The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1862-12-11
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE. !.

another year OF health ana D0untful
hnrvests has passed.. and while it has
not pleased the Almighty to bless us
with return of peace, we can but press
on, guided by the best light He gives
us, trusting that in His own good time
and wise ways, all will be we'll. 10 M
The correspondence touching foreign
affairs which has taken place during
the last year, is herewith submitted, in
virtual compliance with.a request to that
effect, made by the House Of Represent
atives, near the close of the last session
Of Congress. IF the condition ofour
relations with other nations is less graft.
flying than it has usually been at former
periods, it is certainly more satisfactory
than a nation SO unhappily distressed
as we are might reasonably have appre.
hended. In the month Of June last,
there were some grounds to expect that
tho maratime Power, which, at the be-
ginning of our domestic difficulties so
unanimously and unnecessarily, as we
think, recognized the insurgents as bel
ligercnt, would soon recede from that
position, which has proved only less in :
furious to themselves than to our own
country; but the temporary reversss
which afterward befell the national
arms, and which were exaggerated by
our own disloyal children abroad, have
hitherto delayed the act Of simple jus
tice.
The civil war, which has so radically
changed, for the moment, the occupa-
tions and habits Of the American people,
has necessarily disturbed the social
conditions and affected very deeply,
the prosperity Of the nations with
which we have carried on commerce,
that has been steadily increasing
throughout a period ofhalf a century
1t has, at the same time, excited politi-
cal am bitions and apprehensious, which
have produced profound agitation
throughout the civilized world. In this
unusual agitation, we have forcbOrne
from taking part in any controversy
between foreign States, and between par.
ties or factions in such States. We
havs attempted no propagandism, and
acknowledged no revolution. But we
have left to every nation the exclusive
management of its own Affairs. Our
struggle has been, of course, contemplat.
ed by foreign nations, with reference
less to its own merits than to its suppos
ed and often exaggerated effects, and
the consequences resulting to those ma
tions themselves. Nevertheless, com,
plant on the part Of this Government,
even lift we're just, certainly be
unwise.
The treaty with Great Britain for the
suppression Of tho African slave trade
has been put in operation with good
prospect of complete success. 1t is an
occasion Of special pleasure to acknowl-
edge that the execution of it on the par
OF Her Majesty's Government has been
marked by jealous respect for the au.
thority of tho United States and the
rights of their moral andloyal citizens
The Convention with Hanover for the
abolition of the Sta1t dues has been
carried into full effect under the act Of
Congress for that purpose. .N 'a'
A blockade ofthree thousand miles OIL
sea coast could not be established and
vigorously enforced in a season of grea
commercial activity like the present
without committing occasional mistakes
and inficting unintcntioual injuries up
on foreign nations and their subjects. =
A civil war occurring in country where
Foreigners reside and carry on trade
under treaty stipulations, is necessarily
fruitful Of complaints of'the violation o
neutral rights. All such collisions tent
to excite misapprshensions, and posi-
bly,, to produce mutual rCclamations be
tween nations which have a cOmmor
interest in preserving peace and friend
ship. In clear cases of these kinds,
have, so far as possible, heard and re-
dressed complaints which have been
presented by friendly powers. There is
however, large and augmenting mum
Der of doubtful cases, npon which the
Government is unable to agree with the
Governments whose protection is de,
manded by the claimants. There are
moreoyer, many cases in which the Unit
ed States or their citizens suffer wrongs
from the naval or military authorities
of foreign nations, which The Govern
ments Of these 'Statesare not at once pre-
pared to rsdfsAs. / have proposed tc
sOmo Of the foreign States thus inter