The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1865-12-13
NUMBER g.
have dwels tbus fully on our domsssis

uhNo uWbls tHuS tutly On our QOmetu8
effairs because of their transeendsnt i'm
portance. Under any circumstances. our
great extent of territory and variety Of eli
mate producing almost everything that is
necessary for the wants, and evan the com
torts OF man, make us singularly indspen-
dent Of the varying policy of foreign Powsrs,
and to protect us against every temptation
to "entangling alliances" while at the pres
ent the re-estsblishment Of harmony, and
the strength that comes from harmony, will
be our best security against nations who
feel power and forge. right"
For myself, it has been and win be nv
constant aim to promote peace and amity
with all foreign nations and powers and
have every reason to believe that they all.
without exception, are animated By the sams
disposition. Our relations with the Empe-
ror of China, SO recent in their origin, are
most friendly. Our commerce with his do
minions Is receiving new Developments; and
it is very pleasing to find that the Govern
ment of that great Empire manifests salts
faction with our policy, and repeses just con
fdence in the fairness which marks our in
tercourse.
The unbroken harmony between the Uni
ted States and the Emperor of Russia is re-
ceiving o new support from an enterprise de-
signed to carry telegraphic lines across the
OOmlDlODs.
and so to connect as with all Europe by =
new channel Of intercourse. Our commerce
with South America is about to receive en-
couragement by direct line Of mail steam
ships to the rising Empire Of Brazil. The
distinguished party of men of sciencs who
have recently lett our country to make soil
entifc exploration of the natural history.
and rivers and mountain ranges Of that re 4
glon, have received from the Emperor thas
generous welcome which was TO have been
expected from his constant friendship for the
United States, and his wsll-knowu zeal inl
promoting the advanoemsnt Of knowledge
a hope is entertained that our commerce|
with the rich and populous countries that
border the Mediterranean Sea may be large
lY increased. Nothing viii be wanting on
the part Of this Government, to extend the
protection of our felow-citizens. We received
from the powers in that region assurances vf|
good will; and il is worthy of note that q
special envoy has brought us messages sf|
oondolence on the death of our late Chief
Magistrate from the Bey of Tunis, whossl
rule includes the old dOmiuions Of CarthsesI
on the African coast. -ys
Our domestic contest. now happily ended.
has left some traces in our relation with one.
at least, of the great maratime Powers. ThsI
formal accordance Of beligerent rights to|
the insurgent States was unprecedented, and
has not been justified by the Issue. But iu|
the systems of neutrality pursued by tbeI
Powers which made that concession, thereI
was q marked differences. The materials os|
war for the insurgent States were furnished
in great measure. from the workshops ofl
Great Britain, and British ships, man asd by|
British subjects and prepared for recsiving|
British armaments, sailed from the ports ID
Great Britain to make war on American|
commerce, under the shelter of q commis-|
sion from the insurgeat States.
These ships, bsyins once escaped fromI
British ports, ever afterwards entered them
Ia every part Of the world, TO refit, and so to|
renew their depredations. The consequences|
OF this conduct was mast disastrous to the|
States then in rebellion, increasing their de-
ISOLATION and misery Sy the prolongation oil
our civil contest. 1t has, moreover, the effect
to a great extent. to drive the American flag
from the sea, and to transfer much of ourl
shipping and commerce to the very Power|
whose Subjects had created the necessity forl
euch change. These events took place be-
fore l was called to the administration of|
the Government. The sincere desire for
peace by which | am animated led ms TO ap-
prove the proposal, already made, to submit|
the questions which had thus arisen between
the two countries TO arbitration.
These questions are of such moment that
they must have commanded the attention of
the great powers, and are so interviewer with
the peace and interest of every Que Of thes,
as to have insured an impartial decision. K
regret TO inform you that Great Britain de-
clined the arbitrament, but, on the other
hand. invited us to the information Of Joint
commission to settle mutual claims between
the two countries. from which those for the
aI Ioti H. -
excluded. The proposition, in tba. very
unsatisfactory form. has been declined.
The United States did not present this Oh
ject as an impeachm snt of the good faith of q
Power which was protesting the most friend
ly dispositions, but as involving questions OK
public law, of which the settlement is essen
tial to the peace of O nation and although
pecuniary reparatiou to their injured citi-
zens would have followed incidentally on q
decision against Great Britain, such compsn-
sation was not their primary object. They
had q higher motive. aud it was in the in-
terests OF peace and justice to establish i'm
portant principles of international law. Toe
correspondence will be placed before you
The ground on which the British Minis
ter 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 q neutral, and feel
bound to declare my opinion before you so
before the world. that that justioasion can
not be Sustained before the tribunal of us-
tions At the same time do not advise 10
any present attempt at redress by acts of
legislation. For the future, friendship hs
tween the two countries must rest on tas
basis of mutual justice
From the N mDment Of the establishnen. NJ
our free Constitution. the civilized world
has been convulsed By revolutions in the in
terosts of democracy or of monarchy: bus
through oil those revolutions the United
States have wisely and firmly refused to b.
come propagandists of republicanism IL
is the only government suited to our cendi-
ton but we have never sought to impose