The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1865-12-15


us singularly Independent of tho varying
policy OF foreign powers, and protect us
against every temptation to "entanging al.
laDcos, whi!o OF tho present moment the
! ro- establishment of harmony, and tho
strength that comos from harmony, will bo
our best security against ''Dations who feel
power and forget right" For myself, il has
boon and it will bo my constant aim 10 pro.
mote peace and amity with all foreign pa-
tious and powers; and havo every reason
to believe that thcy oil, without exception,
are animated by.tbe samo disposition. Our
relations with the Emperor of China, 30 re.
cent in :hoir origin. arc most friendly. Our
ccmmerce with his domiuions is receiving
now Developments; and it lie worry pleasing
TO find that the Government of that great
Empire mauifcsts satisfaction with our pol
icy, and rcposes just confidence ia the tuir-
ness which marks our intercourse. Tho un-
broken harmony between tho Unitod Statos
and the Emperor of Russia is rocoivhg u
| new support from an enterprise designed to
! carry to'egraphic lines across tho continent
of Asia, through his dominions, and 80 to
connect us With al Europe by now chan.
mol of intorcourso. Our commerce with
South America ia about to receive encourage
meut by direct limo Of mail steamships to
tho rising Empire of Brazil The distinguish
cd party ofmen Of sciencc, who havo recent
|y left our country to mako q scientific OK,
| pioration Of tho natural history and rivers
and mountain ranges OF that ropion, havo
! received from tho Emperor that generous
welcome which was to have been expected
! from bis constant friendship tor tho United
! Statos, aud his we'll known zeal in promot-
/ itg tho advancement of knowledge. A hopo
is entertained that our commerce with tho
rich and populous countrioa that bordor tho
Mediterranean sea r1ny be largely increased.
! Nothing will bo wanting, on tho part of this
Government, to oxtond the protection Of our
fing over tho enterprise Of our follow. citizens.
We receive from tho Powers in that region
assurances OF good will; and il ia worthy of
noto that special envoy has brought us
messages of coincidence on tho death of our
late Chief Magistrate from tho Boy of Tunis,
whose ruIo includes the old domnions OF
Carthage, on the African coast.
Our domestic contest, now happily onded,
has loft somo traces in our relations with ono
at least Of tho groat maritime Powers. The
formal accordance of bolligorout rights to
the insurgent States was unprecedented,
and bas not boon justified by tho issue. But
in tho eystoms of neutrality pursued by the
Powers which made that concession, thcro
was marked difference. Tho materials Of
war for tho insurgeut States were furnished ,
in great measure, from tho workshops of
Great Britain; and British chips, manned by
British subjects, and prepared for receiving
British armaments, salied from tho ports of
| Great Britain to mako war on American
commerce undor tho Bhoter of commission
from the ipsurgent States. Theso ships
having once escaped from British ports, ever
attorwGrd entorod lhom in every part of tho
world, to rciit, and so to ronew their dcpro.
datiOns. Tho consequences of this conduct
woro most disastrous to tho Statos in robol.
lion, increasing thoir desolatiop and misery
by tho prol0ngation Of our civil contest. 1t
had, moreover, tho effect, to great extont,
to drive tho American flag from tho sea, and
to transter much OF our shipping and our
commorco to tho worry Powor whose subjects
had creatod tho necessity for such change
These oyonts took place boforo was called
to the administration of tho Govornmont.-
Tho sincere dcSiro for peace by which arn
animated lod mo to approve tho proposal,
already mado, to submit the questions which
had thus arisen between the two countries
to arbitration. Those quostons arc of such
moment that they must hayo commanded
tho attention of tho groat Powers, and arc
so interwovon with the peace and interests
of oyory ono of them ns to have inaurod an
impartial decision. regret to inform you
that Groat British declined the arbitramont,
but, on tho other hand, invited us to tho
formation OLA joint commission to eottIe
mutual cluims botwoGn tho two countries.
from which those for tho dcprodations bo-
fore mentioned should bo excluded. Tho
proposition, in that worry unsatisfactory form,
has boon doclinod.
Tho United Statos did not present tho sub
ject as an impeachment of tho good faith of
o Powor which was protesting tho most
friendly disposition, out Gs involving quos-
tops OF public law, of which tho settlement
is essential to tho peace of nations; and,
though pecuniary roparation to thoir injured
citizens would have followed incidentally on
q decision against Groat Britain, such com.
ponsation was not their primary object
They had higher motive, aud it was in tho
interosts of peace aud justice to establish i'm
portnnt principles of international law
The correspondence will DO placed boforo
you. Tho ground on which tho British Min.
ster ros,s his justification is, substantially,
that the municipal laws OF q nation, and tho
domestic interpretations of that law, arc tho
measure OF it's duty as q neutral; and feel
bound to declare my opinion, before you
and boforo tho world, that that Qualification
cannot he sustained before tho tribunal of
nations. At tho samo timo do not advise
to any present attempt ut redress by acts of
legislation. For tho future, friondship bo-
twoon tho two countries must rest on tho
basis of mutual justice.
From tho moment Of tho establishment of
our free Constitution, tho civilized world has
been convulsed by revolutions in tho ntor-
ests Of democracy or of monarchy; but
; through ell those revolutions the United
! Statea have wisely and firmly refused to