The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-12-09
error. 10 he avoided Than as example. to be fol.

I iowed.
The other measuse il not open tn this objection
The second article Of the declaration OF Paris
which provides "tkat the neutral. Gag covers enc
my's goods, with the exceptions OF cnn.rahand o
war;" was new concessions BY helligefenis In "a
vnr of neu.rals, and nnf simply the enGneiHtian
an acknowledged Pre- existing rule like the fourii
afticis. which referred 70 kIccka.tes To this eon
! sssstnn We bound oarsciyea by the Coayentior
| with Great Britain and France, whIth tnnk th.
| shape OF the 'esoiuiinns adopted by yoar pseas
/ ce.sufs on the lNh Aueuf, 1851. The eaAstaefa.
tontendered Us Tor that c0ner ssoH has hee with.
| held We have, therefore, the uBdeniabic ttsh,
III rcfuse longer 10 remain hound By Il c0mpac!
which the o.her party refuses Il fulfill Ent W.
shohid not target thai var IL hat t.mpnr iry, and
that VIC desire that pcase shall he peTa.ane at
| The future policy of the Coafedefacy must evrs
be to uphold neutral rights 10 their fu, cs
tent. The principles Of the declaration OF Paris
commend themselves to our Judgment as more
jTst, more humane, and more consoBaui with
modern civilization than those bclgerent pr,teb
sions which great naval powers have heretofore
sought tn introduce into the maritime code. Tn
fOTeg0 our undeniable tight the exercise oil iasc
prrtensiDus is policy higher, wcrthier OF aud
Of our cause than to revoke adhrsion 70 pfil-
ctpies that we approve. Let our hope for redress
rest rather on retaining sense Of justice which
cannot fail to awaken Q great people 10 the con.
sciousness that the war IN which we are engaged
ought rather 70 be made reason ioF ol
advantage, than an occasion for the ugfffendly
conduct Of which we make Just complaint
/ The events OF the last year have produced I'm
porfaEt changes In the condition Of o,ir Southern
aeighhor. The occupation Of the capital Me xico
by the French army, and the establishment of n
provisional government. followed by radical
change the Constitution ofihe country have excl
red lively interest Although prcleTring ous own
Government and instltutiOna 10 fh0se OF other
|cnuDiries. we eaa have m disposition to contest
the exercise by them OF the same right OF self
government which We assert for ourselves. Ii the
Mexican people prefer monarchy To republic, IL
Is cur plain duty cheerfli!y to ncqulesce In their
decision, and 10 evlEce sincere and friendly III
teT'st In their prosperity. II, however, the Mext
cans prefer maintaining their former institutions.
we have no reason 10 apprahend sny obstacle 10
the free exercise Of their choice. The Emperor of
the French has soemnly dIsclatmed any purpose
to impose on Mexico form of government not ac-
ceptable 10 the naron and the emlnc mt parsonage
10 whom the throne has been rendered declines liz
acceptance unless tha offer be sanctioned by the
suitfages Of the people. In either event
we may confidently expect tho continuance oi
those peaceful relations which have been main
tanned on the frontier, and even large develop
nent OF the commerce already existing 10 the mn
tual advantage Of the two countries.
II has been found necessary since your adjourn
meht to take action the subject Of certain for
eign NOnsuls within the Confedcracy. The na-
tnre of this action and the reasons which Il was
based are 81 iuIly exhibited In the correspondence
Ct th- State Department., which Is transmitted 10
you, that no additional comment IL required.
In connection with this subject Of our relations
with foreign countries, II is deemed opportune to
communicate my views in reference 10 the treaties
made by the Government Of the United States nj .
date anterior to our separation, and which were
consequently binding on us as well ~ on foreign
powers when the separation took effect. 1t was
partly with view 10 entering into such arrange
meats as the change in our Government had made
necessary that we teitt our duty u aend C1mIDis-
sioners ah road for Tie purpose NJ entering into The
citations proper 10 III the relative rights and OBJ
legations Of the parties tn those treaties. As this
tender on our part has been declined IA foreign
nations have refused us the benefit of,he treaties
to which we were parties they certainly have
hiOhIDO n m
cur relations with European nations are, Therefore,
now controlled exclusively by the general rules OF
the law Of nations II is proper to add tla. these
remarks are intended to apply solely to treaty OBJ
legations towards foreign Governments, and have
reference TO rights Of individuals.
FINANcEs.
The state Of the public finances is such as to de
maRd your earliest and most earnest attention. |
need hardly say that prompt and efficacious rem
edy for the present cond on Of the currencyfs ne
cessary 10 tina successful performance Of the flnc
tons of Government. Fortunately The resources
of our country are SO ample, and the spirit of our
paDpe so devoted to Its cause, that they ready
10 make any necessary contribution. Relief Is
titus entirely within cur reach il we have the wis
dom to !egi-late in such manner IA to render avail
able the meaIis ut our disposal.
AT the CONNIE ncacrmeit of tie war we were far
from anticipating the magnitude and duration Of
the struggle In which we were engaged. The NEST
sasacious foresight could not nave predicted that
the passions Of the Northern people would lead
CS
iibeft., in so vain hope as that of subjayating
thirteen Independent States, inhabited BY many
millions OF people, whose blrthrisiit of freedom Is
dcarer to them than life. A long exemption from
direct taxation by the General Government had
created an aversion to its raising revenue by any
other means than by duties on Imports and IL was
supposed that these duties would he ample for eur
rent peace expenditure, while the means for con-
ducttng the could be raised almost exclusively
BY the Of the public credit
the first action of the Provisional Congress was
therefore confined to passing u tariff law and to
raisinga sum OF fifteen millions Of dollars by fOan,
with pledge OF snail export duty on cotton to
provide for the redemption of the debt.
Atits second session wal was declared to exist
between the COnfedeiHcy and the Eaitcti states,
and provision was made for the issue OF twenty
millions Of dollars in Treasury notes, aud for bor-
rowing thirty millions Of dollars On bonds. The
tariff was revised, and preparatory measures taken
enable the Congress to levy internal taxation 1T
Its succeeding session. These laws were passed
In May, and the States of Virginia, North Carolina,
Tennessee, and Arkansas having joined the Con-
federacy, the Congress adjourned to meet in the
city Of Richmond In the following month of July.
Prior to the assembling OF your predecessors in
RlchlAond at their third session the end OF
July, 1851, the President OF the United States had
developed in bis message the purpose ''to make
the .ntest a short and a decisive ohe,n aud had
called on Congress for 400 600 men and four hun
dred millions of dollars. The Congress had ex :.
ceeded the Exec tive recommendation and had
authorized the levy of half million of volunteers,
besides largely increasing the regular land and
naval forces of the United States. The necessity
thus first became urgent that a financial scheme
should he devised on basis sufficiently large for
the vast proportions Uf the contest with which we
were threatened. Knowing thai the struggle in
stead Of being short and decisive,n would be in
definite In duration, and could only end when the
United States sbonid awaken from their deluslon
o.: conquest, permanent system was required,
fully adapted to the great eSigencies before u.s.
The plan devised by Congress at tthat time was
based the theory OF issuing Treasury notes con.
vcrtibie at the pleasure Of the holder into eight
per cent. .btnds, the interest Of which was 10 be
pay yable In coin, aud il was correctly assumed that
any tendency 10 depreciation that might ariae f50la
over issue 0f the currency wocld be checked by
the constant exeTcise Of the holders right fund
the notes at liberal interest payable In specie.
This system depended far success on the continued
ability Of Government Ia pay the Interest In spe-
Gle, and means were, therefore, provided for that
purpose In the law authorizing the issues. An IA
ternaI tax termed q war tax was levied, the pro-
cecds OF which, together with the revenue fmm
imports, were deemed sufficient for the object de-
signed. This scheme required for Its operation
that our commerce with foreign nations should no,
BE- suspended. II was not 70 be anticipated thai
such suspension would be permitted otherwise
than hy an effective blockade: and 1t was absurd
90 suppose that blockade "sufcieDt really 10 pre-
vent access" 10 our entire coast could be main
tanned.
We Mad the means, therefore, ifneutral nations
had not combined To aid our enemies by the sane
tiOn Of an illegal prohibition on their commerce,
TO secure the receipt into the Treasury Of eoin
sufficient 10 pay the interest on the hnnas, ana
thus malntain the Treasury notes At rates nearly
equal TO par In specie. So long as the inteses
continued TO be thus paid with the reserve Of COLI
the eIpec,stiors 10 OF those who devised the system
Thus, ON the first Of the following December cott
| had only reached y premium Of about twenty PEI
| cent, although IL bad ALREADY heeOmc appasen
| that the commerce Of the cOuaiTy waa threatened
with permanent susrensl0n by reason Of lhe con
| duet Of neutral nations, and that the HcceasaS!