Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1860-01-04

: OF his destination on the 9TH of February
1859, bearing with him the ratified cop
t of this treaty. and arrived at Shanghai o
the 18th of May. From thence he pre-
cecded to Pekin on the 18th June, but di
not arrive at that city until the 9th July
; According to the terms of the treaty tn
ratif:ations were to be exchanged on or be
) fore the 18th June. 1859. This was rea
dcrcd impossible by reasons and events be
yond his control. not necessary to detqil
but still it is due to the Chinese authori
, ties at Shanghai to state that they alway
, assured him nc advantage should be tak,l
, of the delay, and this pledge has been faith
fully redeemed
On the arrival of Mr.. Ward at Pekin h
requested an audience of the Emperor t
present his letter of crcdence This he di,
not obtain in consequence of his very prope
/. refusal to submit to the humiliating cere
monies required by the etiquette of thi
strange people in approaching their sove
reign. Nevertheless. the interviews on thi
question were conducted in the most friend
ly spirit and with all due regard to his per
soual feelings and the honor Of his country
When presentation to his Majesty wa.
found to be impossible. the letter of ere
dence from the President Of the u. s.. wa.
received with peculiar honors by Kweiling
'.the EmperOr's Prime Minister and the Sc
COnd man in the Empire to the Emperor
himself" The ratificltions of the treaty
We're afterwards on the 10th of August
exchanged in proper form at Pei-tsang.-
As the exchange did not take place unit
after the day prescribed by the treaty, it Is
deemed proper, before its publication, tC
submit it again to the Senate.
+ 1t is but simple justice to the Chinese
authorities to observe, that. throughout the
whole transaction they appear to hive acted
in good faith and in a friendly spirit to-
wards the United States 1t is true this
has been done after their own peculiar fash
ion; but We ought to regard with a lenient
eye the ancient customs Of an empire dating
back for thousand; of years, so far as this
may be consistent with our own national
honor. The conduct of our minister on the
occasion, has received my entire apprOba-
( ton.
In order to carry out the spirit of this trea-
/ ty and to give it full effect, it became neces-
sLry to conclude two supplemental conven-
tions-the one for the adjustment and sat
/ isfaction 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 beaI
date at Shanghai on the Sth of November
loJS. Having been considered in the light
of binding agreements subsidiary to the
principal treaty, and to bc carried into cx-
ecution without delay. they do not provide
for any formal ratification or exchange Of
ratifcations by the contracting parties
This was not deemed necessary by the
] Chinese, who are already proceeding in good
faith to satisfy the clairss of our citizens.
and it is hoped. to carry out the other pro-
visions of the conventions. Still thought
it was proper to submit them to the Senate,
by which they were ratified on the Sd Of
March. 1859. The ratified copies however,
did not reach Shanghai until after the de-
parture of our minister to Pckin, and these
conventions could not, therefore. Re ex-
changed at the same time with the princi-
pal treaty. No doubt is entertained that
they Will be ratified and exchanged by the
Chinese government. should this be thought
advisable; but, under the circumstances
presented. | shall consider them binding
engagements from their date on both parties,
and cause them to he published as such for
the information and guidance Of our mer-
chants trading with the Chinese empire.
1t affords me much satisfaction to inform
you that all our difficulties with the repub-
lie of Paraguay have been satisfactorily ad-
justed. 1t happily did not become ncceS-
say to employ the force for this purpose
which Congress had placed at my command.
under their joint resolution of I'd June,
1888. On the CONTRARY, the President of
that republic, in Il friendly spirit, acccdcd
promptly to the Just and reasonable de-
mandS of the government of the United
States Our commissioner. arrived at As
sumption, the capital of the republic. on
the 2jth of January, 1859, and left it on
the 18th of FEBRUARY, having, in three weeks
ably and successfully accomplished all the
the objects of his mission, The treaties
which he has concluded will be Immediate
ly submitted to the State.
In the view that the employment Of
other than peaceful means might become
necessary to obtain lust satisfaction from
Paraguay a stroag naval force was concen-
trated in the waters Of the La Plata to
await contingencies, whilst our commission
or assembled the river to Assumption. The
Navy Department is entitled to great credit
for the promptness. efficiency and economy
with which this expedition was fitted out
and conducted. 1t consisted Of nineteen
armed vessels, great and small, carrying
200 guns and $500 men, all under the
command Of the veteran and gallant Shu-
brick. The entire expense Of the expedi-
ton have been betrayed out of the ordinary
appropriations for the naval service, except
the sum of s269,0O0. applied to the pur-
chase of seven of the steamers, constituting
a part of it, under the authority of the ma
val appropriation act of the Sd of March
last. 1t is believed that these steamers
were worth more than their cost. and they
are all now usefully and actively employed
in the naval service.
The appearance cf so large force. fitted
out in such a prompt manner, in the far
distant waters of the La Plata, and the
admirable conduct of the officers and men
employed in it, have had happy effect in
favor of our country throughout all that re-
mote portion of the world.
Our relations with the great empires Of
France 2ud Russia as well as with all other
governments on the continent of Europe,
unless We may except that of Spain, hapPi-
" continue to be of the most friendly char
actCr.
In my last annual message, presented
a statement Of the unsatisfactory condition