Middletown transcript., 1870-12-10
THE PREsIDENr,s MESS AGE.

documentary patch work. the product of
several pens Butler gets credit for the
portion of it relating to Canada, the fish
cries and the navigation of the ST. Law
renee. The following resume of it is taken
from the Baltimore Sun:
This document was promptly delivered to Com
gress on the meeting of that body on Monday,
and having been forwarded by telegraph was
eNpeditiously issued. 1t tcommenced coming pyer
the wires about II o'clock P. N. and some two
hours and ten minutes were consumed in its
transmission and transcription. There was no
great popular interest manifested to see the doc
ument--there being such crisis in the country
as would intensity expectation, and no such state
OF circumstances MS would suggest ANYTHING
very novel or notable. The fact, indeed, that Il
was delivered to Congress entering upon its
last short session, when little change under the
policy of the administration, is expected in that
class of measures which effect more directly the
pecuniary and business concerns of the people,
would readily account for this want of an inten-
ser interest of such humdrum time in regard to
what TIE President might have to say.
After prefacng that the past year has been one
| of peace and plenty" the President begins his
message by saying that ''it is to be regretted.
however, that free exercise of the elective fran
| chise has by violence and intimidation been de-
MED to citizens, in cxpectonal cases. in several of
the States lately in rebellion, and the verdict of
| the people has been thereby reversed" 1t is to
regretted that the President should have felt it
| incumbent 10 make a statement which is obvious
ly intended as an apology for the odious congress
sional election law, and of the precautionary
| measures adopted by the government at some
OF the recent State elections. We believe that
the cases in which the free exercise of the elective
franchise in any part of the country was "by
| violence or intimidation denied were indeed
"expechonai," and for that reason we doubt
whether in any case 7" the verdict of the people
was reversed thereby" Nor if we recall the
magnitude of the military preparations in New
York city, and the use made of the marines in
Philadelphia, does it appear that the Presidents
| apprehensions at the time of the obstruction of
the elective franchise by violence or intimidation
were confined to the States lately in rebellion
| We are glad to learn, by the way, that Georgia
| although not yet in the Union as we supposed
on Monday, speaking from the best information
we could obtain, is expected back shortly after
new year.
Casting his eyes abroad, the President briefly
states the steps taken in consequence of the Eu-
| ropean war, both to insure the neutrality of our
own people, as well as to maintain our cordial
| relations with both of the belgerents, between
whom the President observes that this govern
ment stands ready to employ its good offices
whenever there is reason to believe that by their
means the war can be shortened one hour 1t
highly probable that the war will be closed with
out our mediation.
| The first topic upon which the message enlarg-
es to any extent is the Importance of the acousi-
ton of San Domingo, which is urged with great
earuestness and from variety of points of view
| The same considerations and arguments formed
the staple last session of a special message upon
the subject. What the President asks for now is |
authority TO appoint commission TO negotiate
| for the acquisition of the whole island
In connection with foreign affairs, some Mex |
lean customs arrangements, extradition treaties |
! with the Central American States, the Venezue- |
Ian claims, the Tien-Tsin massacres, the rectif-
cation of our boundary line on the 44th parallcl |
the abolition of the mixed courts for the suppress
sion of the slave trade, and the naturali- ttion
! treaty recently negotiated witt l,reat Britain
come in each for word - mention. The Ash.
| cry troubles are ma, discussed more at LENGTH
ana III Kramer which will make this portion OF
! the message highly acceptable to Cane Cod |
| The President lays the blame upon "the semi
Independent but irresponsible agent known as
| the Dominion Of Canada, and asks for authority
to suspend, by proclamation the transit Of goods
| wares, and merchandise in bond across the ter
ritory of the United States to Canada, and, if
| necessary, TO exclude from the waters of the T.
nited States all Canadian vessels Besides the
| unneighborly acts towards our fishermen COM
planned OF, alluson is made to the unfriendly
| disposition manifested on the part of Canada in
the maintenance of a claim TO exclude the citi-
zens of the United States from the free naviga-
| tion OF the st. Lawrence. This rs our readers
are aware, is an old story, having been the sub
| ject of negotiation between the governments of
Great Britain and the Uuited States rs far back
as 1873, and earlier. A number of the diplo-
matte precedents cited together with the inn
mense increase ofpopuation and tonnage in the
States which border on the great lakes, to show
the reasonableness of the American claim to equal
participation in the navigation of the St. Law
| renee, subject only TO the British or Canadian
right to regulate the police of the river where it
flows exclusively through British territory
The unadJusted state of the Alabama claims
against Great Britain is referred to only to say
that the cabinet of that country appears unwilling
to concede any negligence or act during our war
| by which the Uuted States has justitiable COM
plant, and to suggest that authority be given
for the settlement of the claims of our citizens by
our own government, in order that the latter
may have their ownership rs well us the the re-
sponsibe control of all the demands against
| Great Britain.
The depressed state of the American shipping
interests is alluded to, with the promise that
several propositions shall be laid before Con-
gress looking to a remedy for the evil The
message assumes that iron vessels cannot be
built in this country without government assis-
tance and hints at the old exploded policy of
encouraging ship-building by means ofbounties
The evils of "A fluctuating and depressed cur
rency are depored, in the message year
ago, and it is suggested that, with the fall in the
premium on gold, the time has probably come
for the wise legislation with the view of placing
our currency once more on specie basis.
On the SUBJECT OF revenue reform, what the
President says is entirely in accordance with the
views heretofore contended for in this paper, and
then he adds:
A true revenue reform cannot be made in a
day, but must be work of national legislature
and of time As soon the revenue can be dis
pensed with, all duty should be removed from
coife, tea and other articles of universal use not
produced by ourselves. The necessities of the
country compel us to collect revenue from our i'm
ports. An army of assessors and collectors is
not pleasant sight to the citizen, but that or
tariff for revenue is necessary.
The reform of the franking privilege and the
adoption of the Correspondence card" in our
postal system is recommended.
The policy inauguratcd by the present admin
istration of employing Friends and other mis-
sonary agencies for the purpose of civilizing and
managing the Indian is declared to have worked
| well, and promises the best possible resnlts