The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1865-12-13

subjects, and prepared for receiving Britis
armaments, sailed from the ports of Grea
Britain 10 make war on American corbmerct
under the shelter or n commission from th
insurgent States. These ships, having ono
escaped from British ports ever aflerwart
entered them in every part Of the world, b
reft, and 50 to renew theft depredatons
The consequences Of this conduct were mos
disastrous to the States then in rebellion
increasing their desolatlon and misery by
the prolongaton Of urcivil contest. 1t had
moreover, the effect, to great extent, Il
drive the American flag from the sea- and Il
transfer much Of our shipping and our com
merce to the very powcr whose subjects liat
created the necessity for such change
These events took place before was called Il
the administration of the Government. The
sincere desire for peace, by which ant ami.
mated led me to approve the proposal, already
made, to submit the questions which had thus
arisen between the countries, to arbitration
These questions are OF such momt Mt tina
they must have commanded the attention o
| the great Powers, and are 50 ihterwovel
with the peace and interests Of every one o
them as to have insured an impartial decis
ion. regret to inform you that Great Britain
|
hand, invited us to the formation of joint
commission to settle mutual claims between
the two countries, from which those for the
depl edations before mentioned should be
excluded. The proposition, in that very
unsatisfactory form, has been declined.
The United States did not present the
subject as an impeachment of the good
faith of Power which was protesting
the most friendly dispositions, but as in
volviug questions of public law, of which
the settlement is essential to the peace Of
nations; and, though pecuniary lepara'
ton to their injured citizens would have
followed incidentally ON a decision against
Great Britain, such compensation was
not their primsry object. They had a
higher motive, and it was in the interests
Of peace and justice to establish import
ant principles Of international law. The
correspondence will be placed before you.
The ground on which the British Minis
er rests his justification is, substantially,
that the municipal law of nation, and
The domestic interpretations of that law,
are the measure of its duty as a neutral;
and | feel bound to declare my opinion,
before you and before the world, that
that justification can not be sustained
before the tribunal of nations. AT the
same time do not advise to any present
attempt to redress by acts of legislation.
For the future, friendship between the
two countries must rest on the basis Of
mutual justice.
From the moment Of the establishment
Of our free Constitution, the civilized
world has been convulsed by revolutions
in the interests of democracy or of mon
archy; but through all those revolutions
the United States have wisely and firmly
refused to become propagandists Of re
publicanism. 1t is the only government
suited to our condition but we have
never sought to impose it on others and
we have consistently followed the advice
Of Washington to recommend it only by
the careful preservation and prudent use
Of the blessing. During all the interven
ing period the policy Of European Pow
ers and Of the United States has. on the
whole, been harmonious. Twice, indeed,
rumors of the invasion of some parts of
America, IN the interest Of monarchy. |
have prevailed; twice my predecessors
have had occasion to announce the views
of this nation in respect to such iaterier-
ence. On both occasions the remon
STRANGE OF the United States was respect
ed from deep conviction on the part of
European Governments, that the system
of non interference and mutual abstinence
from propagandism was the true rule for
the two hemispheres, Since those times
we have advanced in wealth and power,
but we retain the same purpose to leave
the nations of Europe to choose their
own dynasties and form their own systems
of government. This consisten: moder-
alton may justly demand a sponding
moderation. We should regard it as a
great calamity to ourselves, to the cause
of good government, and to the peace OF
the world, should any European power
challenge the American people, as 1t
were, to the defense Of republicanism
aganat foreign interference. We can
not foresee, and are unwilling to consider
what opportunities might present them,
selves, what combinations might offer to
protect ourselves against designs mimi
cal to our form of government, The
United States desire to act in the future
as they have ever acted heretofore they
never will be driven from that course but
by the aggression of European powers
and we rely on the wisdom and justice
Of those powers to respect the system OF
non interference which has so long been
sanctioned by time, and which. by its
good results, has approved itself to both
The correspondence between the
United States and France, in reference
to questions which have become subjects
Of discussion between the Governments,
will, at proper time. be laid before Con-
gress.
When, on the organization ofour Gov
ornmant undar the Constitution the