The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1861-12-07
The Presidents MESSAGE
fcll0ao Citizens Of tie Senate and House of

! Representatives:
In the midst of unprecedented political
troubles, we have cause of great gratitude
to God FOR unusual good health and most
abundant harvests. You will not be sur
prised to learn that in the peculiar ext
gencies of the times, our intercourse with
foreign nations has been attended with
profound solIcitude, chiefly turning upon
our own domestic affairs
disloyal portion of the American peo-
pie have, during the whole year. been en-
gagged IN an attempt to divide and destroy
the Union. A nation which cndurcs fac
tious domestic divisions, is exposed to dis
respect abroad, and one party or both is
sure, sooner or later, to invoke foreign in
terveption. Nations thus tempted to in
tertere, are not always able to resist the
counsels of seeming expediency and un-
generous ambition, although measures
/ adopted under such influences, seldom
fail to be unfortunate and injurious to
those'asiopting them.
1hedisloyal citizens OF the United States
who have offered the ruin of our country
in reward for the aid and comfort which
they have invoked abroad, have received
! less patronage and encouragement than
I they probably expected. If it were just
10 suppose, as the insurgents have seemed
10 assume, that foreign nations, in this
/ case G..--'~0aTding al moral soci..,,, c-.h
/ treaty obligations, would act solely and
seliIshly Tor the most speedy restoration
+ OF commerce, including specially the ac
QUESTION Of cotton, those nations appear
. as yet not to have seen their way to their
/ object more directly or clearly through
the destruction than through the preser-
vation Of the Uhion.
If VIC could i dare 10 believe that foreign
nations are act hated by no higher princi-
PIE than this, Il am quite sure Il secoad
argument could be made to show them
that they coulH reach their aim more
readily and ea4ily by aiding to crush this
rebellion, than by giving encour1 cement
to the principal lever relied on by the ex-
element Of f. cign nations TO hostility
against TX, as ALREADY intimated, in the
e1barI1. smcutI Of commerce. Those ma
tions, however, not inproJably saw from
the fret that it was the Union which
made as well dur foreign as our domestic
commerce. They can scarcely fail 10 per
ee;re that the {'tort for d.sunion produces
the existing q lhculry, and that one strong
nation promjs = more durable peace and
more extensive, valuable ard reliable
commerce than can the same nation bro
k9n into HOSTILE fragments.
1t Is not my purpose TO review our dis
cussion with ID reign States, because what
ever might be their wishes or dispositions,
the integrity q our country and the sta
bility OF our Government mainly depends,
not upon them, but upon the loyalty. pat
riotism, virtue and intelligence Of the
American people.
The cofrc. ronllncc itself with the
usual rescrv4ti bus, is herewith submitted.
venture to Hope 1t will appear that we
have prac;iced prudence and lIbera.i,y to-
wards foreign powers, aVertlng causes OF
/ irritation, and with Grmness maintaining
our own rights and honor Since, how
ever, it Is apparent that here, as IN every
other State, foreign dangers necessarily
attend domestic difficulties, ! recommend
( that adequate and ample measures be
/, adopted Tor manning the public defenccs
I en- every sidd while under this general
recomnendatl on provision FOR defending
I our coast lInei readily occurs TO t.e mind.
/ ! also, in the same connection. ask the
attention Of Congress to our great Lakes
and rivers. 1t Is believed that some forti-
tications and depots Of arms and muni-
tons, with hJrbOc and navigation improve
/ ments ~ well selected points upon these,
would be OF any great importance TO the
nation defence 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
. regions OF East tennessee and Western
North Carolina should be connected with
Mcntucky and other faithful parts Of the
/ Union by railroad | therefore recon-
4 mend as a military measure that Congress
provide for the construction of such a.
read as speedily a possible. Kentucky
will no doubt cooperate, and through her
Legislature. make the most judicious Sc.
lection Of the line The uorthcrnltermi
nus must connect with some existing rail
road and whether the route shall be from
Lexington or Nicholasyille to Cumberland
Gap, or from Lebanon to the Tennessee
line in the direction Of Knoxville, or some
still different line, can easily be deter
mined.
kentucky and the General Government
cooperating. the work can be completed
in a very short time, and when done, il
Will be not only OF vast present usefulness
but also an available permanent improve
ment, worth its cost in all the future
Some treaties, designed chiefly for the
interests of commerce, and having no grave
political importance, have been negotiated
; and will be submitted to the Senate fol
their consideration. Although we have
failed to induce some OF the commercial
powers to adopt a desirable meloratio,
Tor the rigor OF maritime war, we have ia
removed all the obstacles from the way o
their humane reform, except such as ar,
.. merely of temporary occurrence.
| invite your attention to the CORES
!, pondence between Her Britannia Majesty
Minister, accredited to this Government
and the Secretary Of State, relative TO tn
. detention of the British ship 'Perthshire
in June last by the United States steame
Massachusetts for supposed breach c
the blockade As this detention was ot
: casioned' by an obvious misapprehensiol
of the facts and as justice requires tha
we should commit no belligerent act no
founded in strict right as sanctioned b.
public law, | Recommend that an appro
| priation be made to satisfy the REASONABLE
, demands of the owners of the vessel TO
her detention
/ repeat the recommendation of my pre-
: decessor in his annual message to Congres
: in December last in regard to the dIsposi
ton of the surplus which will probably re
main, after satisfying the claims of Ameri
can citizens against China, pursuant to tn
! awards of the Commissioners under tx
act of the Sd of March, 1889. If, however
it should not be deemed advisable to car
nv the recommendation into effect,
| would suggest that authority be given 70
| investing the principal over the surplu
J referred to in good securities with viev
5 to the satisfaction of such other claim O
our citizens against China, as are not un
1 likely to arise hereafter in the course o
our extensive trade with that Empire
By the act of the 5;h of August last, Con
eress authorized the President to irstruc
the commanders of suitable vessels to de
e fend themselves against and to captur
+ pirates. This authority has been exercis
ed in asingle instance only. For the NOR
n Of o,,r extensive an,