The Indianapolis daily herald. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1865-1868, 1865-12-06

''"s'@"' HWh"tHfI toF fHt 1nl1t I
SlaRs aud his vel Known seaI In prosnoting /
ths advaacemsnt n kaopledgs A hope u
entertained that our commerce With the rich /
aad pspaleus countries that border a aedl- Z
tsrranean Sea may he largely increased. /
Nofliug viii be whuling. on the part Of this /
6bvernment 70 extend the protection % our /
dag over the enterprise Of our feliow-cItirens I
We receive from the Powets in that region
assurances Of good VIII, aud Il is worthy of /
sole that special envoy has brought ns |
messages % coincidence on The death Of oar
late Chief Magistrate from the Bey Of Thns,
whose rule ineludcs the old donations Of
Garbage on the African coast
Cur domestic contest now happily ended,
has Ten some traces in our relations with one
AZ least o. the great maritime Powers. The
formal accordance o. belligereni rights TO the
insurgent States was Unprecedented, aud has
not beeu justified by the issue. But In the
systems Of neutrality pursued by the Powers
shieh made that concession. there was q
marked difference. The materials Of war
for the iusurgent States were furnished, in
great measure, from the workshops Of Great
Britain; aud british ships, manned by Brit
lsh subjects. and prepared FOR receiving Brit
ish ornaments sailed from the ports Of
Great Britain to make war on American com
merce. under the shelter OF n commission
from the insurgent states These ships, hav-
iny once escaped from British ports, ever af-
forwards entered them In every part OF the
world, 10 reft, aud 30 to renew their depreda-
tions The consequences Of this conduct were
most disastrous 40 ,he States then in rebel
lion, Increasing their desolaiion and misery
By the prclcngation Of our civil contest. IL
had, moreover, the effect to n great extent
TO drive the American flag from the sea, and
10 transfer much Of our shipping and our
commerce to the very Power whose subjects
had created the necessity for such n thing.
These events took place before | was call
ed TO the admi nistration OF the Government.
The sincere desire for peace by which am
animated led me 10 approve the proposal al
ready made, TO submit the questions which
had thus arisen between the countries 10 ar
bitratiou. Those questions are Of such mo-
ment that they must have commanded the At
tenton of the great powers, and are so inter
woven with the peace aud interests OF every
one Of them as TO have ensured an impartial
decision. | regret TO inform you that Great
Britain declined the arbitra ment. but on the
other hand, invited us TO the formation Of n
joint commission to settle mutual claims be-
tween the two countries, from which those
fer the depredations before mentioned should
be excluded. The proposition, in that very
unsatisfactory form, has been declined.
The United States did not present the sub
jeet 80 en- impeachment of the good filth OF
= Power which was protesting the mos,
friendly dispositions but as involving ques-
tons OF public law, Of which the settlement
10 essential to the peace of nations; and
though pecuniary reparaiion TO their injured
citizens wsulj have followed incidentally on
decision against Great Britain, such com
] -.
They had a higher motive. and il was in the
interests Of peace and justice to establish ina
portant principles of international law
| The correspondence will be placed before you.
The ground on which the British Minister
rests his justification is, substantially, that
the municipal law of a nation, and the do
nestle interpretations of that law, are the
measure Of its duty rs neutral and feel
bound to declare my opinion, before you and
before the world, that that justification can
rot be sustained before the tribunal Of ma
tioss. At the. same time do not advise 10
any present attempt at redress by acts Of
legislation. For the future friendship be-
tween 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 eonvulsed by revolutions in the inter-
ests OF democracy or of monarchy; but
through all those revolutions the United
States have wisely and firmly refused TO be-
come propagandists of republicanism. 1t is
| the only government suited 10 our condition !;
bot we have never sought to impose it upon
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 inter
vening period the policy Of European Powers
and of the United States has, on the whole,
| beeen 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 an-
nounee the views of this nation in respect to
such interference. On both occasions the
remonstrancs Of the United States was re-
sPected, from deep conviction, on the part
Of European Governments, that the system
Of non-interferencs aud mutual abstinence
from propagandism was the true rule for the
two hemispherss. Since those times we have
advanced in wealth and power; but we re-
tain the same purpose to leave the nations Of
Europe to choose their own dynasties and
form their own system Of government. This
consistent moderation may justly demand a
corresponding moderation. We should re-
gard il rs q great calamity to ourselves. 10
the cause of good government, and to the
peace Of the world, should any European
Power challenge the American people, as it
were, TO the defence OF republicanism against
foreign interference.
We cannot foresee and are unwilling 10
consider what opportunities might present
themselves, what combinations might offer TO
project ourselves against designs inimicai 10
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 beth
continents.
The correspondence between the United
States and France, in reference TO questions
which have become subjects Of discussion
between the two Governments, will. at a
proper time, be laid before Congress.
When, on the organization Of our Govern
msnt, under the Constitution, the President
Of the United States delivered bis inaugural
address to the two House Of Congress, he
said 10 them, and through them to the coun-
try and to mankind, that "the preservation
Of the sacred fire Of liberty aud the destiny
OF the republican model Of government are
justly considered as deeply, perhaps as final.
ly staked on the experiment intrusted to the
American people"
And the House Of Representatives answer
ed Washington by the voice of Madison
I'VE adore the invisible hand which has led
the American people, through 80 many diff
culties, TO cherish q conscious responsibility
for the destiny Of republican liberty" More
tnan seventy-six years have glided away
since these words were spoken; the United
s atss have past through severer trials than
were forsesn; aud now, at this new epoch in
our existence as one nation, with our Union
pur fed by SORROWS and strengthened by con-
iii and established by the virtue Of the people
the greatness Of the occasion invites US once
more to repeat, with solemnity, the pledges of
our fathers TO hold ourselves answerable be-
fore our fellow-men FOR the success Of the re-
pablisan form Of government. Experience
has proved its sufficiency in peace and in
war; it has vindicated its authority through
dangers and Affections, and sudden and terri.
bic emergencies, which would have crushed
sysfem that had haeu lass frnlw Ev.1