M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1860-01-12


the capitol OF the republic, on the 25th
of January, 1850, and left it on the
18th Of February, having in three
weeks ably and sue cessfnlly accom-.
plished all the objects Of his mission.
The treaties which he has concluded
will be Immediately submitted to the
Senate.
In the view that tho employment
of other than peaceful means might
become necessary to obtain 'just sat.
isfaction" in Paraguay, strong ma.
val force was concentrated In the wa.
ters Of the La Plata to await contin.
gencies, while our commissioner as.
cended the rivers to Assumption -
The Navy Department is entitled to
great credit for the promptness, eff
cheney and economy with which this
expedition was fitted out and conduct
ed. 1t consisted OF nineteen armed
vessels, great and small, carrying two
hundred guns and two thousand fve
hundred men, all under the command
Of the veteran and gallant Shubrick.
The entire expenses of the expedition
have been betrayed out Of the ordinary
appropriations tor the naval service.
except the sum Of S2S9,000, applied
to the purchase Of seven OF the steam
ers, constituting part Of it, under the
authority Of the naval appropriation
ACT of the Sd March last. It is bo.
lieved that these steamers are worth
moro than their cost, and they are all
now usefully and actively employed in
the naval service.
The appearance ofso 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 a happy effect in favor Of
our country through all that remote
portion Of the world. ..
Our relations with the great EN-.
pires Of France and Russia, as we'll as
with other governments on the Con.
tiIent of Europe, unless we may ex.
pect that OF Spain, happily continue to
be ofthe most friendly character.
In my last annual message pre-
sented o statement oil the unsatisiac-
tory condition Of our relations with
Spain; and Iregretto say that this has
not materially improved. Without
special refe. once to other claims, even
the "Cuban claims" the payment Of
which has been ably urged by our
ministers, and in which more than a
hundred of our citizens are directly
interested, remain unsatiSfed, not
withstanding both their justice and
their amount 12S,635 54) had been
recognized and ascertained by the
Spanish Government itself.
again recommend that an appro.
priation be made "to be paid to the
Spanish government for the purpose
of distribution among the claimants
in the Amistad Case" In common
with two ofmy predecessors, | enter.
tain no doubt that this is required by
our treaty with Spain, OF the 9th
October, 1896. The failure to dis
charge this obligation has been en-
ployed by the cabinet Of Madrid as q
reason against the settlement Of our
claims.
| need not repeat the arguments
which urged in my last annual mes
sage in favor of the acquisition of Gu
ba by tair purchase. My opinions on
that measure remain unchanged. !,
again invite the serious at
tention of Congr to this important
subject. Without u recognition Of
this policy on their part, it will be 81.
most impossible to institute negotia.
tions with any reasonable prospect of
success. J
Until a recent period there has
been good reason to believe that |
should be able to announce to yon on
the present OCCASION that onr Difficult
ties with Great Britain, arising out of
the Clayton aud Bulwer treaty, had
been finally adjusted in a manner
alike honorable and satisfactory to
both parties. From causes however,
which the British Government had
not anticipated, they have not yet
completed treaty arrangements with
the republics of Honduras and Nicara.
qua, in pursuance OF the understand.
lug between the two governments. II
is, nevertheless, confidently expected
that this good work viii ere long bo
accomplished.
While indulging the hope that no
other subject remained which could
disturb the good understanding be.
tween the two countries, the question
arising out of the adverse claims OF
the parties to the Island Of San Juan,
under the Oregon treaty Of the 18th
OF June, 1S46, suddenly assumed q
threatening prominence. In order to
prevent unfortunate collisions oE that
remote frontier, the late Secretary Of
State, on the 18th OF July, 1856, ad.