The life and public services of Abraham Lincoln ... together with his state papers, including his speeches, addresses, messages, letters, and proclamations, and the closing scenes connected with his life and death. By Henry J. Raymond. To which are added anecdotes and personal reminiscences of President Lincoln, by Frank B. Carpenter.

214 TIHE LIFE, PUBLIC SERVICES, AND
connect with some existing railroad, and whether the route shall be from
Lexington or Nicholasville to the Cumberland Gap, or from Lebanon to
the Tennesee 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 over the proceeds of the surplus referred to in good securities, with a view to the satisfaction of such other just claim 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. This 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 the United States vessels and their cargoes, and the Consular Courts established by law in Eastern countries to
adjudicate the cases in the event that this should not be objected to by
the local authorities.