The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1861-12-04
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Fsilou. C;tizens cfthe Senate and HOuss
ef Representatives. :
In the midst OF unprecedented political
troubles VIC have cause of great gratitude to
God FOR unusual good health and most album
st,nt harry eSts.
You viii 7et be surprised to learn that in
the peculiar exigcncies Of the times, cur in.
tercoursc with foreign nations has been at.
tended with profound solicitudc, chiefly
turning upon our own domestic affairs. A
disloyal portion of the American people
& have, during the whole year, s,een engaged
in an. attempt to divide and destroy the
Union. A nation which cn6rcs factious
domestic Divisions, is exposed to d;srespect
abroad, and one party Or both is sure, soon
CT or later. to invoke foreign Intervention
Nations thus tempted to interfere are not
always able to resist the counScls Of seem
ing expediency and ungenerons ambition,
although measures adopted under such in.
fuences seldom fail to be unfortunate and
injurious to those adopting them. The dis.
loyal citizens Of the United States who have
offered the ruin Of our country in reward
for the aid and comfort which they have in
voked abroad, have received less patronage
s and encoara cement than they probably ex-
pected. II it were just to suppose, as the
insurgents have seemed to assume, that for
cign nations in this case, disrcgarding all
,Aeral, social and treaty obligations, would
act solely and seltishly for the most speedy
restoration of commerce, including specially
the acquisition Of cotton, those nations ap-
pear as yet not 10 have seen their way to
their object more directly through the des-
.truction than through the preservation OF
1.-The Union
If we could dare to believe that foreign
nations are ac'uated by no higher principle
than this, ] am quite sure a sound argu-
ment could be made to show them that they
d 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 ma.
tioas to hostility against US, as already init
mated, is the embarrassment of commerce.
Those n,tions. however, not improhabNr
saw from the first that it was the Union
which made as well our foreign as cur do
nestle commerce They can scarcely fail
10 perceive that the effort for disunion pro-
duces the existing difficulty, and that ore
strong nation promises more durable peace
and a more extensive, valuable and reliable
commerce than can the same nation broken
int, hostile fragments aG asa
1t is not my purpose to review our discus
sions with foreign states, b cause whateve,
might be their wishes or dispositions the
integrity and stability Of cur government
mainly depends not upon them, but upon
the loyalty, patriotism, virtue and intelli.
gence OF the American people. The cores
pondence itself, with the usual reservations,
is herewith submitted. venture to hope
Z 1t will appear that we have practiced pru.
dence and lbcrahty towards foreign powers,
averting causes of irritation, and with firm
ness maintaining on, own rights and honor
Since, however, it is apparent that here, as
in every other state, foreign dangers neces.
sarily attend domestic difficulties. U<aE
gfz recommend that adequate and ample
naeasuoes no be adopted for maintaining the
cubic defences on every side, which, under
this general recommendation provisions for
defending ouracoast line re Oily occurs to
the mind. also. in the same COMMANDER
ton, ask the attention OF, Congress to our
great lakes and rivers. 1t is believed that
some Notifications and depots Of arms and
munitions, with Earbor and navigation i'm
provcments at we'll selected points upon
these would be of great importance to the
3 national defence aid preservation.
( ask attention to. the views of the Sec
rotary Of War, expressed in his Report up
on the same general subject deem it oil
importance that the loyal regions of Eas,
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 provides FIR the con.
struction of such a road as speedily as pos.
sfble. Kentucky viii no doubt cooperate
and through her Legislature make the most
x judicioas selection Of the line. The north
ern terminus n ust connect with some exist
ing Railroad, and whether the route shall be
from Lexington or Nicho,asviIle to Cumber.
land Gap, or from Lebanon to the Tennessee
line in the direction of Knoxville, or some
other still different line, can easily he deter
mined, kentucky and the General Govern
inent cooperating. The work can be com.
pleted in very short time, and when done
y, twill be not only Of vast present useful
ness, but also an available, permanent i'm
provement, worth all it's cost in the future
~ Some treaties designed chiefly for the in.
q tercsts OF commerce, and having no grave
- pol tical importance have been negotiated,
and will be submitted to the Senate for thei,
consideration. ss
Although We have failed to induce some
Of the commercial powers to adopt desira.
de melioration for the rigor Of maratime
war; We have far removed all the obstacles
snfroin the way of their humane reform, ex
cept such as are merely Of temporary and
accidental occurrence.
'.' Pinvite your attention t, the correspond
eoce between her Britannia Majesty's Min
lister accredited to this Government. and the
Secretary Of State, relative to the detention
z Of the British ship Ptrthshier, in June last,
: by the u. s. steamer Massachusetts for a
q supposed breach of the blockade As this
detention was occasioned by, an obvious
Misrepresentation Of the facts, and as Justice
requires that we should commit no bellig.
crent act not founded in strict right, sane
toned by public law. / recommend that an
appropriation be made to satisfy the reason
able demands of the owners of the vessel
for her detention, a
Se f'repeat the Recommendation Of my pre-
decessor, in his annual Message to Congress
in December Hast, in regard to the DISPOSE.
ton Of the surplus which will probably re-
maid after satisfying the claims Of Amcri-
b can citizens against China, pursuant to the
ID awards Of the Commissioners Under the act
of tie, 3D. of March, 1859. g.; II, however, it
sEonld not be deemed advisable to carry the
Recommendation into effect. would suggest
2 that authority lie given for investing the
Is principal, over the surplus, referred to, in
good securities. with a view to the saiisfac-