the writings-5-第59部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





A　disloyal　portion　of　the　American　people　have　during　the　whole　year

been　engaged　in　an　attempt　to　divide　and　destroy　the　Union。　　A　nation

which　endures　factious　domestic　division　is　exposed　to　disrespect

abroad；　and　one　party；　if　not　both；　is　sure　sooner　or　later　to　invoke

foreign　intervention。



Nations　thus　tempted　to　interfere　are　not　always　able　to　resist　the

counsels　of　seeming　expediency　and　ungenerous　ambition；　although

measures　adopted　under　such　influences　seldom　fail　to　be　unfortunate

and　injurious　to　those　adopting　them。



The　disloyal　citizens　of　the　United　States　who　have　offered　the　ruin

of　our　country　in　return　for　the　aid　and　comfort　which　they　have

invoked　abroad　have　received　less　patronage　and　encouragement　than

they　probably　expected。　　If　it　were　just　to　suppose；　as　the

insurgents　have　seemed　to　assume；　that　foreign　nations　in　this　case；

discarding　all　moral；　social；　and　treaty　obligations；　would　act

solely　and　selfishly　for　the　most　speedy　restoration　of　commerce；

including　especially　the　acquisition　of　cotton；　those　nations　appear

as　yet　not　to　have　seen　their　way　to　their　object　more　directly　or

clearly　through　the　destruction　than　through　the　preservation　of　the

Union。　　If　we　could　dare　to　believe　that　foreign　nations　are　actuated

by　no　higher　principle　than　this；　I　am　quite　sure　a　sound　argument

could　be　made　to　show　them　that　they　can　reach　their　aim　more　readily

and　easily　by　aiding　to　crush　this　rebellion　than　by　giving

encouragement　to　it。



The　principal　lever　relied　on　by　the　insurgents　for　exciting　foreign

nations　to　hostility　against　us；　as　already　intimated；　is　the

embarrassment　of　commerce。　　Those　nations；　however；　not　improbably

saw　from　the　first　that　it　was　the　Union　which　made　as　well　our

foreign　as　our　domestic　commerce。　　They　can　scarcely　have　failed　to

perceive　that　the　effort　for　disunion　produces　the　existing

difficulty；　and　that　one　strong　nation　promises　more　durable　peace

and　a　more　extensive；　valuable；　and　reliable　commerce　than　can　the

same　nation　broken　into　hostile　fragments。



It　is　not　my　purpose　to　review　our　discussions　with　foreign　states；

because；　whatever　might　be　their　wishes　or　dispositions；　the

integrity　of　our　country　and　the　stability　of　our　government　mainly

depend　not　upon　them；　but　on　the　loyalty；　virtue；　patriotism；　and

intelligence　of　the　American　people。　　The　correspondence　itself；　with

the　usual　reservations；　is　herewith　submitted。



I　venture　to　hope　it　will　appear　that　we　have　practiced　prudence　and

liberality　toward　foreign　powers；　averting　causes　of　irritation　and

with　firmness　maintaining　our　own　rights　and　honor。



Since；　however；　it　is　apparent　that　here；　as　in　every　other　state；

foreign　dangers　necessarily　attend　domestic　difficulties；　I　recommend

that　adequate　and　ample　measures　be　adopted　for　maintaining　the

public　defenses　on　every　side。　　While　under　this　general

recommendation　provision　for　defending　our　seacoast　line　readily

occurs　to　the　mind；　I　also　in　the　same　connection　ask　the　attention

of　Congress　to　our　great　lakes　and　rivers。　　It　is　believed　that　some

fortifications　and　depots　of　arms　and　munitions；　with　harbor　and

navigation　improvements；　all　at　well…selected　points　upon　these；

would　be　of　great　importance　to　the　national　defense　and　preservation

I　ask　attention　to　the　views　of　the　Secretary　of　War；　expressed　in

his　report；　upon　the　same　general　subject。



I　deem　it　of　importance　that　the　loyal　regions　of　east　Tennessee　and

western　North　Carolina　should　be　connected　with　Kentucky　and　other

faithful　parts　of　the　Union　by　rail…road。　　　I　therefore　recommend；　as

a　military　measure；　that　Congress　provide　for　the　construction　of

such　rail…road　as　speedily　as　possible。　　Kentucky　will　no　doubt

co…operate；　and　through　her　Legislature　make　the　most　judicious

selection　of　a　line。　　The　northern　terminus　must　connect　with　some

existing　railroad；　and　whether　the　route　shall　be　from　Lexington　or

Nicholasville　to　the　Cumberland　Gap；　or　from　Lebanon　to　the　Tennessee

line；　in　the　direction　of　Knoxville；　or　on　some　still　different　line；

can　easily　be　determined。　　Kentucky　and　the　General　Government

co…operating；　the　work　can　be　completed　in　a　very　short　time；　and

when　done　it　will　be　not　only　of　vast　present　usefulness　but　also　a

valuable　permanent　improvement；　worth　its　cost　in　all　the　future。



Some　treaties；　designed　chiefly　for　the　interests　of　commerce；　and

having　no　grave　political　importance；　have　been　negotiated；　and　will

be　submitted　to　the　Senate　for　their　consideration。



Although　we　have　failed　to　induce　some　of　the　commercial　powers　to

adopt　a　desirable　melioration　of　the　rigor　of　maritime　war；　we　have

removed　all　obstructions　from　the　way　of　this　humane　reform　except

such　as　are　merely　of　temporary　and　accidental　occurrence。



I　invite　your　attention　to　the　correspondence　between　her　Britannic

Majesty's　minister　accredited　to　this　government　and　the　Secretary　of

State　relative　to　the　detention　of　the　British　ship　Perthshire　in

June　last　by　the　United　States　steamer　Massachusetts　for　a　supposed

breach　of　the　blockade。　　As　this　detention　was　occasioned　by　an

obvious　misapprehension　of　the　facts；　and　as　justice　requires　that　we

should　commit　no　belligerent　act　not　founded　in　strict　right　as

sanctioned　by　public　law；　I　recommend　that　an　appropriation　be　made

to　satisfy　the　reasonable　demand　of　the　owners　of　the　vessel　for　her

detention。



I　repeat　the　recommendation　of　my　predecessor　in　his　annual　message

to　Congress　in　December　last　in　regard　to　the　disposition　of　the

surplus　which　will　probably　remain　after　satisfying　the　claims　of

American　citizens　against　China；　pursuant　to　the　awards　of　the

commissioners　under　the　act　of　the　3d　of　March；　1859。　　If；　however；

it　should　not　be　deemed　advisable　to　carry　that　recommendation　into

effect；　I　would　suggest　that　authority　be　given　for　investing　the

principal；　or　the　proceeds　of　the　surplus　referred　to；　in　good

securities；　with　a　view　to　the　satisfaction　of　such　other　just　claims

of　our　citizens　against　China　as　are　not　unlikely　to　arise　hereafter

in　the　course　of　our　extensive　trade　with　that　empire。



By　the　act　of　the　5th　of　August　last　Congress　authorized　the

President　to　instruct　the　commanders　of　suitable　vessels　to　defend

themselves　against　and　to　capture　pirates。　　His　authority　has　been

exercised　in　a　single　instance　only。　　For　the　more　effectual

protection　of　our　extensive　and　valuable　commerce　in　the　Eastern　seas

especially；　it　seems　to　me　that　it　would　also　be　advisable　to

authorize　the　commanders　of　sailing　vessels　to　recapture　any　prizes

which　pirates　may　make　of　United　States　vessels　and　their　cargoes；

and　the　consular　courts　now　established　by　law　in　Eastern　countries

to　adjudicate　the　cases　in　the　event　that　this　should　not　be　objected

to　by　the　local　authorities。



If　any　good　reason　exists　why　we　should　persevere　longer　in

withholding　our　recognition　of　the　independence　and　sovereignty　of

Haiti　and　Liberia；　I　am　unable　to　discern　it。　　Unwilling；　however；　to

inaugurate　a　novel　policy　in　regard　to　them　without　the　approbation

of　Congress；　I　submit　for　your　consideration　the　expediency　of　an

appropriation　for　maintaining　a　charge　d'affaires　near　each　of　those

new　States。　　It　does　not　admit　of　doubt　that　important　commercial

advantages　might　be　secured　by　favorable　treaties　with　them。



The　operations　of　the　treasury　during　the　period　which　has　elapsed

since　your　adjournment　have　been　conducted　with　signal　success。　　The

patriotism　of　the　people　has　placed　at　the　disposal　of　the　government

the　large　means　demanded　by　the　public　exigencies。　　Much　of　the

national　loan　has　been　taken　by　citizens　of　the　industrial　classes；

whose　confidence　in　their　country's　faith　and　zeal　for　their

country's　deliverance　from　present　peril　have　induced　them　to

contribute　to　the　support　of　the　government　the　whole　of　their

limited　acquisitions。　　This　fact　imposes　peculiar　obligations　to

economy　in　disbursement　and　energy　in　action。



The　revenue　from　all　sources；　including　loans；　for　the　financial　year

ending　on　the　30th　of　June；　1861；　was　86；835；900。27；　and　the

expenditures　for　the　same　period；　including　payments　on　account　of

the　public　debt；　were　84；578；834。47；　leaving　a　balance　in　the

treasury　on　the　1st　of　July　of　2；257；065。80。　　For　the　first　quarter

of　the　financial　year　ending　on　the　3oth　of　September；　1861；　the

receipts　from　all　sources；　including　the　balance　of　the　1st　of　July；

were　102；532；509。27；　and　the　expenses　98；239733。09；　leaving　a

balance　on　the　1st　of　October；　1861；　of　4；292；776。18。



Estimates　for　the　remaining　three　quarters　of　the　year　and　for　the

financial　year　1863；　together　with　his　views　of　ways　and　means　for

meeting　the　demands　contemplated　by　them；　will　be　submitted　to

Congress　by　the　Secretary　of　the　Treasury。　　It　is　gratifying　to　know

that　the　expenditures　made　necessary　by　the　rebellion　are　not　beyond

the　resources　of　the　loyal　people；　and　to　believe　that　the　same

patriotism　which　has　thus　far　sustained　the　government　will　continue

to　sustain　it　till　peace　and　union　shall　again　bless　the　land。



I　respectfully　refer　to　the　report　of　the　Secretary　of　War　for

information　respecting　the　numerical　strength　of　the　army　and　for

recommendations　having　in　view　an　increase　of　its　efficiency　and　the

well…being　of　the　various　branches　of　the　service　intrusted　to　his

care。　　It　is　gratifying　to　know　that　the　patriotism　of　the　people　has

proved　equal　to　the　occasion；　and　that　the　number　of　troops　tendered

greatly　exceeds　the　force　which　Congress　authorized　me　to　call　into

the　field。



I　refer　with　pleasure　to　those　portions　of　his　report　which　make

allusion　to　the　creditable　degree　of　discipline　already　attained　by

our　troops　and　to　the　excellent　sanitary　condition　of　the　entire

army。



The　recommendation　o