James Buchanan: “An imperative sense of duty compels me to make an appeal to Congress to preserve the credit of the country.”

The dispatch of Mr. Dallas being in the original, its return to the Department of State is requested.

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.

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.