Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1860-01-05

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acoeded promptly to the just and reasonable de-
mands Of the government Of the United States.
Our commissioner arrived at Assumption, the
capital of the Republic, on the 25th Of Janu-
ary, 1859, and left it on the 18th of February,
having in three weeks ably and successfully ac-
compished all the objects of his mission. The
treaties which he has concluded will be imme-
diately submitted to the Senate.
In the view that the employment of other
than peaceful means might become necessary to
obtain "iust satisfaction" from Paraguay, a
strong naval force was concentrated in the wa
tiers of the La Plata to await contingencies.
whilst our commissioner assembled the rivers to
Assumption. The Navy Department. entitled
to great credit for the promptness eff cheney and
economy with which this expedition was fitted
cut and conducted. 1t consisted Of nineteen
armed vessels, great and small, carrying two
hundred guns and twenty-five hundred men, all
under command Of tho veteran and gallant
Shubrick. The entire expenses of tho expedi-
tion have been betrayed out OF the ordinary ap
preparations for the naval service, except the
sum of $780, 900 applied for the purchase of
seven steamers, constituting part OF it, under
the authority of the naval appropriation act Of
the Sd Mlrch last 1t is believed that these
steamers were worth more than their cost, aud
they are all now usefully and actively employed
in the naval service
The appearance of so large force, fitted out
in such a prompt manner, in the far distant
waters of the L. Plata, and the admirable con I.
duct of the officers andm employed in it, have
had happy effect in favor of our country
throughout all that remote portion of the world
Our relations with the great empires of
France and Russia, as wall as with the other
governments on the continent of Europe, unless
we except that Of Spain, happily continue to
BE- of the most friendly character.
In my last annual IN 'ssage presented state
mont of thu unsatisfactory c)n1itiOn of our ra-
latons with Spin; and [ regret to sly that
this has not materially improved. Without
special reference to other claims, even the {" Gu
ban claims" the payment of which has bsen
ably urged by our ministers, and in which
more than hundred of our citizens are direct.
ly interested, ram lin unsatisied, notwithstand.
ing both their ju5tic, AMI tn Dir amount Is 1923,
635 ,54) had been r3cog nized and ascertlined by
the Spanish govarnm mt itself.
again recon- ended that an appropriation
be m lde " to b. paid to the Spanish government
for the purpose Of distribution among the claim
ants in tho Amistad clse." In common with
two of my predecessors, | entertain no doubt
that this required by oar treaty with Spain on
the 9th October, 1895. The failure to dis.
chargo this oblig ltion has beon employed by the
Clbinet Of M Idrid as a r9ason against the set
tiement of our claims.
need not repeat the arguments which urg
ed in my last annual m,sslge in favor of the ac-
QUESTION of Cubl by fair purchase. My opn'
ions on that m3lslr3 rom lin unchanged. L,
the" fore, agIin invite the serious attention of
On ,ress to this imp )rtaut subject Without a
recJ gnition of this policy on their plrt, it will
be almost imp )ssible to instituts negotiations
with any r9lsJnlblc prospect of success.
| Until recent period thore was god reason
to beieve that should b9 able to announce to
you on the present occasion that oar difG3ul-
ties with Great Britlin, arising out of the
Clayton and Bllwor treaty, mad boen finally I'D
iuste1 in mluner alike honorable and salts
factory to both plrties. From causes, howav-
er, which tn, British Government had not an-
ticip lied, they have not completed treaty ar
rang3m9nts with the republics of Honduras and
Nicaragua, in pursuance of the understanding
between the two governm 9nts. It is neverthe-
less, confidently expected that this good work
will ere long b. accomplished.
Whilst in1ulging the hope that no other sub
ject rem lined which could disturb the good I'M
Outstanding between the two Countries, the
question arising out of thu aivar5 claims of thu
parties to the island Of SIN JUN, under the
Orey)n treaty of thu 18th Of June 1915, sud
denly assumed threatening prominence. II
order to prevent unfortunlt9 collisions on thai
remote frontier, the late cretary of Stats, or
the 18th Of July, 1855, a1dressoda note to Mr.
Champion, the British Minister at Washington
Communicating to him a copy of the instruc
tions which ha (Mr MIrcy) had given, IN tbs
14th of July, to Governor Stevens Of Washing
ton Territory, having special reference to al
" apprehended conflict between our ciitzens and
the British subjects on tho island Of San Juan.
To prevent this thu Governor WAS instructed
" that tho off ,ers of the Territory should alb
stain from all acts on the disputed ground
which ara calculated to provoke any conflicts, s.
far as it can b. done without implying the con
cassion to the authorities of Great Britain of al
exclusive right over the premises. Tne It'll
ought to he Hettled before either purity shoalC
attempt to exclude thu other by force or exer
else complete and exclusive sovereign right
within the fairly disputed limits
In acknowledging the receipt on the next da
of Mr.. Marcy's nota, the British Minister ex
pressed his entiro Concurrence g in the proprie
ty of the cours, r9comm ,ndsd to the Govcrno
Of Washington Territory by your (Mr. Marcy Is
instructions to that officer" and stating he ha
lost no timo in trAnsmixing copy of that doc
umont ID the Governor General Of BIRTHS
North Am,ricl." and had " earnestly recon
msnd,d to his Excsllancy to take such measure
as to him may appear best calculated to secur
on the part of thl British local authorities an
the inhabitants at thu neighborhool Of the lin
in question, the eorcise Of the sun, spirit
forbsArance which is inculcated by you IN
AI.nn.-A 81, Ahn I'D n;t;nnr,s Al