James Buchanan: “It is truly lamentable that Great Britain and the United States should be obliged to expend such a vast amount of blood…”

There is but one mode left of settling the dispute, and that is by submitting it to the arbitration of some friendly and impartial power.

I deem it proper to invite the attention of the Senate to the fact that with this day expires the limitation of time for the exchange of the ratifications of the treaty with Costa Rica of 2d July, 1860.

The minister of that Republic is disappointed in not having received the copy intended for exchange, and the period will lapse without the possibility of carrying out the provisions of the convention in this respect.

Before accepting this proposition I have thought it right to take the advice of the Senate.