Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1885-12-12
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

congress to-day, is "a follows:
To the Congress Of the United Suites.
Your assembling is clouded by a
sense of public bereavement, caused by
the recent and sudden death of Thomas
A. Hendricks, vice president of the
United States. His distinguished pub
lie services, his complete integrity. de-
votion to every duty, and his personal
virtues will fud honorable record III
his country's history. Ample and re-
peated proofs of the confidence in
which he was held by his c%onDtrymen
were manifested by his election to off :
ces of most important trust and high
est dignity, and at length. full of years
and honors, he has been laid at rest
amid universal sorrow and benedic-
ton.
The constitution which requires those
chosen to legislate for the people to an
nually meet in the discharge Of their
solemn trust, also requires the presi-
dent to give to congress information OF
the state of the Union and recommend
to their consideration such measures as
he shall deem necessary and expedient.
At the threshold of a compliance with
these constitutional directions, it is
WCll " US W uCdl III tlllu thN ouA
usefulness to the peoples interests will
be promoted by a constant appreciation
of the scope and character of our re-
speotive duties as they relate to federal
legislation.
DUTIES OF THE DEPARTMENTS.
While the executive may recommend
such a as he shall deem expe.
dent, the responsibility for legislative
contemplation of the grave and re
sponsible functions assigned to the eX.
ecutive branches of the government
under the constitution will disclose the
partitions of power between our re-
spective departments and their necessa-
ry independence and also the need for
the exercise of all the power entrusted
to each in that spirit of comfy and CO.
operation, which is essential to the
proper fulfllment of the patriotic obi
cations which rest upon us as faithful
servants of the people. The jealous
watchfulness of Our constituencies,
great and small, supplements their suf.
frages and before the tribunal they es-
tablish every public servant should be
judged.
FOREIGN RELATIONS GOOD.
1t is gratifying to announce that the
relations OF the United States with all
foreign powers continue to be friendly.
Our position after nearly a century of
successful constitutional government,
maintenance of good faith in all our
engagements, the avoidance of compli-
cations with other nations, and consis-
tent attitude toward the strong and
weak alike furnish proof of a polite
disposition which renders professions
of good will unnecessary. There are
no questions of difficulty pending with
any foreign government.
The Argentine government has re-
vived the long dormant question of the
Falkland islands b, claiming from the
United States indemnity for their loss
attributed to the action of the comman-
der of the sloop Lexington in breaking
up a piratlcal colony on those islands
in 1881, and their subsequent occupa-
ton by Great Britain. In view of am
pie justification for the act of the Lex
ington, and the dereIict condition of
the islands before and after their
alleged occupation by Argentine colo
nists, this government considers the
claim as wholly g%roundless.
MR.. kEILEY's CASE REVIEW
A question has arisen with the GOV
ernment of Austria-Hungary touching
the representation of the United States
at Vienna. Having under my consti-
tutional prerogative appointed an esti-
mable citizen of unimpeached probity
and competency as minister at that
court, the government of Austria-H Hun
gary invited this government to cogniz-
ance of a certain exception based upon
allegations against the personal accep-
liability 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 acGuiesced in without vio-
lation of my oath of Office and the pre-
cepts Of the constitution, since they
necessarily involve a Limitation in favor
of a foreign government upon the right
of selection by the executive and re,
quired such an application Of a relig-
ious test as a qualification for office
under the United States as would have
resulted in the practical disfranchise-
ment of a large class of our citizens
and the abandonment of a vital
principle in u government. The
Austro-Hungarian government finally
decided not to receive Mr.. Kelly as the
envoy of the United States, and that
gentleman has since resigned his COM
mission, 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
d'affalres ad interim.
CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA.
Early in March last war broke out
in Central America caused by the at
tempt OF Guatemala to consolidate the
states into a single government.
In these contests between our neigh. 1
boring states the United States forbore
to Interfere actively, but the aid Of
friendly offices in depreciation of war, |
to promote peace and concord among
the belligerents, and by such counsel
Importantly to the preser-
walton OF tranquility in that locality
Emergencies growing out of civil
war in the United States of Colombia
demanded of the government at the
beginning OF this administration the
employment of an armed force to full
I'LL its guarantees under the thirtv-fifth
article OF the treaty of 1915, in order
to keep the transit open across the
lsthmps of Panama. DESTROYS OF ex-
ercising only the powers expressly re-
to us by the treaty, and mind |
full of the rights of Colombia, the forces
sent to the Isthmus were instructed to
their action SO "posi,ively and
eficaciously" as to prevent the transit |
and its accessories from ''being inter-
ruptcd or embarrassed"
II COLOMBIAN INsUsRECTIoN. |
Pending these occurrences a question
OF much Importance was presented by |
DEGREES of the Colombian government
prOclaiming the closure of certain |
ports then in the hands of insurgents
and declaring vessels held by the re-
yolutionists to be piratical and liable |
to capture by any power. To neither
OF these propositions could the United
States assent. An effective closure of
ports moi in the possession OF the GOV
ernment but held by hostile partisans
could not be recognized. Neither
could the vessels of insurgents against
the Legitimate sovereignty be deemed
hosteS huntnnt 9cnertS within the pre-
cepts 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 i'll revolt. The denial by this
government of the Colombian promo
silion did not. however, imply the add
mission Of a belligerent status Oh the
part of the insurgents.
The m Onyarprnapt hos ny