Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-12-11
Presidents Message.


| To The Congress of the United States:
Your assembly is clouded by a sense OF public
bereavement, caused by the recent and sudder
| death Of Thomas A. Hendricks, vice president ei
| the United States. His distinguished public ser
vices. his complete Integrity and devotion II
| every duty, and his personal virtues will find ar
| honorable record in his country's history. Ample
and respected proofs Of the esteem and confidence
in which he was held by his fellow countrymen
were manifested by his election to office of the
| most important trust and highest dignity, and al
length, full OF years and honors, he has been laid
! at rest, amid universal sorrow and bereavement
The constitution which requires those chosen
to olegisate 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 universe and recommend to their CON
sideration such measures as he shall deem neces
| Sary and eXpedient. At the threshold of a com
pliance with their constitutional directions 1t is
well for US to bear in mind that usefulness tc
the people s interests will be promoted by con
| stant appreciation of the scope and character OF
our respective duties as they relate to federal
! legislation. While the executive may rec -mmcnd
! such measures as he shall deem expedient the
responsibility for legislative action must and
| should rest upon those elected by the people to
make these laws.
Contemplation of the grave and responsible
| functions assigned TO the executive branches OF
| the government under the constitution, will dis
| close the partition of power between the re-
| spective departments and their necessary inde.
pendence, and also the need for the exercise OF
all the power intrusted to each in that spirit Of
comfy and co operation which is essential TO the
| proper fuliilment of the patriotic obligations
| WHICH rest upon us as faithful servants OF the
| people. The jealous TatchfulnesS of our conStit
uencies, great and small, supplements their suffer
| ages and before the tribunal they establish
| every public servant should be judged.
1t is gratifying to announce that the relations
Of the United States with all foreign powers con
tinue TO be friendly.I Our position after nearly
| century of successful constitutional govern.
ment maintenance Of good faith in all our en-
| gagements the avoidance of complications with
other nations, and consistent and amicab bic atti-
| tude toward the strong and weak alike, furnish
proof of political disposition which renders pro-
| feSsionS of good will unnecessary. There are no
! questions of difficulty pending with any foreign
| government.
ARGENTINE REPUBLIC.
The Argentine government has revived the long
dormant condition of the Falkland islands by
claiming from the United States indemnity for
their loss attributed to the action of the
commander Of the sloop of war Lexington,
Islands in 1884, and their subsequent
occupation by Great Britain. In view of the
and the dfrect condition of the islands before
and after their alleged occupation by Argentine
colonies This government considers the slaim
as wholly groundleSS
AUsTRo- HUNGARY.
The question has arisen with the government
Of Austro Hungary. touching the representa-
tion of the United States at Vienna Having
under my constitutional prerogatvs appointed
an GStim2{jle citizen of unimpeachable probity
and competency minister at that court, the
government of AuStro- Hungary invited this gov
ernment to take cogniZance of certain exceptions,
based upon allegations against the personal ac-
ceptability 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 pTeceptS of the constitution, since
they necessarily involved limitation in favor of
a foreign government upon the right of selection
by the executive and required such an applica-
tion of religious test qualification for office
under the United States as would have resulted
in the practical disfranchsement of a large class
Of our citizens and the abandonment of a vital
principle of our government The AuStrO- Hun
Gariau government finally decided not to receive
Mr. Kelley as the envoy of the United States, and
that gentleman has since resigned his commits
SlOn leaving the post vacant. l have made no
new nomination and the interests of this govern
inent at Vienna are now in the care of the secre-
tary of the legation acting as charge d atfaires
ud interim.
CENTRAL AMERICA.
Early in March last war broke out in Central
America caused by the attempt Of Qua
tamala to consolidate the several states into a
single Government. In the contest between our
neighboring states The United States forebore to
Interfere actively, but sent the aid of their friend
ly offices in depreciating war, and to promote
peace and concord among the beligerentS. And
by such counsel, contributed impartially to the
restoration of tranquility in that locality.
PANAMA WAR.
The emerg growing out of civil war in the
United States of Colombia, demanded of the
Government at the beginning of this aominiStra-
ton. the employment of an armed forced to full
fill its guarantees 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 lsthmus were
instructed t9 contne their actions so as to posi-
lively and etticaciously prevent the transit and
its accessories from being interrupted or embar-
The execution of this delicate and Responsible
task necessarily involved police control where
The local authority was temporarily powerIrsS
n "a llf "a hiprpt nf
hla. The prompt and successful ulti'lment of
its duty ly this government was h ghly apprc
ci&ted by the government of Colombia, aud
has been followed by expression OF its satisfac1 =
ton High praise is due to the officers and
men engaged in this service. The restoration
OF peace on the IsthmuS by the re-establish-
ment of the constituted government there. berg
thus accomplished the forces of the United
States We're withdrawn.
Pending these occurrences q question of much
Importance was presented by DEGREES of the
Colombian government -proclaiming the closure
of certain ports then in the hands OF the inSur
geEts and declaring vessels held by the EeS uu-
ZIONIST to be piratcal and liable to capture by
any power To neither of these propositions
could the United States assent. An effective
closure of the ports not in the possession of the
government, but held by hostile partiSans could
not be recognized
Neither could the vessels of insurgents against
the legitimate sovereignty be deemed hosts
human geHdriS within the preceptS of interna
tOnal 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
Colombian decrees did not, however, imply the
admission of n belligerent status on the part of
the insurgents The Colombian government has
expressed its willingness to negotiate conventions
for the adjustment by arbitration of claims by
foreign citizens arising out O' the destruction of
the city of Aspinwall by Tie insurreCtionary
forces
THE NICARAGUAN TREATY.
The interest of the United States in a practica
bic transit for ships across the strip Of land sep
nrating the Atlantic from the Pacific has been
repeatedly manifested during the last half cen
tury. My Immediate predecessor caused to be
negotiated with Nicaragua treaty for the con-
Structon by and at the sole cost OF the United
States of a canal through Nicaraguan territory,
and laid it before the senate, pending the action
of that body thereon l withdrew the treaty for
re,eXamination. Attentive consideration OF its
provisions leads ME TO withhold it from Iesub
mission to the senate, maintaining: as | de, the
tone of line of presidents, from Washington's
day, which prescribe entangling alliances with
foreign states. l do not favor policy Of acqui
sition ef new and distant territory, or the incor-
poration OF remote interests with our own. The
laws of progress are vital and .organic, and we
must be conscious OF that irresistible tide of
commercial expansion, which, as the con-com-
mitant of our active civilization day by day, is
being urged onward by those increasing facilities
of production transportation and communica-
ton. to which steam and electricity have given
birth.
But our duty in the present instructs us to ad-
dress ourselves mainly to the development of the
vast resources of the great area committed to
charge, and the cultivation of the arts of
peace within our borders, though jealousy alert
in preventing the American hemisphere from
being involved in the political problems and COM
plications Of distant governments thereon. am
unable to recommend propositions involving par
amount privileges of ownership or right outside
Of our own territory when coupled with absolute
and unlimited engagements to defend the terri
torial integrity of the state where such interests
lie.
While the general project of connecting the
two oceans by means OF q canal is tc be encour-
aged am of the opinion that any scheme to
that end TO be considered with favor should te
free from the features alluded to.
THE TEuUASTEPEc ROUTE
is declared by engineers Of the highest repute,
and by competent scientists to afford an entirely
practicable transit for vessels and cargoes by
means of 4 ship railway from the Atlantic to the
if feasible, over others more remote from the
axial lines of traffic between Europe and the Pa
cific. and particularly between the Valley OF the
Mississippi and the western coast of North and
South America. are deserving of consideration.
Whatever highway may be constructed across
the barrier dividing the two greatest maritime
areas of the world list be for the world 5 ben
eft. q trust for mankind, and be removed from
the chance Of domination by any single power
nor become point Of invitation for hostiltes or
prize for warlike ambition An engagement
combining the construction. ownership and ope-
offensive and defensive alliance for its peotec
tion with the foreign states whose responsibilities
and rights would share, is in my judgment,
inconsistent with such dedication to universal and
neutral use, and would moreover entail measures
for its realization beyond the scope Of our rational
pohy or present measures
The lapse OF years has abundantly confirmed
the wisdom and foresight OF these earlier .dmin-
istrations. which long before the conditions OF
maratime intercourse were changed and enlarged