that Congress provide for the con-
struction of such a road as speedily as possible.
/ Kentucky viii, no doubt, Cooperate, and
/ through her Legislature, make the most ju-
diciOus selection of a line. The Northern
terminus must connect with some existing
/ railroad and whether the route shall be from
Lexington or Nicholasyille to the Cumberland
/ Gap, or from Lebanon to the Tennessee line
in the direction of Knoxville, or on some still
different line can easily be determined. Ken
/ lucky and the General Government co-ope-
rating, thework can be completed in a very
short time aud when done it Will be not only
of vast present usefulness, but also valuable
permanen: Improvement, worth its cost in all
the future.
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 a desirable melioration of the rigor of
maritime war, we have rem owed all obstruc-
tions from the way of this humane reform.
except such as are merely Of temporary and
accidental occurrence. Invite your attention
to the correspondence between her Britanic
Maiesty's Minister, accredited TO this Govern
ultLL- anu lBC SSCItldlN Vi Clsltt. TGIdLlAt
the detention of the British ship Perthshire
in June last, by the United States steamer
Massachusetts,, for supposed breach of the
blockade. As this detention was occasIoned
by an obvious misapprehension of the facts,
and as justice requires that we should commit
no belligerant act not founded in strict right
as sanctioned by public law, l recommend
that an appropriation be made TO satisfy the
la Nd Of .ba &c.
for her detention.
repeat the recommendation of my prede-
Cessor, in his annual message to Congress in
December last, in regard to the disposition of
the surplus which will probably remain after
satisfying the claims of American citizens
against China, pursuant to the awards of the
Commissioners under the act of the Sd of
March, 1859.
If, however, it should not be deemed adri-
sable to carry that Recommendation into effect,