M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1861-12-12
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
Fsll6T-ciiizehs Of the Senate and House b
Representatives. H .U.

In the midst Of unprecedented politicu
troubles, we have cause Of great gratitude 4
God for unusual good health and most abun
dant harvests. You will not be surprised /,
learn that in the peculiar exigpncies Of th
times onr intercourse with foreign nation
has been attended with profound suI;eitud
chiefly turning upon our domestic affairs.
A disloyal portion Of the American pee
pie have, during the whole year, been enga1
ed in an attempt to divide and destroy IN
Union. A ration which endures faction
and domestic divisions is exposed to dis
respect abroad and one party, or bo.h,is sur
sooner or later, 10 invoke foreign interTen.
ticn.
Nations thus tempted to interfere are no
always able to resist the counsels Of seeming
ekpediency and ungenerous ambition, aItho
measures adopted under such influences sell.
dom fall to be unfortunate and injurious tc
those adopting them.
The disloyal citizens OF The United States
who have offered the ruin of our country N
reward for the aid aud comfort which they
have invoked abroad, have received less pat
ronage and encouragement than they proba
| bly, expected. II it were just TO suppose, ss
the insurgents have seemed to assume, that
foreign nations in this case disregardine all
moral, social and treaty obligations, would
act solely and selfshly for the most speedy
restoration OF commerce, those nations ap-
pear yet not TO have seen their way
to their object mdfe directly or clearly
through the destruction than through the
preservation Of the Union. 49,
live could dare TO believe that forelpn
nations are actuated by no higher principles
than this, am quite sure second argument
could be made to show them that they could
reach their aim more readily and easily By
aiding to crush this rebellion, than by riv.
ing encouragement to the principal lever re.
lied on, by the exciting Of foreign nations 10
hostility against US, as already Intimated, in
the embarrassment OF commerce. Those ma
tons, however, not imprObaby, saw from
the first that It was the Union which, made
as well our foreign as our domestic com.
merce, They can scarcely fail to perceive
that the effort for disuninn produces the ex.
islihg difficulty, and that one strong nation
promises more durable peace, and more OK.
lenslve, valuable and reliable commerce.
than can the same natien broken into hos.
die fragments. H.
tits not my purpose to review our discus
sions with foreign States, because, whatey.
er might be their wishes or dispositions the
integrity ot nnr county and the stability OF
our Government mainly depends, not upon
them, but upon the loyalty, patriotism. vir.
tue, aud intelligence OF the Ameaican people.
The correspondence itsel, with the usual
reservations, Is herewith submitted. ven.
ture to hoYe it will appear that we have
practiced prudence and libetality toward for.
eign powers, averIing causes of irritation,
aud with flrmness maintaing our own rights
and honor. Since however, it is apparent
that here as in every other State, foreiyn
dangers necessarily attend domestic difficult.
ties, recommend that adequate and ample
measures be adopted for maintaining the
public delenses on every side, while under
this general recommendation provision for
defending our coast-liue readily occurs to
the mind.
| also in the same connection, ask the al.
tention of Congress to our great lakes and
rivers. It's belIeved that some Notifications
and drpOts of arms aud munitions, with har
Dor and navigatiot improvements at we'll
selected points upon these, would be ofgreat
importance 10 the national defense ana pre-
servaIion. ] ask attention 10 the views of
thS Secretary of War, expressed in his re.
port upon the same general subject.
deem il Of impbrtuhce that the loyal re.
gions OF east Tennessee and Western North
Caroline should be connected with Kentucky
and other faithful parts Of the Union, by rail
road. / therefore recommend, as military
that Congress provide for the con
Struction of such road as speedily as posi-
Bile. Kentucky will no doubt cooperate.
md, through her legislature, make tbe mo st
udiCious selection OF the line. The north
,Tn terminus must connect with some exist \
ng railroad, and whether the foute shall be 1
rom Lexington or Nicholasville 10 Cumber-
and Gap, or from Lebanon to the Tennes.
zee line in the direction OF Knoxville. or
'ome different ling, can easily be determine
I'd:
K,ntucky and The General Government
the work can be completed in
! very shor! time, land when done it will not
,nIy be Of vast present usefulness, but also |
IN avai able permanent improvement,w ,worth |
is cost in all the future.
Some treaties, designed chiefly fot tile in.
erests oicommerce, and having no grave pol.
tical importance, have been negotiated and |
viii be submitted 20 The Senate for their con.
'ideration. Although we have failed to in
luce some oil the commercial powers to adopt
4 desirable meli0ration for the rig6r Of mar.
time war, we have far removed all The OBJ.
'taces from the way Of their humane reform
except such as are merely o temporary and
occurrence. D a ~ Ei.J
invite your attention 10 the correspon-
lence between Her Britannia Majesty g
Minister, accredited to this Go4ermeft, and
the Secretary Of State, relative 10 the deten-
lion Of the British ship Perihshire, in June
last, by the United States steamer MasSa.
:tttsetts, for supposed breach of'lhe block
ade. As Ibis detention was occasioned by |
an obvious Misrepresentation Of the facts and
rs slustice requires that we should commit
40 belligerent act not, founded in strict !
right, as sanctioned BY public laws, l recon
mend that an appropriation be mad 10 satis-
y the reasonable demand Of the owners of
Ihe vessel for her detention.
I repeat the Recommendation or ms pre-.
lecessor' in his annual message 10 Cous ress
n December last, in regstd 10 The DISPOSE.
ion Of the surplus which win probably re-
main after satisfying the claims vf American