The last arrivals from New York bring us the message
of Pre- sident JACKSON to the Congress. The matter of the message is im- pOrtaat; the manner is not quite so good as- that by which the state papers of some of General JAcesox's predecessors in the government have been characterized. On the whole, however, the document is interesting, both as regards -America—in whose wellbeing it is impossible that Englishmen should ever cease to entertain a warm sympathy—and as regards our own land, in its relations, political and mercantile, with that great and still in- creasing congeries of states.
After a general announcement of national prosperity, which is fully borne out by the details subsequently given, the speech takes up the history of the foreign relations of the United States, and of those claims which, with the constancy and zeal that ever distinguish republics, they have not failed to press, in season and out of season, on all powers, small or great, savage or civil, from which they have on any occasion suffered injury.
The President notices, in terms which seem to hint disapproval,. the reference to the King of Holland of the disputed question of the boundary between the States and the British Colonies,—a reference which, he is careful to remark, was made by his predecessor,—amid the decision come to by that Monarch; and recommends it to Con- gress to adopt such measures " as will secure an amicable settlement of the controversy." The Congress, we hope, will see, that there is but one way of effecting that settlement—namely, by accepting without qualification the decision of the arbiter to whom the con- troversy was submitted. If they do not, it will no longer lie with Congress to secure it, either amicably or otherwise.
President JACKSON next narrates the conclusion of the negotia- tions with France, touching the indemnity claimed of that king- dom. America has been content to accept a gross sum in dis- charge of the various sums alleged to be due to American citizens; as these claims could only have been investigated in detail by a mixed commission,—a process which the Government of France was averse from entering on. A similar claim, but of very inferior amount, which the States possessed upon Sweden and Denmark, has been equally settled. The claims which they have long urged against Spain, for the captures made at the commencement of the revolt of the South American Provinces, have been hitherto de- layed on various pleas. The last urged by the Spanish crown is— that never having acknowledged the independence of the South American Republics, the King of Spain has a right, under the colonial laws, to forbid all intercourse between them and other states, and to stop such intercourse where he is able. The Presi- dent intimates, that if FERDINAND do not speedily contrive to take up a better position than this plea affords, he will be driven from it by more potent weapons than those that international law sup- plies. FERDINAND demurs to make compensation,—on the ground that South America, which has been practically free for more than a dozen of years, is still virtually subject to his control : the King of the Two Sicilies demurs because MURAT, by whom the damages were inflicted for which compensation is sought, was neither sub- ject to his government nor control. The President declares this doctrine to be contrary to the law of nations. The law of nations, like the law in nations, is a cunningly devised net, which catches the small fish and lets the large go free. The law of nations, according to the President's interpretation, says that a people who have expelled a usurper are yet bound to fulfil the whole of his con- tracts, and to pay for all his misdeeds. The doctrine is not un- questionable: the acknowledgment of an usurper by his own sub- jects, is ex facie a matter of necessity,—his acknowledgment by foreigners is voluntary, and ought to be made subject to the re- servations arising out of the precariousness of his tenure and the illegality of his title. Nevertheless, the King of the Two Sicilies must, we suppose, submit, for the good reason that he is a little King and General JACKSON is a great President.
With MIGUEL, the Americans have had some negotiations re specting his delinquencies at Terceira; but he has determined to admit Carolina rice into Portugal on the same terms as British Indian (a wise determination, for the Carolina is by far the better of the two), and the indemnity claim against him will not be pressed. With all the rest of the European nations, America is on the best • possible terms. The President dwells with complacency on certain arrangements recently made with the Emperor of Austria, by which a trade will be opened with the hereditary dominions of the latter, "the value of which has hitherto been little known"—we can well believe it.
The relations ofAmerica with the states of the Northern and South- ern portions of that vast continent of which it is the leading power, are more summarily discussed than those which connect it with the Old World. The most curious facts of this part of the speech is the serious announcement of an intended ship canal between the Atlantic and the Pacific, through the Mexican territories; and a quarrel which has arisen between the Americans and the Govern- ment of Buenos Ayres, touching the right of the former to fish on the coasts of the Falkland Islands. These wretched rocks, it will be remembered,were the occasion of a serious dispute between England and Spain, so far back as 1770, and had very nearly occasioned a war between the two countries. They were then dignified by the pen of SAMUEL Joinesosr; they are now immortalized by that of ANDREW JACKSON. The President thus concludes his sketch of foreign political rela- tions— " This rapid sketch of our foreign ,relations, it is hoped, fellow.-citizens,'-may be in some use in so much of your legislation as may bear on that important sub- ject; whileit'affbrds to the country at large a source of high gratification in the contemplation of our political and commercial connexion with the rest of _the world. At peace with all,—having subjects of future difference ith few, and those susceptible of easy adjustment,—extending our commeece gr. dually on all sides, and on none by any but the most liberal and mutually benefieial means,_ wemay, by the blessing ef Providence, hope fix all national prosrerity which can be derived from an intercourse with foreign nations, guided byihose eternal principles offustice and reciprocal good will, which are binding as well upon states as thi; individunls of whom they are composed. " I have great satiefiet;on in making this statement of our aff dre, because the cause of our national pelicy enables me to do it witlenit any indiseiect exposure of vhat, in taller governments, is usually concealed from the people. Havine none but a straighteirward, open course to pui-sue, guided by a sirgle principre that trill bear the strongest light, we have, happily, no political conntinations to form—no ;nliances to entangle m,—no complicated int.wests to comult ; and, in subjecting all we have doae th.t consid:Tation of our citizns, and to the inspec- tion of the wodd, we give no advantage ti other natims, and lay ourselves open to no injury."
There are truths here, of which monarchs are not always mind- ful.
The interior condition of the United States is one of unalloyed congratulation. They are peaceful, prosperous, and, io use their own terni,progir:Ning in all that is convenient and good. Arrange- ments have been made for the final removal beyond the pale of the States of the Indian tribes, which have for many years been a source of annoyance to the Whites, without the slightest advdatege to themselves. In the course of 1832, the whole of the 'state of Mississippi and of Western Alabama will be delivered from s'avage occupancy. In the states of Ohio and Indiana, similar arrange- ments have been entered into, and similar results are an'ici- pated. In all cases, the removal of the Indians has been a matter of amicable negotiation on both sides. The weaker party, it is true, had little choice ; but a community of hunters who are paid for abandoning a district from which ciyilizatim is fast banish- ing game, for one where it is yet in primitive and undisturbed abundance, cannot, according to our civilized notions, be said to suffer hardship.
The revenue of the United States is not merely sufficient. It will speedily be greater than its utmost wants require. Exclusive of the stun required for the payment of the interest on the public debt, the expenses of the state for the past year are only 14,700,000 dollars [3,338,000/.] ; and the receipts amount to 27,700,000 dollars [5,724,666/. 13.e. 4(1.] The sum set apart for the payment of in- terest and principal of the debt, during the year, is 16,500,000 dollars; 40,000,000 dollars have been appropriated to these pur- poses during the three years of General JACKSON.S Presidency. In another year the debt will be wholly extinguished !—Alas for poor old England ! when shall we tell such a tale? In consequence of the extinction of the debt, and the setting free of that part of the revenue hitherto appropriated to its reduction, a large reduction of customs duty, the only national tax in the United States, will be called for. The President, under these circumstances, recommends a modification of the tariff— "A modification of the tariff; which shall produce a reduction of our revenue to the wants of the Government, and an adjustment of the duties on imports with a view to equal justice in relation to all our national interests and to the counteraction of foreign policy, so far as it may be injurious to those interests, is deemed to be one of the priucipal objects which demand the consideration of the present Congress."
This is the unknown financial tongue. He adds— "Justice to the interests of the merchant as well as the manufacturer, requires that material reductions in the import duties be proepective ; and unless the present Congress shall dispose of the subject, the proposed reductions cannot properly be made to take effect at the period when the necessity for the revenue arising from present rates shall cease. It is therefore desirable that arrange- ments be adopted at your present se,sion to relieve the people from unnecessary taxation after the exiinettiehment of the public debt. In the exercise of that Vt of cu great concession aconciliation which has distinguished the friends of our onin a emergencies, it is believed that this object may be effected with- out injury to any national interest."
Some important legal changes are recommended by the Pre- sident. The law for the relief of insolvent debtors, he wishes to extend to public debtors as well as private; and he further recom- mends, that unless in cases of proved fraud, imprisonment for debt should be wholly abolished. This is a most important modi- fication of commercial law; and we have no doubt, that if it be accompanied by regulations giving to the creditor every possible- facility of attaching the goods of the debtor, it will be found as beneficial in practice as it is humane in principle, and that its adoption in England will neither be distant nor difficult. The President again recommends to the attention of Congress, the propriety of electing the President and Vice-President by the electors instead of the representatives, and for a single term. He then alludes to certain peculiarities in the state of Columbia, to which he requests the attention of the Legislature. This brings us to the peroration- " Having thus conscientiously discharged a constitutional duty, I deem it pro- per, on this occasion, without a more particular reference to the views-of the subject then expressed, to leave it for the present to the investigation of an en- lightened people and their representatives. In conclusion, permit me to invoke that Power which superintends all Governments to infuse into your delibera- tions at this important crisis of our history, a spirit of mutual forbearance and conciliation. In that spirit was our Union formed, and in that spirit must it be preserved."
Mr. ANDREW STEVENSON, member for Virginia, has been elected Speaker of Congress for the third time.
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