The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1860-12-08

tore peace and harmony among the States. /
ought not to be doubted that such appeal to TIL
srb,trament estAbi.hed by the Constitution itself
| would be received with favor by all tho States o
tie Confederaoy. In any event II oughtto be triet
in spirit II concilliation, before any OF ,hes,
States shall separate themselves from the Union.
j When entered upon the duties Of the Preti
Dental office, the aspect neither of our foreign
| domestic affairs was 1t all satisfactory. We wer,
involved In dangerous complications with severa
nations, and two OF our territories were in state
| of revolution against our Government . restore
| ton Of tho African Slave Trade had numerous ane
/ powerful advocates; unlawful military expedi
/ tions were countsnanced by many of our citizen,
and were suffered, In defiance Of the Efforts Of our
d1yernmcnt, to escape from our shores Tor the pur
pose OF making war upon the unencnding people Of
| neghborlng Republics, with whom we were a,
peace.
In addition 10 those and other difficulties, ex
perienced revulsiou In monetary Affairs, soon
attcr my advent, proving Of unexampled severity
and OF ruinous consequences to the county. When
we take . retrospect VI what WAS then our condi-
ton, and trAst this with teriAl prosper
ty ut the time OF tho Tate Presidential election
We have abundant reason to return our grateful
Axnks to that uaerciful praYidencn. which hAA
or forsaken US, ~ = nation, in all our trals.
OUR EoaEIan RELArioss-GRsAr BRITAIN.
Our relations with treat Britain arc Of tho most
friendly character. Since the C enhancement Of
my Naturalization, the two dangerous ques ;ions
arising from the Clayton and Bulwer treaty, and
from the right OF search claimed by the British
Government, have been amicably and honorabiy
adjusted. The discordant constructions OF the
Clayton and BuIwer treaty between the two Gov,
srnmcnts, which Ut different periods u tbs discus
sion bore Threatening aspect, lave resulted in =
hAal asttlsment, entirely satisfactory TO this Gov
eminent. In my last annual message, informed
Congress that the Britt Govern msn had not then
completed arrangements with tho Republics If
Honduras and Nicaragua IL pursuance Of the un-
dsrstanding between tine two Governments. II was
nevertheless confidently expected that the good
work would ere long be accomplished. This conf
dence haa since been fulfilled. Her Britsnic Nv
jssty concluded treaty with Honduras on the 18th
Of November 1859, and with Nicaragua on the 2Sth
Ut August, 1860, rel,nqulshing the Mosquito Pro-
setorates. Besides by the former tho Bay Islands
sr. recognised as part u the Republic OF uondn-
Yas.
1T may DO observed that the s.tpulAtions of
those treaties conform in evcry important partic4
ular to the amendments adopted ut London, on
the I7th OF October. 1856, bet wsen the two gov
ernmeuts. 1t will DO recollccted that this treaty
WAS eiected by the British Government because
Of its objection to the jest and iu por ant amend
mept of the Senate to the article relating to ku-
All u and the other islands in the Bay Of Honduras.
Ii In Of sincere satisfaction to all oiasset
OF our fellow GEens, and especially 10 those en-
gagged in foreiga commerce. that the claim the
part OF Great Britain fercibly to visit nd search
American merchant vessels on the high seas, in
Time of peace, las baen abandoned. his was, by
far, the most dsngerou. question to the peace Of
the tw countries, which has existed since the war
Of 1912. Whilst IL remained open they might, At
sny moment, have been preciptatcd into . war
This was rendered manifest by the exaspera ted
state Of public feeling throughout entire coun-
try, produced by the forcibic search Of American
merchant vessels by British craiAers on tha co.st
Of Cuba, in the spring OF 1858. The American
people hailed with general acclaim the orders OF the
Secretary Of the Navy 10 our naval force in the
CUFF Of Mexico, to protect all v.s.sis II the Uni
ted s, ates the high from search dstenton
by the vessels Or war " any other nation Ines
orders might have produced an unfortunate coll.
sin bit ween tho naval forces Of the two cnuniriea
THIS was mott fortunately prevented by an appeal
to the ia tice OF Great Britain, aid the Law oi
nations a. expoundcd by her own em ncnt juris-g
The only question Of any Importance which stli
remains ppen 10 the disputed title het the two
gov rrments TO the islAnd ~ San juan III the vi
entity Of Washing ton Territory. As ths Qas.tion
il stli under negotiation, IL 10 not deemed advssA
bic Ut he present moment III make any other sliu
zion 10 the sui ject.
The rtesnt visit Of the Prince of Walls in ap.
propri ate character To the people OF this countfy
las prov ed 10 be most piclous in its cor
tauences. II cannot fan TO increase the klndl,
FEELINGS Of both countries in their political aud
seci.l intsrc surse with each other.
FRANCE.
With France, our ancient AMI powerful ally, our
relations continue be # the must fri indy char
arter A decis on has recently been made by 4
the Imperial Government, which cssnct fail to fog
ter the sentiments Of mutu al fsxArl that has 80
long existed between the two counties. Under
the French law person can serve In the arm Or
Of France unless hs be French aitiE n.
The ia~ of France reaogn ,sing the natural righ
OF 9 xpatriation, it f.Iia~s necsssary c,use
uu.nce that FreLchu an. by the fast # lsssng
becoms q citizen OF the United States. ha. char GO
his ate ance and has iosF his native character
lie cannot. therefore. be compelled 10 serve in tn
French armies, in case he should return 10 his ma
tive country. These Irihci pies wsre announced in
1852 by the French Minister of War and 10 two
late cases have been con hrned by the French judi
eiary In thesetwe ma tlv Of France have Been dis
charged from the French because they had be-
come American citizens. To employ the lar xusge
Of our present Minister 10 France, who has cred
rood service on this occasion, II do not think our
French natursliacd fellow citizens will hereafter
xperier ce UGH annoyance on this subject. ven
turc TIA predict that the time 10 hot Distant when
the other continental powers will adopt the same
wise and just policy which has done 50 much honor
10 IKE enlightened government OF the Emperor"
In any event, our government il bound TO Lrotcct
the lights Of her naturaiEed ctiI ,ns to
the same extent As though they had drawn their
first breath in this country. MecKn recognizes no
distinction between our native and naturalxSd cit
ixens.
Between the great Empire Of Russia and the
United States, tho mutual Friendship and regard
which mas 30 long existed etlll continues 70 pre-
vail and IL possible, to increase. Indeed, our re-
lstionx with that Empire are alithat We could de-
sire.
EPAIu.
Our relations with Spain are now Of more com
plicsted, though less dangerous character. than
they have been for many years. Our ci.ix sns have
long held and continue to hold, numcr ous claims
against the Spanish government. Those have been
ably urged for sserss OF yssrs BY our snccessf nj
diplomatic representatives ut Madrid, but without
obtaining redIess. The SIP nish government final
~ agreed to institute joint commission for the
adjustment Of these claims, and on the 9Th day Of
March. 1870, concluded Convention for chat pur
pose, with our present Minister 1t Madiid. Under
this Convention, what have been denomnsted the
Cuban claims, amounting to $12s ,635, 81, in whic
more than one hundred OF our fellow citissns are
interested. were recognized, and the spanish dov-
eminent agreed to pay hundred thousand doll re
OF this amount within three months following the
excbs IRE VI ratiKcattsns. The payment Of The re