_January 19, 1830_.
_To the Senate and House of Representatives_.
GENTLEMEN: The accompanying gold medal, commemorative of the delivery of
the Liberator President of the Republic of Colombia from the daggers of
assassins on the night of the 25th of September last, has been offered
for my acceptance by that Government. The respect which I entertain as
well for the character of the Liberator President as for the people and
Government over which he presides renders this mark of their regard most
gratifying to my feelings; but I am prevented from complying with their
wishes by the provision of our Constitution forbidding the acceptance of
presents from a foreign state by officers of the United States, and it
is therefore placed at the disposal of Congress.
The powerful influence in the affairs of his country which the
sacrifices and heroic deeds of General Bolivar have acquired for him
creates an anxiety as to his future course in which the friends of
liberal institutions throughout the world deeply participate. The
favorable estimate which I have formed of the nature of the services
rendered by him, and of his personal character, impresses me with the
strongest confidence that his conduct in the present condition of his
country will be such as may best promote her true interest and best
secure his own permanent fame.
I deem the present a suitable occasion to inform you that shortly after
my communication to Congress at the opening of the session dispatches
were received from Mr. Moore, the envoy extraordinary and minister
plenipotentiary of the United States to Colombia, stating that he had
succeeded in obtaining the assent of the council of ministers to the
allowance of the claims of our citizens upon that Government in the
cases of the brig _Josephine_ and her cargo and the schooner _Ranger_
and part of her cargo. An official copy of the convention subsequently
entered into between Mr. Moore and the secretary of foreign affairs,
providing for the final settlement of those claims, has just been
received at the Department of State. By an additional article of this
convention the claim in the case of the brig _Morris_ is suspended until
further information is obtained by the Colombian Government from the
Court at Carracas; and Mr. Moore anticipates its early and satisfactory
adjustment. The convention only waited the ratification of the Liberator
President, who was at the time absent from Bogota, to be binding upon
the Colombian Government. Although these claims are not, comparatively,
of a large amount, yet the prompt and equitable manner in which the
application of Mr. Moore in behalf of our injured citizens was met by
that Government entitles its conduct to our approbation, and promises
well for the future relations of the two countries.
It gives me pleasure to add an expression of my entire satisfaction with
the conduct of Mr. Moore since his arrival at Bogota. The judgment and
discretion evinced by him on occasions of much interest and delicacy,
the assiduity displayed in bringing so nearly to a conclusion within
five weeks after his arrival claims which had been pending for years,
and the promptitude and capacity with which he has entered upon other
and more important portions of his official duty are calculated to
inspire strong confidence in his future usefulness.