The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1861-12-04
The President's Message.


abundant harvrsts. You will not be sur
pris,d 10 learn that in the peculiar eAiscn-
cies Of the tines, our intercourse with for
eiyn nations has been attended with pro-
found so'ci,udc. Chieny, turning upon our
own domestic affairs, disloyai portion Of
the American peoplo having during the
whole year been engaged in an attempt to
to divide and destroy the Union. A natl n
which cndures factions and domestic diviS-
ions is exposed to diSrespect abroad, and
one party or both il sure sooner or later to
evoke foreign Intervention. Nations thus
tempted to interfere arc not always able 70
resist the counSeis of seeming expediency
and ungcncrous ambition, although meas.
ures adopted under such influences seldom
sail to be unfortunate and unsencrous to
those adopting the disloyal citizens Of the
u S, who have offered the ruin Of our
country in reward for the aid and comfort
they have invoked, have received less pat.
ronagr and encouragement than they prob
ably expected of it here.
just to suppose, as the insurgents have
seemed to assume. that foreign nations in
this case, disrrgarding all moral, social aud
treaty Obligations, would act solely aud
selfi>hly Tor the most speedy restoration Of
commerce.. including specially the acquisi
ton Of cotton. Those nations appear ~
vet not 10 have seen their way to their 90.
ject more directly or clearly through the
destruction than through the preservation
Of the Union.
If We could dare to believe that foreign
nations are actuatcd by no higher principle
than this, am quite sure sound argument
cunld be Mrde to show them that they
could reaci, their aim more readily. and ea-
silly by aiding to crush this rebellion, than
10y giving encouragement to the principal
thing relied on by ,h., exciting Of foreign
nations to hostility against US, as already
minated is the embarrassment Of CON-
inerce.
T"osc nations, however, not improbably
saw from the first that it was the Union
which made as well our foreign As our do
unestic commerce.. They can scarcely fail
10 perceive that the effort for di>union pro-
Juces the existing difficulty, and that ono
strong nation PROMISES more durable peace
and more extensive. valuable and reliable
comm rec than can the same nation broken
into hostile fragments.
tbs not my purpose to review our dis
EMISSIONS with foreign states, because what
ever NAY be their wishes or dispositions,
the integrity Of our country and tue stabil-
ity Of our government mainly depends not
upon them, but upon the loyalty, patriot
ism, virtue and Intelligence Of the Ameri.
can people; the correspondence itself, With
nut the usual reservations, is herewith sub
United.
ventur. to hope il will appear that We
haze political ,u''rice and iih.rallty to.
wards foreign p ~e'S, aver,ins any cause OF
| irritation, aud with trmneSS maintaining
our own rights and honor. Since, however,
il is apparent that here As in every other
state, foreign dangers necessarily attend
domestic dith ruities, | recruitment that al.
.quatc and ample III assures bc adopted Tor
| maintaining the public deiences on every
side. While under the general rec"mmen.
,lation, provisions for defending our coast
| line readily occurs to the mind.
| also in the same connection ask the at.
tention Of Congress to our great lakes and
rivers. 1t is believed that some lurlitica-
| tinns and depots Of arms aud munitions,
with harbor and navigation improvements,
| ut well selected points upon these would he
OF great importance to the national defence
and preservation.
I ask attention to the views Of the Score
tary Of War, expressed in his report upon
the same general subject deem It Of i'm.
portance that the loyal portions Of East
tennessee and Western North Carolina be
connected with KY, and other faithful parts
Of the Union By railroad. therefore rec
omne,d, a. military measure, that Con.
grrss provide t"r the construction OF such
a road al speedily as possible. Kentucky
will no doubt cooperate, and through her
legislature make the most judicious selec.
ton Of the line The nothern terminus
must connect with some existing railroad,
and whether the route shall bc from Lex
ington or Nicholsville. to Cumberland Cap
or from Lebanon to the Tennessee line, il,
the direction Of Knoxville, e some still
dfftren, line. can easily be determined.
kentucky and tho General Guverumen,
co operating. the work can he e"mpleted il
a very short time, and when done, it viii
be not only of vast present usefulness, bu
also an available and permanent improve
ment, worth its cost in all the future. Sum,
treaties, designed chiefly for the Interests o
commerce, aud hav ng no grave political i'm
portance, have been negotiated. and will b.
submitted to the Senate ier their considera
ton.
Although we have failed to induce som,
"f the commercial powers to adopt de>ira
bic an,elioraihn 0r the rig-r Of maratilm,
war, we have far removed all the obstacl.,
from the way Of their human reform, ex
ccpt such as are merely Ut temporary an.
accidental occurrence.
!. invite your attention 10 the correspen
dcncc between her Brltanic Majesty's min
| lister vccrelited 10 this Government, all.
The Secretary Of State relative to the d'tcn
ton Of the British ship Peatlshirr in Jun
last by the U. 5. steamer Massachusetts, 70
!, a supposed breach Of the blockade. A
this detention was occasioned by an ohviou
misappreh, nsion Of the facts, and as justic
requires that we commit no bcligercnt &C
: not founded in strict right as sanctioned b.
3 public law, recommend that IA appropr
alton be made to satisfy the reasonable d.
mand OF the owners OF the vessel for he
detention.
regret the recommendation Of my pred
ecessOr in his annual mes>.ge to Congrcs
{ in Dec. last, in regard to the disposition.
f ,hs surplus which will probably remain a
. ter satisfying the claims of American CIT
zens against China, pursuant to the award
y of the commits. ipnrrs under he act Of til
o 5 | Of March. 1859. u, however, it shoul
not be deemed advisable to carry that re-
oinmcndat,on into effect, | would s.,gge,
I that authority be given for investiI z Il,
( principal over the surplus referred t.,
good S .curities, .ith view to the Satisia.
: ton Of such other just claims Of our ci,
}, Gems against China. as is not unlikely |
arise IArsaft r in the course Of our exte,
Siye trade With that empire.
n BY the act OF the b Of August las
;. Congress authorized tbs President to il
struct the commanders OF suitable vesse
= to defend themselves against, and TO cal
,urc pirates. a..
This au h'rity has been exercised in