Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-12-03
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

~
Fsiiosc-ert,zens of the Senate
and Honss of Representatives
In the midst Of unprecedented political
trout We have cause OF great gratitude Il
God for unusual good health, and most abund
ant harvests..
You will not be surprised to learn that, II
the peculiar exigencies Of the times, our inter
course with foreign nations has been attended
with profound solicitude, chiefly turning upor
| our own domestic affairs.
| A disloysl portion of the Amerieon people
have, during the whole year, been engaged In
| an attempt to divide and DESTROY the Union
nation which endures fsctious domestic di
vision, is exposed to disrespect abroad; and
one party, If not both, is sure, sooner or later
| TO invoke fcfeffn Intervention
Nations thus tempted to interfere are moi
always able to resist the counsels of seeming
expedlency and ungenerous ambition, al
| though measures adopted under such inHuen.
ces seldom fail TO be unfortunate and injnri
| riogs to those adopting them.
The disloyal citizens Of the United States
who have offered the ruin Of our country, In
| return for the aid and comfort which they
have invoked abroad, have received less pat.
| ronage and encouragement than they probably
\ expected. If it were just to suppose, as the
| insurgents have seemed to assume, that foreign
| nations, in this case, discarding all moral
and selfshly, for the most speedy restoration
of commerce, including, especially, the acoui.
sition OF cotton, those nations appear, as vet
not to have seen their way to their object more
directly, or clearly, through the destruction
| than through the preservation Of the Union
If We could dare to believe that foreign ma.
lions are actuated by no higher principle than
this, L am quite sure sound argument could
be made to show them that they can reach
their aim moro readily, and easily, by aiding
to crush this rebellion, than by giving encour,
sgement to it.
, The principal lever relied on by the insur.
gents for exciting foreign nations to hostility
against us, ss already intimated, is the enbar.
rassfnent Of commerce. Those nations, how.
ever, not inprobably, saw from the first, that
II was the Union which made as well our for
eign as our domestic commerce. fhey car
scarcely have failed to perceive that the effort
for disunion produces the existing difficulty
and that one strong natien premises more du.
faole peace, and more extensive, valuable
and reliable commerce, than can the same ma.
ton broken into hostile fragments.
1t Is not my purpose to review our discus
si0ns with foreign states; because whatever
might be their wishes, or dispositions, the in.
tegrity OF our country, and the stability Of
our government, mainly depend, not upop
them, but on the loyalty, virtue, patriotism,
and intelligence Of the American people. The
correspondence itself, with the usual reserys.
tons, is herewith submitted.
/ venture to hope it will appear that we
have prsctised prudence and liberality to-
wards foreign powers, sverting causes of irri.
tation; and, with frmness, maintaining our
own rights and honor.
Since, however, 1t is apparent that here as
IN every other State, foreign dangers necessa.
fily attend domestic difficulties, I recommend
that adequate and ample measures be adopted
for maintaining the public defenses on every
side. While, under this general recommends.
ton, provision for defending our sea-coast line
readily occurs to the mind, also, in the same
connection, ask the attention Of Congress to
our great lakes and rivers. 1t is beliey ed that
some Notifications and depots of arms and
munitions, with harbor and navigation i'm
proyements, all at well selected points upop
these, would be OF great Importance to the
national defense and preservation. I 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 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 road as speedily as possible
Kentucky, no doubt, will cooperate, and,
through her legislature, make the most Judi
cious seleetion Of line. The northern termi-
nus must connect with some existing railroad;
and whether the route shall be from Licking
ton, or Nicholasville, to the Cumberland Gap;
or from Lebanon to the Tennessee line, in the
direction of Knoxville: or on some still differ
emit line, can easily be determined. Kentucky
and the general government cooperating, the
work can be completed in a very short time;
and when done, it will be not only of vast
present usefulness, but also a valuable perma-
nent Improvement, worth its cost in all the fu-
ture.
Some treaties, designed chiefly for the in.
terests of commerce, and having no grave DO
litical importance, have been negotiated, and
will be submitted to the Senate for their con-
sideration.
Although we have failed to induce some of
the commercial powers to adopt a desirable
melioration Of the rigor Of maritime war, We
have removed all distractions from the way of
Of temporary and accidental occurrence.
/ invite your attention to the corresponds ce
between her Britannia Msjesty's minister ae-
credited to this government, and the Score
tary of State, relative to the detention Of the
British ship Perthshire in June last, by the
United States steamer Massachusetts,, for a
supposed breach of the blockade As this de-
teAtion was oecasioned by an obvious misap-
prehension Of the facts, and as justice requires
that we should commit no belligerent act not
founded in strict right, as sanctioned by pub
lie law, 1 recommend that an appropriation
be made to satisfy the reasonable demand of
the owners Of the vessel for her detention.
repeat the recommendation Of my prede-
lessor, 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 advisable to carry that reoommenda-
ton into effect, would suggest that authority
be given for investing the principal, over the
proceeds Of the surplus referred to, in good Sc
curities. with view to the satisfaction of such
other just claims Of our citizens against China
as are not unlikely to arise hereafter in the
course Of our extensive trade with that Empire.
By the act of the 5th Of August last, Con-
gress authorised the President to instruct the
commanders of suitable vessels to defend
themselves against, and to capture pirates.
This authority has been exercised in single
instance only. For the more efectusl protec-
zion OF our extensive and valuable commerce,