Year: 1871




The President sends to Congress the fol-
lowing Message:


To the Senate and House of Represen-
tatives: The Union of the States of Ger
many into form of government similar,
in many respects, to that Of the American
Union is an event that cannot fail to touch
deeply the sympathies Of the people of the
United States. This union has been
brought about by the long continued and
persistent efforts of the people, with the
deliberate approval of the governments and
people of twenty-four of the German
States, through their regularly constituted
authorizes. In it the American people
see an attempt to reproduce in Europe
some of the best features of our own con-
stitution, with such notifications as the
history and condition ofGermany seem to
require. The local governments of the
several members of the Union are preserv-
ed, while the. powers conferred upon the
chief impart strength for the purposes of
self-defense without authority-to enter up
on wars of conquest and ambition. The
cherished aspirations for national unity
which for ages has inspired the many mill
ions of people speaking the same language
and inhabiting contiguous and compact
territory, but unnaturally separated and
divided by dynastic iealousies and the am
bition of shortsigbted rulers, has been at
tained, and Germany now contains popu-
lation of about 81 goo ,000, united like our
own, under one government or its relations
with other Powers, but retaining in its
several members the right and power of
control of their local interests, habits and
institutions. The bringing of great mas
ses of thoughtful and free people under
single government must tend to make gov
ernments what alone they should be-the
representatives of the will and the organi-
zation of the power of the people. The
adoption in Europe of the American system
of union under the control and direction of
a free people, educated to selfrcstraint
cannot fail to extend popular institutions
and to enlarge the peaceful influence of
American ideas.


The relations of the United States with
Germany are intimate and cordial The
commercial intercourse between the two
countries is extensive, and is increasing
from year to year, and the large number
of citizens and residents in the United
States Of German extraction and the con-
tinued flow of emigration thence into this
country have produced an intimacy of per-
sonal and politicalintercourse approaching,
if not equal to, that with the country from
which the founders Of our government
derived their origin. The extent of these
interests and the greatness of the German
Union seem to require that on the classif-
cation of the representatives of this govern
ment to foreign Powers there should no
longer be an apparent differentiation of
the importance of the German mission,
such as is made in the difference between
the compensation allowed by law to the
Minister to Germany and those to Great
Britain and France There would seem
to be great propriety in placing the repre-
sentative of this government at Berlin on
the same footing with that of its represen-
tative at London and Paris The union
of the several States of Germany under
one government and the increasing com
mercial and personal intercourse between
the two countries will also add to the labors
and responsibilities of the Legation. |,
therefore, recommend that the salaries of
the Minister and Of the Secretary of Le-
CATION at Berlin be respectively increased
to the same amounts as are allowed to
those at London and at Paris.