Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1864-12-17
Presidents Message,
Fsllo~ Citizens Of the Senate

Fellow Citizens Of the Senate
and House Of Representatives.:
Again the blessings Of health and abun.
dant harvests claim our profo undest graft.
tude to Omnipotent God. The condition
Of foreign affairs is remarkably sa,isfacto.
~. Mexico continues to be theatre Of
civil war, while our political relations
with that country have undergone no
change. We have at the same time strict
ly maintained neutrality between the bel
ligerents.
At the request Of the States of Costa
Rioa and Nicaragua, a competent Engi.
neer has been authorized to make sur.
vey Of the river San Juan and the port Of
SAT- Juan. 1t is q source of much salts.
faction that the difficulties, which for a
moment, excited some political apprehen-
sions and caused losing Of the inter.
Oceanic Transit route, have been AMIGA
bly, adjusted, and that there is a good
prospect that the route will soon be re.
opened with an increase of capacity and
adaptation. We could not exaggerate
either the commercial or the political inn
portance of the great improvement II
will be doing injustice to an important
South Amrican State not to acknowledge
the dlrectness, frankness, and cordiality
with which the United States of Columbia
have entered into intimate relations with
this government. A Claims Convention
has been constituted to complete the uu
finished work of the one which closed its
session in 1861.
The new liberal constitution Of Venez.
uela having gone into effect with the uni.
versa! acquiesceuce Of the people, the gov
ernment under it has been recognized and
Diplomatic intercourse with it has been
opened in a cordial and friendly spirit
The long deferred Avis Island cl.im has
been 50 'islactorily paid aud discharged
Mutual payments have been made of the
claims awarded by the late joint commits.
sion for the settlement Of claims between
the United States and Peru. An earnest
and cordial friendship continues to exist
between the two countries, and such efforts
as were in my power have been used to
remove misunderstanding and avert
threatened war between Peru aud Spain.
Our relations are Of the mos: friendly
nature with Chill. the Argentine Repub.
lie, Bolivia, Costa Riea. Paraguay, San
Salvador and Hayti. During the past
year no differences of any kind have
arisen with any Of these Republics aud
On the other hand, their sympa;Lies with
the United States are constantly express.
ed. The claim arising from The seizure Of
the cargo Of the brig Macedonian, in 1861,
has been paid in full by the government of
Chill. Civil war continues in the Spanish
port Of San Domingo, apparently without
prospect Of an early close. Official cor.
respondence has been freely opened with
Liberia, and it gives US pleasing view OF
social and political progress in that Re.
public. 1t may be expected to derive new
vigor from American influence, improved
by the rapid disappearance of slavery in
the United States. | solicit your authority
to furnish the Republic a gunboat at
moderate cost. to be reimbursed to the U.
States by installments. Such q vessel is
needed for the safety OF that State against
the native African race, and in Liberan
hands it would be more effective in arres.
| ting the Africa slave trade, than a squad,
ron in our own hands. The possession Of
the least organized naval force would s,i
muate generous ambition in the Repub
lie. and the confidence We should manifest
By furnishing it would win forbearauce
and favor toward the colony from all civ.
| ilized nations.
The proposed overland telegraph be-
tween America and Europe, by the way of
Bherring Straits and Arctic Russia, which
was sanctioned by Congress Mt the last
session, has been undertaken under very
favorable circumstances, by an association
Of our own citizens with the cordial good
will and support as we'll of this gobern-
ment as Of those Of Great Britain and
Russia. Assurances have been received
from most of the South American States
of their high appreciation Of the enter.
prise, and their readiness to cooperate in
constructing lines to that world encircling
communication.
l learn with much satisfaction that the
noble design of q teIegraphic communica
tion between the eastern coast Of America
and Great Britain has been renewed, with
full expectation Of its early accomplish.
ment. Thus it is hoped that with the re-.
turn Of domestic peace the country will