Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-12-06

: .
s274OS5475O Every reduction will diminish the
total amount of interest to be paid and so enlarge
the means OF still further reductions. until the whole
shail De llqudated and this, will be seen from
the estimates Of the Secretary of the Treasury may
be accomplished by annual payments even within "A
perOu not exceeding thirty years. have faith that
We shall do all this within a reasonable time. that
As we have amazed the world by the suppression OF
q civil war which thought To be beyond the
| control of any Government so We shall eoralIy
show the superiority of our institutions by tie
prompt and faithful discharge of our national obi
cations.
The Department of Agriculture, under It's present
direction. is accomplishing much in developing and
utilizing the vast agricultural capabilities of the
country, and for information respecting the details
of its management reference is made to the annual
| report of the Commissioner.
/ have dwelt thus fully or our domestic Affairs be.
cause of their transcendent importance. Under any
circumstances our great extent of territory and va
riey Of climate producing almost everything that Is
| Necessary for the wants. and even the comforts o.
man, make Us singularly Independent OF the varying
policy Of foreign Powers, and protect US against
every temptation to "entangling alliances while
TO the present moment the re.establishment of lar
mony, and the strength that comes from harmony
will be our best security against nations who feel
power and forget right For myself, it has been
and twill DE my constant aim To promote peace and
! amity with all foreign nations and Powers: and !
have every reason to believe that they all, without
exception, animated by the same disposition
Our relations with the Emperor of China, 50 recent
IN their origin, are most friendly Our commerce
with his dOmniOns Is receiving new Developments:
and it is very pleasing TO find that the Government
of that great Empire manifests satisfaction with our
policy, and repo>es Just confidence in the fairness
which marks our intercourse The unhroHen har.
mony between the United States and the Emperor of
Russia IS receiving a new support from an enterprise
designed 10 carry elegraphic lines across tie cont.
nent Of Asia through his dominons, and so to cor
meet Us with all Europe by new channel of inter-
1FfagP aV-Tt
TO receive encouragement by a direct line Of mail
steamships TO the rising Empire OF Brazil. The dis
tingushed party of men ofScience who have recently
lett orr country 10 make scientific exploration OF the
\ natural history and rivers and mountain ranges OF
that region, have received from the Emperor thIt
generous welcome which was TO have been eXpe Ted
| from his constant friendship for the United states,
and his wel-known zeal in promoting the advance
ment OF knowledge. \ hope is entertained that our
commerce with the rich and populOus countries that
! border the Mediterranean sea may pc largely IN
| increased. Nothing will lie wanting. on the part Oi
this Government to extend the protection of our llg
over the enterprise ol our e!lowcitzenS. We receive
from the Powers in that region assurances of good
will; and it is Worthy of note that a special envoy
has brought messages of coincidence on the death
of our late Chief Magistrate from the 3ey of Tun's
whose rule includes the old dominions OF Carthage,
! on tile African coast.
Our domestic contest now happily ended, has LETT
some traces in our relations with one 1T least OF the
| great maritime Powers. The formal accordance OF
belligerant rights to the insurgent States was UMPIRE
cedented and has not been justified byt the ne. But
! in the systems of neutrality persued by the Powers
which made that concession, there was marked dit
ference. The materials of war for the nsurgent
States were furnished, in great Sleasure, from the
workshops of Great Britain; and British ships,
| manned by British subjects, and prepared f)r re-
| ceving British ornaments, sailed from the ports OF
! Great Britain to make war on American commerce.
under tie shelter Of Il commission from the nsurgent
States. These ships, having once escaped from Brit
s ports ever afterwards entered them in every part
of the world, to reft and to their depreda
tons. Tie consequences OF this conduct were most
disastrous 10 the States then in rebellion increasing
their desO!atOn and misery by the prOOngation oar
civil contest. Ii had, moreover, the effect to great
extent To drive the American flag from the sea and
to transfer much of our shipping and our CONN cree
TO the very Power whose subjects had created the
necessity for such change. These events took place
before was called to the administration of the Gov
eminent. The sincere desire for peace by which an
animated led me to approve the proposal already
made. to submit the questions which had thus arisen
between tie countries to arbitration. These questions
art of such moment that they must have commanded
the attention of the great Powers, and are inter
woven with the peace aud interests OF every one oil
them a to have ensured an impartial decision. |
regret to inform you that Great Britain declined tie
AZ trament hut the other hand invited us Ia tie
formation OF joint commission TO settle mutual |
claims between the two countries, from which those
for the depredatiOns before mentioned should De eX
cuded. The proposition in that very unsatisfactory
FORM has been declined.
The United States did not present the subject as |
an impeachment Of the good ia tn of Power which
was protesting the most friendly dispositions but a.
involving questions OF public law, OF which the
settlement is essential to the peace OF nations anu
though pecunary reparaton to their injured citizens
would have followed incidentally on 4 decision
against Great Britain, such compensation was not
their primary object. They hadVa higher motive,
and il was in the interests of peace and justice 70
lisl inn INF
The correspondence will he placed before You. The
ground on which the British Minister rests his JUST
ication is. substantially. that the municipal law of
nation, and the domestic interpretations OF that Las"
are the measure of its duty Il neutral; and feel
bound to declare my opinion, before you and before
the world that that justification cannot be sustained
before the tribunal Of nations. At the same time
do not advise to any present attempt at redress by
acts OF legislation For the future, friendship be-
tween the two countries must rest the bass oil
mutual Justice
| From the moment of the establishment Of our
free Constitution the civilized world has been con-
vulsed by revolutions in the interests OF democracy
or of monarchy: but through all those revolutions
the United States have wisely and firmly refused 10
| become propagandists OF republlcanisln. Ii Is the
! only Government suited to our condition; but We
! have never sought TO impose 1t on Others and we
have consistently followed lthe advice OF Washing
ton to recommend it only by the careful pre-eIya-
ton and prudent use OF the blessing. During all the
intervening period the policy of European Powers
! aad 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 Ihon-
arcly. have prevailed; twice ny predecessors nave
had occasion to announce the views OF this nation
in respect to such interference. On both occasions
the remOnstrance of the United States respected
from 4 deep conviction. on the pant OF European
Governments. that the system OF non-intercicnce
and mutual abstinence from propagandiSm wa the
true rule for the two hemisphee- Since thoSet mes
we have advanced in wealth and power; but We re-
Al. 10 fha m fInn
to choose their own dynaSties and form their Ow n
systems of government. This consistent mOGerl-
ton may Justly demand corresponding modeia-
ton. We should regard it as great calamity TO !
ourselves To the OF good government, and to
the peace OF the world, should any European Power
challenge the American people as 1t were. 10 the
defence of repubicanis!n against foreign lntefier-
ence. We cannot fOresee and are unwilling 10 con-
slider what opportunities might present themselves
what combinations might oler to protect ourselves
AGAINST designs inimcal to our form OF government
The United States desire to act in the future a. 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-lhte!Ier
ence which has 50 long been sanctioned by time ana
which. by its good results, has approved itSei To
both continents. .-,e.-.-,
France in reference 10 questions which nave De-
come subjects OF discussion between the TWO GOV
ernments will at proper tine, be laId before Ton
gresi. . , 49,,
When. on the organization Of our Government nn,
der the Constitution, the President OF the Ihted
States delivered h!s inaugural address to Inc t"1
Houses of Congress, he said TO them. ana through
them to the country and to mankind that " the pre-.
servaton of the sacred fire OF liberty AMI the dc5ty
of the republican model Of government are J'-tiy
considered deeply, perhaps as finally sake on Tue
experiment ntrusted to the American people Anu
the House of Representatives. Answered ashin4tCh
by the voice OF Madison: We adore the thVI-'e
hand which has led the American people through 20
many difficulties, to cherish a conscious: le;pohS.3h'
Is for thetestiny OF republican liberty More nan
sevenv-sX years have gided away since thee ""Ii'
were spoken: the United States have passed through
seyerer trials than were iOreseen and now III M
new epOch in our existence as one nation win OUT
Union purified by sOrrows and strengthened oy con-
iict and established By the virtue Of tine people the
Greatness of the occasion invites Us once more u re-
peat with solemnity. the pledges OF our Iathe 10
hold ourselves answerabe before our ie!oN-meH 100
the success Of the republican form OF goveInmeht.-
Experience has proved it, suiiciency m peace ina
in war; il has indicated it, authority through "ah'
GERS and Affections and sudden and terrible einer'
,5encias which would have crushed any system that
rad been less firmly fixed IN the heart oil tie people
A. the inauguration of Washington tie foreign iea-
..f1lf ~ a. no.