The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1861-12-05
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
THE WAR EsESCUSSEEs.
ClPiTiL II. LiBGR. FREE IyXTITrTI0NS IL
DlNGER-NiilT tn 10 WITH THE VI
GR0ES-C0lST IND LikE EEfENC-
ES-PR0P0SED CGLGyZlTI0N-
REORGANIZATION OF TIE
SiiPRENE COURT.
FOREIGN RELATIONS.
CONDITION OF THE GOVERNMENT
Observation-Disclosures.

/ The two Houses being called together at II o.
clock noon, the Presidents Message was trans
mitted in manuscript, as follows:
/ FelIoc Citizens of the Senate and
House of Representatives.:
In the midst of unprecedented political troub
/ les we have cause of great gratitude TO God for
unusual good health and most abundant harvests
! You will not be surprised To learn that in the
peculiar exigencies of the times our intercourse
with foreign nations has been attic dcd with pro
/ found solictude, chiefly turning upon orr own do
mestc affairs. y di>loyal portion of the Ameri
can people have, during the whole year. been en-
gagged in an attempt to divide and DESTROY the
Union. A nation which endures factions domestic
divisions is exposed to disrespect abroad and one
party CT both is sure, sooner. or later, to invoke
foreign interr cntion. Nations thus tempted To- in
tcrferc are not always able to resist the counselS
of seeming expediency and uhgencrouS ambition,
although measures adopted under such influences
seldom fail to be unfortunate ard injurious to
those adopting them. The dislOyal citizens of TIE
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 they probably
expected. If it were just to suppose, as the insur
gents have seemed to assume, that foreign nations
in this disre garng all moral, social and trea
ty obligations, would act solely and Se6Shly for
f.
ding specially the acquisition of cotton, those ma
tons appear rs vet not to have cen their way TO
their object more directly or clearly through the
destruction than through the preservation of the
Union. live could dare to believe t6at foreign
nations actuated by higher principle than
this. am cutie 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 giving encouragement to
the prin cipal lever relied on by the exciting of
foreign nations To hostility against u, already
intmated. iii the embarrassment of commerce..
These nations, however. not improbaby saw from
the first that il the Union which made we'll
onr foreign a our domestic commerce They CT II
scarcely fail tn perceive that the effort for disun
ion produces the existing difficulty, and that one
strong nation promises more durable peace and Il
more extensive, valuable and reliable commerce
than can the same nation broken into hostile frag-
ments. it is not nv purpose to review our dis
cuSsiou5 with foreign States, because, whatever
IN ;"ht be their wishes disposition the integrity
of our country and the stability of our Govern
mert mainly denends, not upon them, hut
upon the loyalty, patriotisni, virtue and
intelligence of the American people The cor
respondence itself with the usual reservations, is
herewith submitted. | venture 10 hope il will ap
pear that We have pracced prudence and liberal
ty towards foreign powers, avertilg of irr-
tati0n. and with iirmness maintaining our rights
and honor.
( LAKE DEFENCEs.
Since, however, it is apparent that here, as in
every other State foreign dangers necessarily at
/ tend domestic difficulties, | recommend tina. AIDE
quatc and ample measures he adopted for main
tanning the public defenccs every side. While
undcr this general recommend alton provision for
defending coast line readily occurs to the mind
also, in the same connection. ask the attention of
Congress to our great lakes and rivers. Ii is be
lieycd that some Notifications and dcpos of arms
and munitions, with haror and navigation i'm
1 provcments at selected points upon these, would
be of great impoitan to the national defence
and preservation. | ask attention To- the views of
the Secretary of War; expressed in his report, up
on the same general subject
:uIrARY RAILROAD TO EAST TENNESSEE.
| de II it of importance that the loyal regions O
East tennessee aud Western North Carolina
should be connected with Kentucky and other
faithful parts of the Union by railroad. |, there
/ fore recommend as military measure, that Con
gress provide for the construction of such Il road
as speedily as possible. Kentucky will no doubt
co operate, and through her Legislature make the
most iudicous selection of the line. The North
ern terminus must connect with existing
railroad, and whether the route shall be from Lex
/ ington or Nicholasviile TO Cumberland Gap, or
from Lebanon to the I, nness e line in the direc
ten of Knoxville, some still different line, ear
easily be determined. Kentucky and the General
Government co operating, the work can be com
plctcd in very short ,.:"c and when done it will
not only be of vast present useG'nesS but also an
available permanent Improvement, worth the cost
in all the future.
COMMERCIAL TREATIES.
I Some treaties, designed chiefly for the interests
of commerce, and having no grave political I'M
portance. have been negotiated and will be sub
I nitt tn np Sci ata fen =
though we have failed TO induce some of the com
mercial powers to adopt desirable moderation
for the rigOr OF mardCime war; we have far remOv-
ed all the obstacles from the way OF their humane
reform, except such merely OF temporary
and accidental occurrence.
THE BRITISH SHIP PERTIIsnRE.
1 invite your attention to the correspondence
between Her Britanc Majesty's Minister accred-
tied to this Government and the Secretary OF
State, relative to the detention of British ship
Pers ire, in June last, by the United States stea
mer Massachusetts, for a supposed breach of the
blockade. A this occaSoncd by obvious
misapprehension of the facts, aud as justice re-
Guires that should commit TO belligercnt act
not founded in strict right sanctioned by public
law. recommend that an appropriation be made
to satisfy the reasonable demand of the owners of
the vessel, for her detention
THE SETTLEMENT WITH CHINA.
sOr i'll his annual message to Congress- i'll Decem-
beI last in regard to the disposition of the surplu
which will probably remain after satisfying the
claims of American citizens against China, pursi
ant to the awards of the Commissioners under the
act OF the Sd of March, 1859. Ii, however, it
should not be deemed advisable to carry that re
commentator into effect, | would suggest that
authority be civ Ell for investing the prime pal over
the surp' US referred to in good securities, with
view TO the satisfaction of such other just claim OF
our citizens against China, as are not unlikely to
arise hereafter in the course of our extensive
trade with that empire.
PIRATES EASTERN SEAS.
BY the act of the 9th of August last, Congress
authorized the President to instruct the command
crs If suitable vessels defend themselves against
and to capture pirates. This authority has been
exercised in snseinstance only. For the more
effectual protection of our extensive and valuable
commerce, in the Eastern seas especially, it seems
to me that it would also be advisable to authorize
the commanders of sailing vessels to recaptnre
any prizes which pirates may make of United
States vessels and ther cargoes, and the consular
courts established by law in Eastern countries to
adudicatc the cases in the event that this should
not be objected to by the local authorities.
RECOGNITION OF HAITI AID LIBERIA.
II any good reason exists why we should perse-