Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-12-15
Affairs ut the Matiuu*
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

The message of President Arthur to th'
first session of the Forty.seventh Congress
was read in both houses on Tuesday of las
week. As departure from the custom which
has obtained of late years, the message was
not printed in advance, but was read in Con
gress from manuscript. 1t is the most elabo
rate document that has recently emanated
from the Executive Department; and while il
discusses at great length, all the various ques
tions bearing upon the home and foreign pol
icy of the Government, it is pronounced by
the press representing all shades of political
opinion practical and eminently conservative
paper. The message opens with the following
allusion to the extraordinary event that called
him to the head of the government:
An appalling calamity has befallen the
American people since their chosen represent
atives last met in the halls where you are now
assembled. We might else recall with unal'
loyed content, the rare prosperity with which,
throughout the year, the Nation has been
blessed. Its harvests have been plenteous
its varied industries have thriven the health
of its people have been preserved; it has
maintained with Foreign Governments the
undisturbed relations of amity and peace.
For these manifestations of His favor we owe
to Him who holds our destiny in His hands,
the tribute of our grateful devotions. TO
that mysterious exercise of His will, which
has taken from us the loved and illustrious
citizen who was but lately the head of the
Nation, We bow in sorrow and submission.
The memory of his exalted character, of his
noble achievements and of his patriotic life,
will be treasured forever as a sacred posses
sion of the whole people. The announcement
of his death drew from Foreign Governments
and peoples tributes of sympathy and sorrow
which history will record as signal tokens of
the kinship of Nations and the federation of
mankind. The feeling of good will between
our own Government and that Of Great Brit.
ain was never more marked than at present.
In recognition Of this pleasing fact. directed,
on the occasion of the late Centennial celebra-
tion at Yorktown, that salute be given to
the British flag.
Touching foreign relations with this Gov
ernment, to which much space is devoted,
the message racites that American subjects
about Alsace and Lorraine have been guard
ed, although the best feeling has been
strengthened between Germany and the Uni
ted States. Relations with France are cor
dial differences with Spain are being firmly
adjusted, and recent detentions to American
shipping at the port of Mantila have been
examined, with view to their satisfactory
settlement American Israelities in Russia
will have influences from Washington thrown
about them in the anti-Jewish agitation in
Russia several important conferences have
recently been held with Italy; American
missionaries in Turkey will be looked after
and protected the Swiss Government has
again solicited the good Offices of our diplo-
matte and consular agents for the protection
of its citizens in countries where it is not it.
self represented. This request has, within
proper limits, been granted. Our agents in
Switzerland have been instructed to protest
against the conduct of the authorities in GER
tain communes in permitting the emigration
to this country of criminals and other OBJ
iectional persons. Several such persons,
through the cooperation of the Commission
ers of Emigration at New York, have been
sent back by the steamer which brought
.hem a continuation of which course, the
President thinks may prove a more efectual
remedy than diplomatic remonstrance. Trea.
ties of commerce and navigation, and for
the regulation of Consular privileges. have
been concluded with Roumanis and Servia
since their admission into the family of Euro
pean States. Treaties of an important nature
have been lately negotiated with China but
in relation to both China and Japan some
further changes are desirable in our present
system of Consular jurisdiction. He hopes,
at some future time to lay before Congress
scheme for the improvement of our Consul
lar jurisdiction in the entire East Relations
of unimpaired amity have been maintained
throughout the year with the respective Gov
ernments of Austro. Hungary, Belgium, Den.
mark, Hayti. Paraguay. Uruguay, Portugal
and Sweden and Norway. This may also be
said of Greece and Ecuador, although our
relations with those States have for some
years been severed by the withdrawal of ap-
propriations for diplomatic representatives at
Athens and Quito. 1t seems expedient to
restore those missions, even on reduced scale,
and decidedly recommend such a course with
respect to Ecuador, which is likely, within the
near future, to play an important part among
the operations of the Southern Pacific. In
regard to the Panama Canal, President Ar
thur insists that despite the position of Co.
lombia, in regard to our maintaining alone
the neutrality of the work, the prior guarantee
of the United States is indispensable, and
that the intervention of any Foreign Power
to assist in the guarantee will be considered
superfuous and uufriendy. He, therefore,
recommends the abrogation of so much of
the Clayton. .Bulwer treaty as does not COM
port with this obligation of the United States.
Abiding to the hostile relations between
Chill, Bolivia and Peru, the President init
mates that the growing sentiment is that our
Government must finally assume protectorate
over the whole continent of South America.
Of our relations with Mexico, the Presi-
dent says: As is natural with contiguous
States having like institutions and like aims
of advancement and development, the friend
ship of the United States and Mexico has
been constantly maintained. This Govern
ment has lost no occasion of encouraging the
Mexican Government to a beneficial reallza.
ton of the mutual advantages which will
result from more intimate commercial inter-
course and from the opening of the rich inte-
rior of Mexico to railway enterprise. deem
it important that means be provided to re-
strain the lawlessness, unfortunately so COM
mon on the frontier, and to suppress the forays
of the reservation Indians on either side OF
the Rio Grande. The neighboring States of
Central America have preserved internal