, 1862-12-20
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

FeIloro Citizens of the Senate and House of
Representatives Since your last assembling,
another year of health and bountfu harvest has
passed, and while it has not pleased the Almighty
TO bless us with return of peace, we Cannot but
press on, guided by the best light He gives us,
trusting that in His own time and wise way all
/ will be well.
OUR FoREIGN RELATIONS.
The correspondence touching foreign affairs
which has taken place during the last year, is
herewith submitted in compliance with a request
to that effect made by the House of Representa-
tives near the close of the past session of Con-
gress. If the condition of our relations with
other nations is less gratifying than it has usually
been at other periods, it is evidently more sat
isfactory than a nation unhappily distracted as
we are, might reasonably have applehended In
the month of June last, there were some grounds
to expect that the maritime powels which at the
! beginning of our domestic differences so anwse-
/ ly and so unnecessarily we think, recognized the
insurgents as a belligerent power, would soon re-
cede from that position, which has proved only
less injurious to themselves than to our own
country but the temporary reverses which af-
terwards befel the National arms, and which
were greatly exaggerated by our disloyal citizens
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 necessarily
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 a
century-it has at the same time excited the po-
tical ambitions and aPprehensions which have
produced profound agitation throughout the
civilized world. In this unusual agitation we
have forborne taking part in any controversies
between parties and factions in any such States
We have attempted no propagandism and ac-
knowledged no revolutions. We have left to ev-
cry nation the executive conduct and arrangement
of its own affairs. Our struggle has been, of
course, contemplated by foreign nations with ref
erence less to its own merit than to its supposed,
| and often exaggerated effects and consequences
resulting to those nations themselves. Never
theless, complaint on the part of this Govern
ment, even if it were just would be unwse. The
treaty with Great Britain for the suppression of
the slave trade has been put into operation with
good prospect of complete success. 1t is an
occasion of real pleasure to acknowledge that the
execution of ii on the part of Her Maiesty's Gov
ernment, has been marked with jealous respect
for the authorities of the United States and the
rights of their moral and loyal citizens The
convention with Hanover for the abolition of the
Stadt dues has been carried into full effect under
the Act of Congress, for that purpose. A block
ade of three thousand miles of sea coast could
not be established and vigoroutly enforced in a
season of great commercial activity, like the
present. without committing occasional mistakes
and inficting unintentional injuries upon foreign
nations and their subjects. civil war; occur
ring in country where foreigners reside and car
ry a trade under treaty stipulations, is neces-
sarily fruitful of complaints of the violation of
neutral rights All such collisions tend to excite
misapprehensons and possibly to produce recrim-
irations between nations which have a common
interest in preserving peace and friendship. In
clear of these kinds, have as far-as posi-
Bile, heard and redressed the complaints which
have been preferred by foreign powers There
! is, however, a large and aHgmentug number of
doubtful cases, upon which the Government is un-
able to agree with the governments whose pro-
tections is demanded by the claimants There
are, moreover, many cases 10 which the United
States their citizens, suffer wrongs from naval
or military authorities of oleign nations, which
the governments of those States are not prepared
to redress. have proposed to some Of the for
eign ministers thus introduced, mutual conven-
tons to examine and ad lust such complaints
This proposition has been made especially to
Great Britain, to France, to Spain and to Prus-
sia. In each case it has been kindly received,
but has not yet been formally adopted. | deem
it my duty to recommend an appropriation in be-
half of the owners of the Norwegian bark "Ad-
miral p Torcens Riola," which vessel was. in
May 1861, prevented by the commander of the
| blockade force off Charleston from leaving that
port with a cargo, Notwithstanding a similar priv
/ iege had before been granted to an English YES
sci. / have directed the papers in the case to be
communicated to the proper committees
COLONIZATION.
! Applications have been made to me bv MANY
free Americans of African descent, 10 favor their
emigration, with a view to such colonization as
was contemplated in recent acts of Congress-
! Other parties at home and abroad some from
motives of prejudice, others upon patriotic prn-
ciples, and still others influenced by philanthropic
sentiments have suggested similar measures,
while on the other hand, several of the Spanish
American republics have protested against the
sending of such colonies to their respective terri
tories. Under these circumstances have de-
clined to give any such colony to any State with
out first obtaining the consent of its Government,
with an agreement on its part to receive and pro-
tect such parties in all their rights as freemen,
and have at the same time offered to the seve-
raj States situated in the tropics or having colo
nies there, to negotiate with them subject to the
advice and consent of the Senate to favor the
voluntary removal Of portions of that class to
their respective territories, upon condition which
shall be equally just and humane. Liberia and
Hayti are yet the only countries to which colo
nists of African descent could go from here, with
a certainty of being received and adopted as citi-
zens and l regret to say that such persons con-
templating colonization; do not seem willing to
emgrate to these countries-not so-wiling as /
think their interests demand. believe, however,
that their opinion is improving, and that ere long
there will be an augmented and considerable em-
igration to both these countries from he United
States.
COMMERCIAL RELATIONS.
The new commercial treaty between the Uni
ted States and the Sultan of Turkey has been
negotiated subject to the Senate's consent, with
Liberia, and similar negotiation is now pending
with the Republic of Haytl. A considerable i'm
provement of the national commerce is expected
to result from these measures. Our relations
with Great Britain, France, Spain, Portugal,
Russia, Prussia, Denmark, Sweden, Austria and
Netherlands, Italy, Rome, and the other Euro
pean States, remain undisturbed Very favor
able relations also continue TO be maintained with
Turkey, Morocco, China and Japan. During the
last year there has not only been no change of
our previous relations with the Independent
States of our continent, but more friendly rea-