Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1860-01-03

a l''tre8by, OF geHctdl oOAscH ~ po'SSt ..acy
land commerce with that empire was conclldet
at Tientsin, on the 18th Jane, 1888, and Wasrat
lifted by the President, by and with the ad'ic'
land consent of the Senate, On the 2lst OF Decens
4 Der following.
+ On the 18th Of December, 1858, John +
I Ward, distinguished citizen of Georgia, wa
duly commissioned as envoy extraordinary an
minister plenipotentiary to China. He left tn
United States for the place of his destination o
the 9th of February, 1869, bearing with him tn
ratified copy of this treaty, and arrived at Shan
ghai on the 28th May. From thence he proceed
| ed to Pekin on the 10Th June, but did not arriv
in that city until the 9th July. According t.
the terms OF the treaty the ratifcations were t.
| be exchanged on or before the 18th June, 1856
| This was rendered impossible by reasons an,
events beyond his control, not necessary to de
tail; but still it is due to the Chinese authoritie
at Shanghai to state that they always assuret
him no advantage should be taken of the delay
and this pledge has been faithfully redeemed.
On the arrival of Mr.. Ward at Pekin he re
quested an audience of the Emperor to presen
his letter of credence. This he did not obtain
lin consequence of his very proper refusal to sub
INIT to the humiliating ceremonies required BY
the etiquette of this strange people in approach
| ing their sovereign. Nevertheless the interview
on this question were conducted in the mos
friendly spirit and with all due regard to his per
sonal feelings and the honor of his country
When presentation to bis Majesty was found t,
be impossible, the letter of credence from the
President was received with peculiar honors b,
Kweiliang, "the Emperor's prime minister ant
the second man in the empire to the Emperor
himself" The ratifcations of the treaty were
afterwards, on the 10Th of August, exchangedir
lnrnnar form ct Pc; ssanR~ As the exchange dc
mot take place until after the day prescribed by
| the treaty, it is deemed proper, before its publ
Ication, again to submit it to the Senate.
/ 1t is but simple justice to the Chinese author.
| tiles to observe, that, throughout the whole
transaction, they appear to have acted in good
faith, and in friendly spirit, towards the Uni.
ted States. 1t is true this has been done afte,
their own peculiar fashion; but We ought to re-
gard with lenient eye the ancient customs o1
an empire dsting back for thousands of years, SC
far as this may be consistent with our own ma
tional honor. The conduct of our minister ON
the occasion has received my entire appreciation
In order to carry out the spirit of this treaty,
and to give it full effect, it became necessary to
conclude two supplemental conventions one
for the adjustment and satisfaction of the claims
of our citizens, and the other to fix the tariff on
imports and exports, and to regulate the transit
duties and trade of our merchants with China
This duty was satisfactorily performed by our
late minister. These conventions bear date at
Shanghai on the 9Th November, 1868. Having
been considered in the light of binding agree
ments subsidiary to the principal treaty, and to
be carried into execution without delay, they do
not provide for any formal ratification or ex-
change of ratifcations by the contracting par
| ties This was not deemed necessary by the
| Chinese who are already proceeding in good
faith to satisfy the claims of our citizens and il
il hoped to carry out the other provisions of the
conventions. Still | thought it was proper to
submit them to the Senate, by which they were
ratified on the Sd March, 1859. The ratified
copies, however, did not reach Shanghai until af-
| ter the departure of our minister to Pekin, and
these conventions could net, therefore, be ex-
changed at the same time with the principal
treaty No doubt is entertained that they will
be ratified and exchanged by the Chinese govern.
ment, should this be thought advisable; but, un-
der the circumstances presented, shall consider
them binding engagements from their date on
both parties and cause them to be published as
such for the information and guidance of our
merchants trading with the Chinese empire.
| 1t affords me much satisfaction to inform you
that all our difficulties with the republic of Pa
raguay have been satisfactorily adjusted 1t
/ happily did not become necessary to employ the
force for this purpose which Congress had pla-
ced at my command, under their joint resolution
J Of I'd J, Is e. On the es,atrary, 10 Presi-
is'ens ol e2ss; "a Il sndlg spirit, aecsded
III. fpfiy K a..e iese ard reaseaaBle defnands oil
,,s,sa.les {. IS e The Uni.ad Gtases. our COM
the republic, on the 25th of January, 1859, and
LETT it on the 18th of February, having in three
weeks ably and successfully accomplished all the
iobiects Of his mission The treaties which he has
Icopcluded will be Immediately submitted to the
lSs6ate.
II. Ia The view that the employment of other
han peaceful means might become necessary to
3baain s.jnst satisfaction" from Paraguay, a
@roDg naval force was concentrated in the wa
er$of the La Plata to await contingencies, whilst
bur- commissioner assembled the rivers to As
sdpption. The Navt Department is entitled to
great credit for the promptness efficiency and
Y ecoHomy with which this expedition was fitted
out'and conducted II consisted of nineteen arm
led vessels, great and small, carrying 200 guns
Ishd 25, 90 men, all under the command OF the
v,tersn and gallant Shhbrick The entire expen-
So Of the expedition have been betrayed out of
th, ordinary appropriations for the naval SER
vie, Except the sum of $289, 900, applied to the
purchase of seven of the steamers, constituting a
pat Of it, under the authority of the naval ap-
lieved that these steamers are worth more than
their cost, and they are all now usefully and ac
lively employed in the naval service.
The appearance OF so large force. fitted out
in sucl prompt manner, in the far dstaut wa
ters oftlle La Plata, and the admirable conduct
of the bficers and men employed in it, have had
happy effect in favor of our country through
out all that remote portion of the world.
1 Our ria ions with the great empires of France
and Rusia, IS we'll as with all other governments
on the cGn.i aeut Of Europe, unless we may except
that of S}aat iiappiy continue TO be of the most
\ friendly cssi4cteri
In my lis ssasanal message presented state
ment of tie unsatisfactory condition of our rela-
ton with Spea and regret to say that this
has not L. .leriaiiyt improved. Without special
reference tp other claims even the "Cuban
Claims" the ,,ay.,,ent of which has been ably
urged by our ministers, and in which more than
hundred If our citizens are directly interested,
remain unsstisfsd, notwithstanding both their
/ justice and taeir amount (sl28,63 5N had been
recognise,. End ii tained by the Spanish gov
ernInent itseif. sasA
| | again iecoan id that an appropriation be
made s'to be naid to the Spanish goyara,ne-t for
!. The purpose II distributun among the y 4man 5
lin tha Aassssa eaSss III eanaazpn with tWo oi
Esny predece & rs entertain no denot tia. this
is requires Year treaty with 6pain ii 7sle N h
October, 179a Tht failure to discharge this OBJ
legation has been Employed by the cabinet of
Madrid as ralsol against the settlement of our
claims.
i l need not reneat the arguments which urged
IN my last annual message in favor OF the acqui