WASHINGTON, _January 5, 1838_.
_To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States_:
Recent experience on the southern boundary of the United States and the
events now daily occurring on our northern frontier have abundantly
shown that the existing laws are insufficient to guard against hostile
invasion from the United States of the territory of friendly and
neighboring nations.
The laws in force provide sufficient penalties for the punishment of
such offenses after they have been committed, and provided the parties
can be found, but the Executive is powerless in many cases to prevent
the commission of them, even when in possession of ample evidence of
an intention on the part of evil-disposed persons to violate our laws.
Your attention is called to this defect in our legislation. It is
apparent that the Executive ought to be clothed with adequate power
effectually to restrain all persons within our jurisdiction from the
commission of acts of this character. They tend to disturb the peace
of the country and inevitably involve the Government in perplexing
controversies with foreign powers. I recommend a careful revision of all
the laws now in force and such additional enactments as may be necessary
to vest in the Executive full power to prevent injuries being inflicted
upon neighboring nations by the unauthorized and unlawful acts of
citizens of the United States or of other persons who may be within our
jurisdiction and subject to our control.
In illustration of these views and to show the necessity of early action
on the part of Congress, I submit herewith a copy of a letter received
from the marshal of the northern district of New York, who had been
directed to repair to the frontier and take all authorized measures to
secure the faithful execution of existing laws.