of concluding the treaty. Whatever honor may be due to the party first
proposing such a treaty justly belongs to the United States. My
predecessor, in his message of the 10th of February, 1847, referring to
the treaty with New Granada for the protection of the Panama Railroad,
observes that--

Should the proposition thus tendered be rejected we may deprive the
United States of the just influence which its acceptance might secure to
them, and confer the glory and benefits of being the first among the
nations in concluding such an arrangement upon the Government either of
Great Britain or France. That either of these Governments would embrace
the offer can not be doubted, because there does not appear to be any
other effectual means of securing to all nations the advantages of this
important passage but the guaranty of great commercial powers that the
Isthmus shall be neutral territory. The interests of the world at stake
are so important that the security of this passage between the two
oceans can not be suffered to depend upon the wars and revolutions which
may arise among different nations.

Should the Senate in its wisdom see fit to confirm this treaty, and the
treaty heretofore submitted by me for their advice in regard to its
ratification, negotiated with the State of Nicaragua on the 3d day of
September last, it will be necessary to amend one or both of them, so
that both treaties may stand in conformity with each other in their
spirit and intention. The Senate will discover by examining them both
that this is a task of no great difficulty.

I have good reason to believe that France and Russia stand ready to
accede to this treaty, and that no other great maritime state will
refuse its accession to an arrangement so well calculated to diffuse the