State of the Union

State of the Union

The Project Gutenberg EBook of State of the Union Addresses
by Zachary Taylor (#11 in our series of US Presidential State of the
Union Addresses)
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Title: State of the Union Addresses of Zachary Taylor
Author: Zachary Taylor
Release Date: February, 2004 [EBook #5020] [Yes, we are more than
one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on April 11,
2002]

Edition: 10
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK OF
ADDRESSES BY ZACHARY TAYLOR ***

This eBook was produced by James Linden.
The addresses are separated by three asterisks: ***
Dates of addresses by Zachary Taylor in this eBook: December 4, 1849

***
State of the Union Address Zachary Taylor December 4, 1849
Fellow-Citizens of the Senate and House of Representatives:
Sixty years have elapsed since the establishment of this Government,
and the Congress of the United States again assembles to legislate for
an empire of freemen. The predictions of evil prophets, who formerly
pretended to foretell the downfall of our institutions, are now
remembered only to be derided, and the United States of America at
this moment present to the world the most stable and permanent
Government on earth.
Such is the result of the labors of those who have gone before us. Upon
Congress will eminently depend the future maintenance of our system
of free government and the transmission of it unimpaired to posterity.
We are at peace with all the other nations of the world, and seek to
maintain our cherished relations of amity with them. During the past
year we have been blessed by a kind Providence with an abundance of
the fruits of the earth, and although the destroying angel for a time
visited extensive portions of our territory with the ravages of a dreadful
pestilence, yet the Almighty has at length deigned to stay his hand and
to restore the inestimable blessing of general health to a people who
have acknowledged His power, deprecated His wrath, and implored His
merciful protection.
While enjoying the benefits of amicable intercourse with foreign

nations, we have not been insensible to the distractions and wars which
have prevailed in other quarters of the world. It is a proper theme of
thanksgiving to Him who rules the destinies of nations that we have
been able to maintain amidst all these contests an independent and
neutral position toward all belligerent powers.
Our relations with Great Britain are of the most friendly character. In
consequence of the recent alteration of the British navigation acts,
British vessels, from British and other foreign ports, will under our
existing laws, after the 1st day of January next, be admitted to entry in
our ports with cargoes of the growth, manufacture, or production of any
part of the world on the same terms as to duties, imposts, and charges
as vessels of the United States with their cargoes, and our vessels will
be admitted to the same advantages in British ports, entering therein on
the same terms as British vessels. Should no order in council disturb
this legislative arrangement, the late act of the British Parliament, by
which Great Britain is brought within the terms proposed by the act of
Congress of the 1st of March, 1817, it is hoped will be productive of
benefit to both countries.
A slight interruption of diplomatic intercourse which occurred between
this Government and France, I am happy to say, has been terminated,
and our minister there has been received. It is therefore unnecessary to
refer now to the circumstances which led to that interruption. I need not
express to you the sincere satisfaction with which we shall welcome the
arrival of another envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary
from a sister Republic to which we have so long been, and still remain,
bound by the strongest ties of amity.
Shortly after I had entered upon the discharge of the Executive duties I
was