Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-12-11
THE MESSAGE


Your assembling is clOuded by a sense Of pub
IL bereavement, caused By the recent and sla-
den death OF Thomas A. Hendricks, vice presl-
delt OF the United states. His distinguished
ptblic services, his eOmplate Integrity anu devo-
tiof to every duty, and his personal virtues,
viii md honorable record m MS country ;
history. Ample and repe ted proofs OF the
esteem and confidence In which he was held "
his fellow eOuntrymen were manifested BY his
election 70 Officers Of the most important trpst
and dignity, aud at lentth, full Of years anq
honor, he has been laid at rest, amid universal
sOr oW and benedietiOn.
10 iegiSlate for the people 10 annually nett III
the discharge Of their solemn trust. also requlIes
the president 10 give 10 congress mlOInlatIVn
Of the status Of the Union, and recoliinena 10
their consideration such measures as he SHAH
ueem necessary and expedi, nj.
On the Threshold OF a compliance WIN tnese
constitutional directions IL Is wtlIO us 10 De.F
ia mind that our usefulness to the peop.eS IN
terests will be promoted by a constant appre-
citation Of the scope and character OF our re-
spectiVe dutiey as they relate to Federal legis,
lati0D. While the executive may recommend
such measures as he shall deem eXpedteut. me
responsibility for legislative action. must ana
should rest upon those selected by me
people 10 make their laws, hhe
contemplation Of the grave and TespohslOde
functions assigned to the respective Drahches Ol
the government under the constitution VIII us
close the partitions Of puwer between our res
peetiye departments and their necessary lnue,
pedenee, and also the need I0r tne eAvIclse ~ az
the power entrusted ~ each IN that spirit OF
comfy and cooperation, which IS essential 10
the proper iulhllment OF the patriotic Obligations
which rest upon US as faithful servants Oh me
people. The Jealous watcnIulneSs " our GoH;r.
stituencies, great and small, supplements inelr
~suffrages. and before the tribunal they establish
every public servant should be judged. Ii,
1t Is gratifying to announce the felalOes OF
the United States Win all IOrelgh poMerS Gv nr
TIME to be friendly In every position: AFTER
nearly a century OF successful constitutional
government. the maintenance OF good ialth 10
all our engagements, the avoidance OF cOillpll-
cations with other nations, ana the ever cOn-
sistent ana an lcable attitude toward the strong
and weak alike, furnish proof OF a pOllticai us
position which renders professions Ol g 0d VII
Unnecessary. There are no questions oi UNI
Guilty pending with any foreign governments
The Argentine government mas revived tne
long dormant question Of the Falkland lslands,
by claiming from the United states lndeih1ity
for their loss, attributed 10 the actlon VI .m1
slOop-Of.war Lexington In breaking up . plratlcal
colony on those Islands in 1896, and tneli suDse.
queL occupation By Great Britain. ~ view Oh
the ample Justification for the act OF the Lex
ingt0n ana the derelict condition Oh the Status
before, and their alleged 0ccuDatl0n Dy, Argeh
tine c~OlOnists, this government considers tne
claim as wholly grOundleSS
A question has arisen with the government OF
Austria-H Hungary, touching the re resenlatlon
Of he Uniten States.at vi ma. Having, under
my constitutional prerOgstive, appointed an estl,,
Unable citizen, of unimpeached prominence ana
competency, as minister at that court, lle GOV
eminent Of Austria-Huneary invited this Gov
eminent to take cOgnizance OF certain eXcep-
tiOLs, based upon allegations against the per-
sOnal acceptable Y Of MIR. Kelly, the appointed
envoy, asking that in view thereof, the appoint
ment should be Withdrawn. I eIeasUns al
vanced were such as could not be acqu esced i'll
without a violation Of my oath OF ONCE
and the precepts Of the constitution, since
they necessaridlly involved a limitation III tdV0r
OF a fOreigI government upon 1.-THE right OF Sc
hr fhA y nnuHf HaFA nhd pnntr ii mon Al
appl cation of a religious test as d qualification
for 0tii.e uuder the United States as would
have resulted in the practical disfrAnchiseinent
Of q large class Of our citizens and the aDan'
dOnment OF a vital principle in our government.
The AustrO-liungar. an government finally de-
clded not to receive MT. Kelly as the envoy Of
the United States, and that gentleman has since
resigned his commission, Leaving the poSt
nomination, and the intere is OF
this government ot Vienna are now in the
care OF the secretary of legation, acting as
Charge DAffalrs, ad interim.
Early in March last, war broke out IN Central
America, caused by the attempt Of Guatemala
to consolidate the several States into a single
government. In these contests between our
neignbOring States, the United States t0rDOre 10
Interfere actively, but lent the aid OF their
friendly Offices in depreciation Of war, and to
promote peace and concord among the beligeT-
rnts, and by such counsel Contributed, Impair
tlsl y, 70 the restoration OF tranquility In that
l0calitys
Emergencies growing out of civil war in the
United States Vi Columbia demanded OF the
government at the beginning Of this admins
tratlOn the employment OF a1 armed force to
fulfill its guarantees under the thirty-fitJh arti-
Gle OF the treaty OF 1915, IN order 10 keep the
transit open across The IsthlnuS OF Panama.
DeslTOus Of exercising only the powers express
ly reserved to us by the treaty, and mindful OF
The rights Of Columbia, the forces sent to the
isthmus were instructed to confine action to
positively anu ef1icaciOuSly. preventing the
transit aud its accessories from being inter
rllpted or embarrassed" The execution
Of thi, delicate and responsible task
necessarily involved police control over the
local authority, which was temporarily power
less, but always in aid Of the sovereignty OF Co
lumbia. The prompt and successful fulhlltfent
OF its duty by this government was highly APP
preciated by the government Of Colombia, and
has been fOhOwed by expressions OF It's SatlSlac-
ton. High praise IS due 10 the officers and men
engaged In Til, service, the restoration Of peace
on the ISthmus by the re-eStabllshment OF tile
constituted government there being thus accom-
plished, and the forces Ofthe Uni ed States were
withdrawn.
Pending the e occurrences a question Of much
Importance was presented by a decree OIL the
Colombian government, prOelaiming the closure
Vt certain ports then in the hands OF Insurgents.
and declaring vessels held by the reVOlutlOnlsts
t. be plratical and liable TO capture by any
over. To neither OF these PROPOSITIONS could
The United States assent. An effective closure
OF ports not in the possession OF the govern
ment, but held by hostile partisaps, could not be
recognized. Neither could the vessels II tile In
surgentS against tile legitimate sovereignty be
deemed hOstes human generi with II.
The precepts Of International law, what
ever might be the definition Or penalty Il
their acts under the municipal law OF the State.
against whose authority hey were in revolt.
Inc denial by this government Of the Column
bian Props, ions did not, however, imply the
admission Of u bellgerent status on the part OF
the insurgents. Ihe Columbian government
- -, 10 aa.rnN 1T uAua
V~entiOIs for the adjustment, by arbitration, OF
claims By foreign citizens arising cut Of the de-
sIrlctlOu OF the city of Aspinwall by the In
surrectiOnary forces.
cal transit for ships ACROSS the strips Of land
Separa lug the Atlantic ftOm the Pacific has
been repeatedly manifested during the last half
century. My lUunleulate predecessor caused 10
be negotiated with Nicaragua a treaty for the
construction, by and ut the sole cost OF the
United States, IT a canal through Nicaragua
territory, and Ibid 1t before the senate. Pend
ing the action Of that body thereon, withdrew
the treaty Tor e-txamlnati0n. An attentive
90 slderallon Of its rOvisiOns lead me TO with
hold 1t from to the senate. Main
t"i Ing AS | dc, tue tenets OF a line OF precedents
II. Waslllngton's day, which prescribe en-
laf2ing alliances with foreign states, | do not
IaYCr Is policy Of acquisition Of new and distant
ter. it0ry or the Incorporation Of remote inter
eSLS Wlth our own.
The laws Of progress are vital and organic.
ana we mttSJ &c CONSCIOUS OF That lrfoSlStdDle
tide of commercial expansion which. as the con
cOmltant of our active civilization. day by day,
is being the means urged to award, by those ln-
creasing facilities of production, to which steam
aud electricity have given birth, but our duty
in the present instrucIs US to address ourselves
mainly 10 the de- elopment Of the vast resources
OF the great area committed to our charge,
jealousy alert in preventing the Ameri-
can hemisphere from being invaded on the
problems and complications Of distant
governments. Therefore, am I'M
shIa m recommend n nrnnoettion