of the laws
of the United States and to prevent similar violations hereafter."

JAMES BUCHANAN.

WASHINGTON, _February 18, 1859_.

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

The brief period which remains of your present session and the great
urgency and importance of legislative action before its termination for
the protection of American citizens and their property whilst in transit
across the Isthmus routes between our Atlantic and Pacific possessions
render it my duty again to recall this subject to your notice. I have
heretofore presented it in my annual messages, both in December, 1857
and 1858, to which I beg leave to refer. In the latter I state that--

The executive government of this country in its intercourse with
foreign nations is limited to the employment of diplomacy alone. When
this fails it can proceed no further. It can not legitimately resort
to force without the direct authority of Congress, except in resisting
and repelling hostile attacks. It would have no authority to enter the
territories of Nicaragua even to prevent the destruction of the transit
and protect the lives and property of our own citizens on their
passage. It is true that on a sudden emergency of this character the
President would direct any armed force in the vicinity to march
to their relief, but in doing this he would act upon his own
responsibility.

Under these circumstances I earnestly recommend to Congress the
passage of an act authorizing the President, under such restrictions
as they may deem proper, to employ the land and naval forces of the
United States in preventing the transit from being obstructed or
closed by lawless violence and in protecting the lives and property of
American citizens traveling thereupon, requiring at the same time that
these forces shall be withdrawn the moment the danger shall have passed
away. Without such a provision our citizens will be constantly exposed
to interruption in their progress and to lawless violence.

A similar necessity exists for the passage of such an act for the
protection of the Panama and Tehuantepee routes.

Another subject, equally important, commanded the attention of the
Senate at the last session of Congress.

The Republics south of the United States on this continent have,
unfortunately, been frequently in a state of revolution and civil
war ever since they achieved their independence. As one or the other