The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1862-12-10
The Presidents Message,
F'eloU Citizens Of he Senate
and House Of Representatives,

ana nOuSe V h6pFeSeNdHreS'
Since your last annual assembling, an.
other year of health and bountiful harvests
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 lie gives us, trusting that in His
own good time and wise way, all will be
WELL
Tho correspondence touching foreign
affairs, which has taken place during the
last year, is herewith submitted, in virtual
compliance with request to that effect
made by the House of Representatives
near the close of the last session of Con-
gress. If the condition of our relations
with other nations is less gratifying than
it has usually been at former periods, it is
certainly more satisfactory than nation so
unhappily distressed as we are might rea-
| sonably have apprehended. In the month
OF June last, there were some grounds to
expect that the maratime Powers, which, at
the beginning of our domestic difficulties,
so unanimously aud unnecessarily, as we
think, recognized the insurgents as bellig-
erent, would soon recede from that position,
which has proved only less injurious to
themselves than to our own country but
the temporary reverses which afterward
belel the national arms. and which were
exaggerated by our own disloyal children
abroad, have hitherto delayed that act of
simple justice.
The civil war which has so radically
changed for the moment the occupations
and habits of the American people, has nee
essarily disturbed the social conditions and
affected very deeply the prosperity OF the
nations with which we have carried on a
commerce that has been steadily increasing
throughout period of half century. 1t
has at the same time excited political am
bitions and apprehensions, which have pro-
duced profound agitation throughout the
civilized world In this unusual agitation,
wo have forborne from taking part in any
controversy between foreign States and
between parties or factions in such States.
We have attempted no propagandism, and
acknowledged no revolution but we have
left to every nation the exclusive conduct
and management of its own affairs Our
struggle has been, of course, contemplated
by foreign nations with reference less to It's
own merits than to its supposed aud often
exaggerated effects, and the consequences
resulting to those nations themselves. New
crtheless, complaint on the part of this
! Government even if it were just, would
certainly be unwise.
The treaty with Great Britain for the sup
preston of the African slave trade, has
been put into operation, with . good pros
pect of complete success. 1t is an occasion
of special pleasure to acknowledge that the
execution Of it on the part of Her Majesty S
Government has been marked by Jealous
respect for the authority Of the United
States, and the rights of their moral aud
loyal citizens.
The Convention with Hanover for the
aboltiou of the Stade dues has been carried
into int - h full fleet und% the act of Congress
for that pu .nse.
A blockade of three thousand miles of
seacoast could not be established and Wig
orously enforced, i'll a season of great COM
mercial activity like the present, without
committing occasional mistakes and intict-
ing unintentional injuries upon foreign ma
tions and their subjects, civil war oc-
curing i'll country where foreigners
reside and carry on trade. under treaty
stipulations, is necessarily fruitful of COM
plants of the violations of neutral rights.
All such collisions tend to excite msappre-
tensions, and possibly, to produce mutual
reclamations between nations which have a
common interest in preserving peace and
| friendship. In clear cases Of these kinds,
/ | have, so far as possible, heard and re-
sented by friendly Powers. There is, how
ever, large and augmenting number of
doubtful cases, upon which the Govern
ment is unable to agree with the govern
ments whose protection is demanded by
the claimants. There are. moreover, many
cases in which the United States or their
citizens suffer wrongs from the naval or
military authorities of foreign nations,
which the governments of these States are
not at once prepared to redress. | have
proposed to some of the foreign States thus
interested, mutual conventions to examine
and adjust such complaints. This PROPOSE
ton has been made especially to Great
Britain, to France to Spain and to Prussia.
In each case it has been kindly received,
but has not yet been formally adopted. ]
deem it my duty to recommend an appro-
priation in behalf of the owners of the
Norwegian bark Admiral Z. Fordens Riola,
WHICH vessel was, in May, 1851 prevented
by the commander of the blockading force
off Charleston from leaving that port with
cargo, Notwithstanding a similar privilege
had shortly before been granted to an Eng
lsh vessel. | have directed the Secretary
of State to cause the papers in the case TO
be communicated to tho proper committees.
Applications have been made to me by
many free Americans of African descent to
favor their emigration with view to such
colonization as was contemplated in re-
cent acts of Congress. Other parties, at
home and abroad some from interested mo-
tives, others upon patriotic considerations,
and still others Influenced by philaLthropic
sentiments, have suggested similar meas
ures; while, on the other hand, several of the
Spanish American Republics have protested
against the sending of such colonies to their
respective territories. Under these circum-
stances have declined to move any such
colony to any State without first obtaining
the consent of its Government, with All
agreement on its part to receive and pro.
tect such emigrants in all their rights as
frecmen and ] have at the same time of
iered to the several States situated in the
tropics, or having colonies there, TO nego-
tiate with them, subject to the advice and
consent of the Senate, to favor the voluntary
emigration of persons Of that class to theiI
respective territories, upon conditions
which shall be equal just and humane
Liberia and Hayti are as yet the only
countries to which colonists of African de
scent from here could go with certainty Of
being received and adopted as citizens; and
regret to say that such persons oontem
, plating colonization do not seem so willing
to emigrate to those countries as to some
others, nor so willing as think their inter
est demands. | believe, however, the
, opinion among them in this respect is i'm
proving, and that ere long there viii bl
/ an augmented and considerable emigration
to both these countries from the United
5 States.
e The new commerciaI treaty hetyveen III,