The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-12-09
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
To the Congress of the United States
Your assembling is clouded by sense of public
bereavement, caused by the recent and sudden
death of Thomas A. Hendricks, Vice President OF
the United States His distinguished public SER
vices, his complete integrity and devotion to ey-
cry duty and his personal virtues, will find honor
able record in his countrys history. Ample and
repeated proofs of the esteem and confidence in
which he was held by his fellow countrymen were
manifested by his election to offices of the most
important trust and highest dignity, and at length
full of years and honors he has been laid at rest
amid universal sorrow and benediction.
DUTIES OF CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT
The Constitution, which requires those chosen
to legisate for the people to annually meet in the
discharge of their solemn trust also requires the
President to give to Congress information of the
state of the Union and recommend to their con-
slderation such measures as he shall deem neces-
sary and expedient. At the threshold of a COM
pliance of these constitutional directions, it is
well for us to bear in mind that our usefulness to
the peoples interests will be promoted by a con-
slant appreciation OF the scope and character OF
our respective duties as they relate to federal leg
islation. While the Executive may recommend
such measures as he shall deem expedient, the re-
SpOnSlDllCy 1Or legislative action must and SnOulu
rest upon those selected by the people to make
their laws Contemplation of the grave and re-
Sponsible functions assigned to the respective
branches of the government under the COnstitu-
ton will disclose the partitions of power between
our respective departments and their necessary
independence and also the need for the exercise
of all the power entrusted to each In that spirit
of comfy and cooperation, which is essential to
the proper fulllment Of the patriotic obligations
which rest upon us as faithful servants of the peo-
pie, the jealous watchfulness of our constituent
cies, great and small, supplements their sufrages
lie servant should be judged
FOREIGN RELATIONS PEACEFUL
It is gratifying to announce that the relations of
the United States with all foreign powers continue
to be friendly Our position, after nearly eentu-
ry of successful constitutional government, MAIN
tenance of good faith in all our engagements, the
avoidance of complication with other nations and
our consistent and amcable attitude toward the
strong and weak alike, furnish proof of political
disposition which renders professions Of goodwill
unnecessary. There are no questions OF difficulty
pending with any foreign government.
The Argentine governmental has revived the long
dormant question of the Falkland Islands, by
claiming from the United States indemnity for
their loss, attributed to the action of the COM
mander of the soop-of-war Lexington in breaking
up pratical colony on the islands in 1881, and
their subsequent occupation by Great Britain. In
view of the ample Justification for the act of the
or ag p he v 1
tine colonstS. this government considers the
claim as wholly grolmdless.
THE AUSTRIAN MISSION.
Question has arisen with the government Of
Austria-Hungary touching the representation of
the United States at Vienna. Having under my
Constitutional prerogative appointed an estimable
citizen of unimpeached probity and competence
as Minister at the Court the government of Aus
ria-Hungary invited this government to take cog
nizance of certain exceptions based upon allega-
tions against the personal acceptability of Mr..
Kelley. the appointed envoy. asking that in view
thereof the appointment should be Withdrawn.
The reasons advanced were such as could not be
acquiesced in without violation of my oath of
office and the precepts of the Constitution, since
they necessarily involved a limitation in favor of
foreign government upon the right of selection
by the Executive, and required such an appca-
tion of religious test qualification for Office
under the United States as would have resulted in
the practical disfranchisement of large class of
our citizens and the abandonment of vital prin-
ciple in our government The Austro- Hungarian
government finally decided not to receive Mr..
Kelley as the envoy of the United States, and that
gentleman has since resigned his commission,
leaving the post vacant l have made no new
nomination, and the interests of this government
at Vienna are now in the care OF the Secretary of
Legation, acting as Charge d'Afairs ad interim.
THE WAR IN CENTRAL AMERICA.
Early in March last war broke out in Central
America, caused by the attempt OF Guatemala to
consolidate the several States into single gov
ernment. In these contests between our neigh
boring States the United States forebore to inter-
fere actively but lent the aid of their friendly
offices in depreciation of war and to promote peace
and concord among the bellgerents, and by such
counsel contributed Importantly to the restoration
of tranquility in that locality.
THE CIVIL WAR IN COLOMBIA
Emergencies growing out of civil war in the
United States of Colombia demanded of the gov
ernment at the beginning of this administration
the employment Of armed force to fulfill its guar
antees under the 35th article of the treaty Of
1916, in order to keep the transit open across the
Isthmus of Panama DESTROYS of exercising only
the powers expressly reserved to us by the treaty.
and mindful of the rights of Colombia the forces
sent to the Isthmus were instructed to confne
their action to positively and efficaciously' pre-
venting the transit and its accessories from being
interrupted or embarrassed" The execution OF
this delicate and responsible task necessarily in
volved police control where the local authority
was temporarily powerless, but always in aid of
the sovereignty of Colombia. The prompt and
successful fulfiment of its duty by this govern
ment was highly appreciated by The government
OF Colombia, and has been followed by expressions
of its satisfaction. High praise is due to the
officers and men engaged in this service. The
restoration OF peace on the Isthmus by the re-
establishment Of the constituted government
thus being accomplished, the forces of the United
States were withdrawn Pending these occur
rences question Of much importance was pre-
sented by DEGREES of the Colombian government.
proclamng the closure of certain ports then in
the hands OF insurgents, and declaring vessels
held by the revolutionists to be pratical and liable
propositions could the United States assent. An
effective closure of ports not in the possession of
the government. but held by hostile partisans,
could not be recognized. Neither could the yes
sells of insurgents against the legitimate S0Ver-
eighty be deemed hostes humani generis within
the precepts OF international law, whatever might
be the definition and penalty of their acts under
the municipal law of the State against whose
authority they were in revolt The denial by this
not however imply the admission of a helIigerent
status on the part of the insurgents. The Colom-
negotiate conventions for the adjustment by arbi-
tfaton OF claims by foreign citizens arising out Of
the destruction OF the city OF Aspinwal by the
inSurrectiOnary forces.
THE NICARAGUA CANAL.
The interest of the United States in q practica-
BILE transit for ships the strip of land sepa-
rating the Atlantic from the Pacific has been re-
peatedly manifested during the last half century.
My immediate predecessor caused to be negotia-
led with Nicaragua treaty for the construction
by and at the sole cost of the United States of a
canal through Ncaraguan territory and laid it be-
fore the Senate. Pending the action of that body
thereon, | withdrew the treaty for re-eXamni-
ton. Attentive consideration of its provisions
leads me to withhold it from resubmission to the
Senate. Maintaining, as do the tenor of line
of precedents from Washingt0n's day, which pro-
scrpe entangling alliances with foreign States. |
do not favor policy of acquisition of new and dis
tant territory or the incorporation OF remote in
terests with our own. The laws of progress aIe
vital and organic, and we must be conscious of
that irresistible tide of commercial expansion
which. as the concomitant of our active civiliza-
ton, day by day is being urged onward by those
increasing facilities of production, transportation
and communication to which steam and electrici-
ty have given BIRTH but our duty in the present
instructs us to address ourselves mainly to The de-
Yelopnent Of the vast resources OF the great area
committed to our charge, and to the cultivation of
the arts of peace within our own borders, though
iealously alert i'll preventing the American hemi-
sphere from benginvoyed in theIpotical problems
and complications ofldiStant governments. There
fore am unable to recommend prOp0s itionS inyOl-
wing paramount privileges of ownership or right
outside of our own to territory when coupled with
absolute and unlimited engagements TO defend
the territorial integrity of the State where such
interests lie While the general project of con-
Meeting the two oceans by means Of a canal is to
be encouraged, am of opinion that any scheme
to that end to be considered with favor should be
free from the features alluded to- The Tehuante-
pee route is declared by engineers of the highest
repute, and by competent scientists to afford an
entirely practicable transit for vessels and car
goes by means Of q ship railway from the Atlantic
to the Pacific. The advantage of such a route, if
lines of traffic between Europe and the Paci ic,
and particularly between the valley of the Msss-
sippi and the western coast of North and South
America. are deserving of consideration. What
ever highway may be constructed across the bar
rler dividing the two greatest maritime areas of
the world must be for the worlds benefit Il trust
for mankind, to be removed from the chance Of
domination by any single power nor become a
point OF invitation for hostties prize of war
like ambition. An engagement combining the
construction, ownership and operation for such