Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-12-06
Associated Pres. Dispatch by Special Wires.

Associated Press Dispatch by Special Wires.
Washington, Dec. 3.-The annual
message OF the President of the United
States was read in both houses at the
opening OF the second session Of the |
F'ifty-sixth Congress, this afternoon.
The full text Of the document Is as |
follows:
To the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives:
At the outgoing of the old and the
incoming Of the new century YOU begin
the last session of the Fifty-sixth Con-
gress with evidences on every hand of
Individual and national prosperity and
with proof OF the growing strength and
increasing power for good Of Republi.
can institutions. Your countrymen will
Join with you in felIcitation that
American liberty is more firmly estab
lished than ever before, and that love
for It and the determination to pre-
serye IL are more universal than at any
former pefiod of our history.
The Republic was never SO strong,
because never go strongly intrenohed
in the hearts of the people as now. The
Constitution, with few amendments,
exists as 1t left the hands of its authors.
The additions which have been made to
1t proclaim larger freedom and more
extended citizenship. Popular govern
ment has demonstrated in Its one hun
bred and twenty -four years Of trial here
it's stability and security. and its efii-
ciency as the best instrument of ma
tioual development and the best safe
guard to human rights.
When the Sixth Congress assem-
BLEED in November, 1900, the population
of the United States was 8, 30S, 4S3. 1t
10 now 6,304, 1888. Then we had sixteen
States. Now we have forty five. Then
our territory consisted OF 900, $50 square
miles. 1t is now 3,s46, 500 square miles.
Education, religion, and morality
have kept pace with our advancement
in other directions, and while extend
ing its power the government has ad-
hered to its foundation principles and
abated none of them in dealing with
our new peoples and possessions. A
nation 40 preserved and blessed gives
reyerent thanks to God and invokes
His guidance and the continuance OF
His care and favor.
In our foreign intercourse the domi.
nant question has been the treatment
Of the Chinese problem. Apart from
this our relations with the powers have
been happy.
tThe recent troubles Ia China spring
from the antiforeign agitation which
for the past three years has gained
strength in the northern provinces.
Their origin lies deep in the character
of the Chinese race and in the tradi
tions of.,their government The TAPPING
rebellion and the opening of the Obi
nese ports to foreign trade aud settle
ment disturbed alike the homogeneit,
and the seclusion of China.
Meanwhile foreign activity mad
itself felt in all quarters, not alone oil
the coast, but along the great rive
arteries and in the remoter districts
carrying new ideas and introducing nev
associations among primitive peopl
which had pursued for centuries
national policy of isolation.
The telegi aph and the railway spread
ing over their land, the steamers plyin
on their waterways, the merchant an
the missionary PENETRATING year by yea
farther to the interior, became to tn
Chinese mind types Of an alien invasion
changing the course Of their nations
life and fraught with.vague forebodine
Of disaster to their beliefs and thei
selfcontrol.
For several years before the preser
troubles all the resources of foreig
diplomacy, backed by moral demonstri
tions Of the physical force of fleets an
arms, have been needed to secure dr
respect for the treaty rights of foreigner
and to obtain satisfaction from I'll
responsible authorities for the sporad
outrages upon the persons and proper
of unoffending soiourners, which fro
time to time occurred at widely SEPT
rated points in the northern province
as in the case of the outbreaks in So
chuen and Shan. tung.
Posting of antiforeign plaoards b
came a daily occurrence, which ii
repeated reprobatiou of the Imperi
power failed to check or punish. The
inflammatory appeals to the ignoran
and superstition of the masses, mend
cious and absurd in their aocusatio
and deeply hostile in their spirit, cou
not but work cumulative harm, Tn
aimed at no particular class
foreigners; they were impartial in I
lacking everything foreign.
An outbreak in Shan-tung, in viii
German missionaries were slain "
the TOO natural result Of these male,
lent teachings. The posting of SCI
tious plaoards, exhorting to the ut
destruction Of foreigners and of ev.
foreign thing, continued unrebukt
Hostile demonstrations toward [
stranger gained strength by organi;
ton. -.
The sect, commonly styled the Boxe
developed greatly in the provin
north of the Yang,Tse, and with
collision of many notable officit
including some in the immediate co,
oils OF tho throne itself, became alai
ingly aggressive. No foreigners Ii
outside Of the protected treaty pc,
was safe. No foreign interest was
cure from spoliation.
The dipiomatio representatives Of
powers in Picking strove in vain
check this movement Protest was
lowed by demand and demand by
newed protest, to be met with
functory edicts from the Palace
evasive and futile assurances from
Tsung-li Yamen. The circle Of
Boxer influence narrowed about Peki
and while nominally stigmatized
seditious, it was felt that its spirit
raded the capital itself, that the
perial forces we're imbued with
doctrines, and that the immed
counselors Of the Empress Dow,
were in full sympathy with the a
foreign movement.
The increasing gravity OF the
ditions in China and the immin,
of peril to our own diversified inter
In the empire, as we'll as to those o
the other treaty governments, were
appreciated by this government. c
ing it profound solicitude. The Un
States from the earliest days OF for
intercourse with China had follow
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