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.
Pages:
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258