Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-12-18
FOREIGN RELATIONS.

no Improvement in the state of our rel"l
tions with foreign countries since my me +
3 sage in January last. On the contrary, the. i
Z, has been still greater divergence in Il J,
n conduct of. European nations from tn; /
4 practical impartiglity which alone deserve,
4 the name of neutrality, and their ao,
ton. In some cases, has assumed q characttt
4 positively rnrifriendly. A.A Piai6 L5iisI ~ 2
You have heretofore been informed tha' i
by. common understanding, the initiative |
all action touching tile contest on the con 7
tinent had been left by foreign Powers t |
the two great maritime nations of Wester
gEurope, and that the government of thes |
. two nations had agreed to take no measure !
without previous concert. The result O |
these arrangements has, therefore, placed !
in the power of either France or Englant
to obstruct at pleasure, the recognition td
which the Confederacy is justly entitled,
or even to prolong the continuance Of hos,
tilities on this side of the Atlantic, if the
! policy of either could be promoted by the
| postponement Of peace. Each, too, thus
! became. possessedsof great influence in so
shaping the general exercise of neutral
rights in Europe, as to render thcm's,lbser-
Went to the purpose of aiding one of the
belligerGnts, to the detriment of the other. l
referred, at your last session, to some Of the
leading points in the course pursued by pro-
fesscd neutrals, which betrayed o partisan
leaning to the side of our, enemies; but
events have since. occurred which induce
me to renew the subject in greater detail
I than was then deemed necessary. In call
ing your attention to the action of these
Governments, shall refer to the documents
appended to President Lincoln's messages,
and to their own correspondence, as disclos-I
ing the true nature of their policy and the
n
exception can be taken. inasmuch as our
attention has been invited to those sources
Of information by their official publication.
In May, 1861 the Government of her
Britannia Majesty informed our enemies
that it had not ''allowed any other than
an interlnediate position on the part of the
Southern States" and assured them ''that
I the sympathies of this country(GRat Brit
AIM were rather with the North than with
the South" .'-'..4- tirRi'L
On the first day of July, 1861, the British
Government interdicted the use of its ports
ito armed ships and priyateers. both of the
United States aud the so-called Confederate
States,H with their prizes. The Secretary
OF State Of the United States fully appreci-
ated the character and motives of this in
terdiction, when he observed tb Lord Lyons,
who communicated it, that this measure,
and that Of the sanfe character which had
been adopted by France. would probably
prove adeath-blow to Southern priyateer-
ing" .I.l'.r
Here DAVIS goes intoan extended review
of his relations with England, occupying
several columns - a-- t.'.
/ refer you for fuller details on this whole
subject to the correspondence of the State
Departments which accompanies this mess
sage. The facts Which, have briefly mar
rated are, trust, sufficient to enable you to
appreciate the true nature OF the neutrality
protessed in this war. 1t tisnot inmy power,
to apprise you to what extent the, Govern
ment of France shares the views so upfe-
servedly avowed by that, of Great, Britain,
mo published dcoFrespondeDce offthe French
tGovernmenton the subject having been re-
,ceiyedo'tNo public protest or opposition.
however has been made BY iItSjar1rt sst ts.tE
Majesty against the prohibition to trade
with Us, imposed, on FreuHkbftizehs hy the
paper blockade Of the 35Ylited States, al
though have reason to believe that an uII--
successful attempt was made OH his part to
secure the assent of the British Government
to course of action more consonant with
the dictates of public law and with the de-
mands Of justice toward us.
(. [DAy1s accuses England Of marked par
- IL ..U
tiality toward sour (his) ensmies."l
1t is due to you and to our country that
this full statement should be made, of the
just grounds which exist for dissatisfaction
with the conduct of the, British Govern
ment, am well aware that we are unfor--
tunately without adequate remedy for the.
injustice under which we have suffered at
the hands of u powerful nation, at a juno
ture when our entire resources are absorbed
in defense of our lives, liberties and inde-
pendenee, against an enemy possessed of
greatly superior numbers and material re-
sources. -"'7
In connection with this subject ofour re-
lations with foreign countries, it is deemed
opportune to communicate my views in ref
erence to. the treaties made by the Govern
ment of the United States at date anterior
to otir separation, and which were conse-
quently binding on us as well as ON foreign
powers when the separation took effect. 1t
was partly with view'to entering into such
arrangements as the change in our govern
ment had made necessary that we felt it our
tduty to-send commissioners abroad for the,
purpose of entering into negotiations prop
| er to fix the relative rights aid obligations
| of the parties estothosetIeaties. As this ten
der on our part hs been declined as foreign
nations have refused us the benefit of the
Itreaties to which, we were parties, they Ger-
4 tainly have ceased to be binding on us, and,
\ in my opinion, our relations with European
nations are, therefore, now controlled eXz
| clusively by the general rules of the law of
Pnations. 1t Is proper to add that these re-
marEs are intended toapply solely to treaty
obligations toward foreign governments,
fand have no reference to rights of ipdiyid-
uals. QstrH8b-t3'qsysm '.'"'1i'J
i a n
.TTsNIErGos sFINANcEs.
The state of the public finances is suchas
l 10 demand your, earnest attention. ID need
4 hardly say that g. pronlptl and eflicacious