The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1885-12-10
MESSAGE
OF GROVER CLEVELAND,
PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES.
EXHAUSTIVE SHOWING OF
CONDITION OF THE
GOVERNMENT.
THE GREAT ISSUES OF THE DAY
ABLY HANDLED BY THE
PRESIDENT.
VIEWS ON THE TARIFF, CHINESE,
INDIAN AND OTHER
PROBLEMS.
RELATIONS WITH FOREIGN COUN-
TRIES CONsPICUOUsLY
PRESENTED.


WASHINGTON, Dec. g. 1SS5.-The Presidents
message. after the usual preminaries, sets out as
follows:
The constitution, which requires those chosen
to legislate 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 recommena 70 tneI[ colsiu
and expedent. At the threshold OF q compliance
with these constitutional directions, 1t Is well for
us TO bear in mind that our usefulness TO the peo-
nIe's interests will be promoted by constant ap-
preciation, of the scope and character OF our re-
spective duties they relate to general Legislation
measures as he shall deem fexPe, otIPo
dient to the responsibility for legislative
action must and should rest upon those seiec'eu
by the people to make their laws.
The contemplation of the grave ana respohsslDlle
functions assigned to the executive BRANCHES Oh the
government under the constitution, Will dlsclose
the partions of power between our respective de,
partments and their necessary independence, ana
also the need for the exercise OF all !ne power III
trusted to each in that spirit OF comfy and coop
Grafton which is essential to the proper fulhllment
of the patriotic obligations which rest upon us as
faithful servants of the people The jealous
wachfullness of our constituency, great and small
supplements their suffrages' and before the til
bunal they establish every public servant should De
judged.
It is gratifying to that the relations OF
tho limited States with all foreign powers continue
To he friendly Our position after nearly century
Cf 'snccessfiil constitutional government, main
tainence of good faith in all our engagements, the
avoidance of complications with other nations and
consistent and friendly attitude toward the strong
and weak alik furnish proof OF pc itica dlsposl-
ton which renders the profession OF good VII IN
necessary There are questions OF difficulty
pending with any foreign government.
The Argentine government has revived the long
dormant question OF the Folkiand ISLANDS, Dy
claiming from the United States indemnity for
their loss attributed to the action OF the commander
of the sloop Lexington, in breaking up plratlcal
;elov ,JS in and
ouent occupation by Great Britain. In view OF the
ample justification for the act of the Lexington,
and for the direct condition of the Islands before
and after their alleged occupation by Argentine
colonists, this government considers the claims as
wholly groundless &c
Austro Hungary touching the representation OF
the United States at Vienna Having under my
constitutional prerogative appointed an estlmaole
citizen of uuimpeached probity and competency as
minister at this court, the government OF Austro-
Hungary invited this government to the cognlzance
of certain exception pssea upon aIegs.l4hs I ans
appointed envoy, asking that, in view thereof the
4ppointment be withdrawn.
.kI'he reasons advanced were such as would not be
ziolatio4 Of lay- oath OF
oice and the ppfcepts OF TIE cons tltion, Slice
fhey necessarily involve limitation IN favor OF
FOREIGN government upon the right of selection by
the e2ecntive and required such an application OF
areligious test as qualification Tor once unaer
the United States, as would have resui5ea IN M 1ne
I)ractical dsfranchisement of large class OF our
citizens and the abandonment of a vital principle
in our Governments the Austro- Hungarian govern
ment finally decided not to receive MI ketiey ststas
and that gentleman has since resigned
his commission, leaving the post vacant
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 al
fairs, ad interim. co,+.o,
America, caused by the attempt OF Guatemala TO
consolidate the several states into single govern
ment In these contests between our nelgnDorlhg
tataa the limited States orebore to Interfere act
yey but lent the aid of their friendly offices In the
depreciation of war, and to promote peace among
importantly to the reservation OF trauqullty IN
that locality
IsTHMUs OF PANAMA.
Emergencies growing out of the civil war in the
United States of Colombia demanded OF the gov
eminent at the beginning OF this admlnstraloa
the employment of armed force to fulfill its guar
;ntees under the 35th article OF the treaty or !o4o
in order to keep the transit open across the lstn-
mus of Panama DESTROYS of using only the pow
ers expressly reserved to us by the treaty, and
mindful of the rights of Colombia the forces sent
to the isthmus were instructed to conne their act
ion to positively and effectually preventing the
transit and its accessories from being interrupted
or embarrassed
The execution of this delicate and responsible
task necessarily envolved police CONTROL where the
local authority temporarily powerless but
ALWAYS in aid of the sovereignty of Columbia. The
prompt and successful fnltillment OF It's duty by
this government was highly appreciated by the
government of Columbia, and has been followed
BY an expression of its satisfaction. High praise
is due to the officers aud men engaged in this ser
vice The restoration of peace on the isthmus by
the reestsblishment of the constituted government
there being thus accomplished the forces or the
United States were withdrawn.
Pending these occurrences question of much
Importance was presented by the DEGREES of the
Columbian government prociamng the closure OF
certain ports, then in the hands OF the insurgents
and declaring vessels held by the revoutonists to
piratical and liable to capture by any power To
neither of these propositions could the United
States assent An effective closing of the ports not
in the possession of the government, but held by
hostile partisans, could not be recognized.
Neither could the vessels of'of insurgents against
the legitimate sovereignty be deemed "Hostes hu
mani 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 government of the Columbian prop
osition did not, however imply the admission of 6
beligerent status on the part of the insurgents
The Columbian government has expressed itself Il
spostiyely and efiicaciously preventing the transit
and its accessories from ''beng interrupted dis
turbed.n
The interest of the United States in practicabl,
transit for ships the strip of land separatin,
the Atlantic from the Pacific has been repeatedly
manifested during the last century. My immediate
predecessor caused to be negotiated with Nicaragui
atreaty for the construction by and at the who'll
araguan territory, and laid the same before th
senate. Pending the action of that body thereon
tentive consideration Of its provisions leads me +
withhold il for re-examination of the senate.
Maintaining, as l do, the tenents of line 0
presidents from Washington's day, which proscrib
enfangling alliances with foreign states, l d
not favor policy of question of distant territor
or the Incorporation of remote interests with ou
own The laws of progress are vitul and orfianIt
and we must be conscious of that irresistible CON
mercial expansion which, the concommlttant
our achievements, of civilization, day by day is b'
ing forced onward by those increasing facilities
production, transportation and communication
which steam and electricity have given birth.
But our duty in the present instructs us to az
dress ourselves mainly TO the development of til
vast resources of the great area committed to on
charge, and to the cultivation of the aims of peac
within our borders, though iealously alert
preventing the American hemisphere from bein