Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-12-12

II | have dwelt thus fully on our do nestle af!ir
e because of their transcsndent importance Unde
q any circumstances our great extent Of terrltor
aud variety Of climate, producing amos, every
j. thing that is nee essary for the wants, and eve
J. the comforts Of man, make, Us singulary inde
pendent Of the varying policy of foreign Powers
, and protects us against every temptation to "en
I, tanging alliances, while at the present monen
the re-establishment Of harmony, and the slreDqd
{ that comes from harmony, will be our blst teou
rity agsin't "nations who feel power and f5rge
right" For myself it has been and it will b.
I my constant aim to promote peace and amityvi.t
all foreign nations and powers and have ever,
reason to believe that they all, without exception
are animated with the same disposition. Om
relations with the Emperor Of China, so recent ia
their origin, are most friendly. Our commerce
with his domlnions is receiving new develop.
mentsj and 1t is very pleasing to fnd that tbe
Government OF that great Empire manfts sitis-
faction with our policy, and reposes just confidence
in the fairness which marks our intercourse. The
unbroken har moby between The United States
and the Emperor OF Russia il receiving new
support from an enterprise designed to cary tel
egmphc lines across the continent ci Asia.
through bis domnons and so to connect us with
all Europe by new channel Of intercourse.
Our commerce with South Amerc4 il about to
receive encouragement by direct line Of mail
steamships to the rising Empire Of Brazil The
distinguished party of men Of science who have
recently left our country to make q scisnfc ex.
plontion Of the natural history and rivers and
mountain ranges Of that region, have received
from the Emperor that generous welcome which
was to have been expected from his constant
friendship for the United Staten and his well
known zeal IN promoting tbs advancement Of
knowledge. hope IS entertained tina our COM
merce with the lich and populous countries that
border the Mediterranean sea may be lrgely IN
creased. Nothing will be wanting on the par, Of
this Government, 10 extend the protection Of our
nag over The enterprise OF our fellow citizens -
We receive from the Powers in that region assu-
RANGES of good will and tits worthy Of note that
a special envoy has brought u, messages Of con.
dolence on the death OF our late Chief Magistrate
/ from the Bey OF Iunls, whose rule includes the
Old dominlons of Carthage, on the African coast.
/ Our domestic contest, now happily ended. has
elt some trsces 10 our relations witt one a. least
Of the great Maritime Powers. The formal ac
cordance Of belllgerent rights 10 the insureent
States was unprecedented. aud has not been Us
tilted by the issue. But in the system of neutral.
ity pursued by the Powers which made that COM
cession, there wasa marked difference. The ma
terials Of war for the insurgent States were fur.
nished, in a great measure, from the workshops
Of Great Britain and British ships. manned by
British subjects, and prepared for receiving llrii.
ish armaments, sailed from the ports Of Great
Britain to make war on American commerce, unt
Der the shelter OF commission from the insurgsnt
States. These ships, having once escipel from
British ports, ever afterward entered them ia ey.
cry part OF the world, to reft, and SO to renew
their depredatons The consequences Of this
conduct were most disastrous 10 the States then
IN rebellion, increasing their desolatiun and misery
by the prolongition Of our civil contest. Ii had.
moreover, the effect, TO great extent, to dri,e
the Amer can flag from the sea, and to transfer
much OF our shipping and our commerce to the
very Power whose subjects had created The nece |
slty for such chlnge. These events took place
before was called 10 the administration Of the
Government. The sincere desire for peaoe be-
which am animsted led me to approve the pro. |
posa, already made, 70 submit the questions which
had thus arisen between the countries to arbitfa
ton. These questions are of such moment that
they must have commanded the attention of the
o.
peace and interests Of every one of them as TO
have ensured an lmpsrtsl decision regret to
INFORM YOU that Great Britain declined the abitra- |
ment, but, on the other hand, invited US to the |
formation oil JOINT commission to settle mutual |
claims between the two countries, from which |
those for the dcpredations 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 ofa Power
which was protesting the most friendly dsuosi.
tons, but as involving questions Of public ht. Of
which the settlement is essential to the peace -
nations, and, though peouuary reparation to their
injured citizens would have followed incidentally
on decision against Great Britain, such compen.
.a'lon was not their primary object. They had a
hlgher motive, and Il was IN the interests of
peace and justice to establish important principles
oil International law. The correspondence " be
placed before you. The ground on which the
British Minister rests his justifcl ton is subsan
ually that the municipal law of a nation, and the
interpretations Of that law, are the met :
lre OF us duty as a 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 tn future, friendship
between the two countries must res, on the b,,is
'f mutual justice.
From the moment Of the establishment Of out
free Constitution, the civilized word has been
lonvulstd by revolutions Ia the interests OF dm0c-
acy or Of monarchy but through all those reyo-
utIons the United States have wisely aud firmly
efused to become propaSandiss Of repubHcanisn.
/ is the only government suited to our condition
'ut we have never sought to impose il on Others
md We have consistently followed the advice If ]
Washington, to irecommeod il only by the c
arefu preservation and prudent use Of lhe bless.
ng. During all the intervening period the poi- y
cy Of European Powers and OF the | nitrd States u
las, on the whole, been harmonious. Twice, in o
eod, rumon Of the invasion OF some p,rts u
america, ~ tae interest OF monarchy, have pre-. y
ailedi twice my predecessors have had occ ls,ou
o announce the views olthis nation in rcspto 10 c
uoh interference, Ga both occasions the remon. y
trance of the United States was respected, from g.
deep conviction, on the part OF European
ioyernments, that the system OF non-nterere, ca =
nd mutual abstinence from propaglnd.sm was toe
rue rule Tor the two hemlspherps. Since those u
ines We have advanced 10 wealth and power but n
ie retain the same purpose to leave the nations
I Europe to ohoose their own dyuasles aud form "
heir own systems Of government. Ths consist. o.
nj moderation may justly d. nand a correspond y
* moderation. We should regard il US grea. y
a amliy to ourselves, to the cause Of good gov. y
rnmen, and TO the peace of the word. y
iould any European Power challenge the Amer. u
an people, as Il we're, to ths defense Of fepab. ~
oanism against foreign interiersnce Wa cap U,
Of ioresee and are unwilling to consider what OPP y
ortuuities might present themselves, what CON. ~
nations might offer TO protect ourselves against