The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-12-16
PRE IDEN It's MEssAG E

Il
F WASHINGTON, Dec. 9th, 1868.
Fsllop- Citizens sflhe iScndte and House-c ct
Representatives.
+ Another year Of health and OF sufficiently
abundant harvest, has passed. For these, and
especially for the improved condition Of our
| national affairs, our renewed and profound
| gratitude'to God is due.
We remain in peace and friendship. with
foreign powers. The efforts Of disloyal citi.
ssns, CT the United States to involve gssin for
| feign wars to aid in an =inexeusable insured
ton, have been unaysiling.s
II Her -RxitaHie siestgs Goyesn@eaf, ss Has
Justly sxpected, have exercised their anthoFls
/ fy 70 prevent the departure of new hostile
The Emperor of France has, by Q proceeding G
Ike PROV pity yindicated the neutrality which
be proclaimed at the beginning of the contest.
Questions, of great intricacy and i4poFtance
have ris,n out of the blockade, and other
bel.igescnt operations between the Government
and several of the maratime powers, But
they have been discussed, and so far as was
possible, have been accommodated in spirit of
frankness, justice and mutual goodwill. 1t
Co9rts, By the partiality of their adj judeatons
OF maratime powers.
The supplemental treaty between the Uni
ted States snd Great Britain for the suppress
siun of the African Slave Trade, made on the
17th day of February last, has been duly rati-
fed and carried into execution. It is believed
that so far as the American ports and Ameri-
can citizens are concerned that inhuman and
barbarous traffic has been brought to an end.
shailsubmit for the considerations the
Co. e.. &t III 20
possessory claims in Washington Territory,
arising ont of the Treaty of the 10th of June,
1916, between the United States and Great
Britian and which have been the source OF
some disquiet among the citizens of that now
so rapidly improving part OF the country.
A novel and important question, inyolving
the extent Of the maratime production of
Spain, in the waters which surround the Is
land of Cuba, has been debated without peach-
ing an agreement, and it is proposed, in an ans
icable spirit, to refer it to the arbitration Of a
friendly power. A Convention for that pur-
pose will be submitted to the Senate.
I have thought it proper subject to be
submitted to the approval of the Senate, to
concur with the interested commercial powers
in an arrangem mt for the Liquidation of the
Scheldt dues upon the principles which have
been heretofore adopted in regard to the i'm
ports upon navigation in the waters of Rcn-
mark. - - - - - = - - - - =
The long and pending controversy between
tins Government aud that Of Chilli touching
the seizure, at Selma, in Peru, by the Chill
lean officers, of a large amount in treasure be-
longing to citizens of the United States, has
been brought to close, by the award of his
majesty the King of the Belgians to whose
arbitration the question was referred by the
parties. The subject was thoroughly and pa
tiently examined by the justly respected Mag
istrate and although the sum awarded to the
claimants may not have been as large as they
expected, there is no reason to distrust the
wisdom of his Majesty's decision. That de-
cision was promptly complied with by Chilli,
when the intelligence in regard tc it reached
that country.
The Joint commission under act of the last
session, for carrying into effect the convention
with Peru ON the subject of claims has been
organized at Lima, and is engaged in the busi-
ness entrusted to it.
The difficulties concerning inter-oceanic
travel through Nicaragua are in course of am
icable adjustment, in conformity with princi-
pies set forth in my last Annual Message
have received Representative from the Uni
ted States of Columbia, and have accredited a
Minister to that Republic.
3 Incidents occurring in the progress of our
civil war. have forced upon my attention the
uncertain state of the international question
touching the rights of foreigners in this coun-
try, and of United States citizens abroad. In
regard to some governments, these rights are
at least partially defined By treaties; in no in=
stance, however, is it expressly stipulated that,
on the occurrence of civil war, foreigner re-
siding in this country, within the lines of the
insurgents, is to be exempted from the rule
which classes him az a belligerent, in whose
behalf the Government Of his country cannot
express any privileges or immunities distinct
from that cha acter. l regret to say, that
such claims have been put forward, and, in
some instances, in behalf of foreigners who
have lived in the United States the greater
part of their lives There is reason to be-
iieve that many persons born in foreign coun-
tries, who have declared their intention to be-
come citizens, or, who have been fully natur-
allied, have eyaded the military duty required
of them by denying the fact, and thereby
throwing upon ths Government the burden of
proof. It has been found difficult, or impos-
sible to obtain this proof from want of guides
to the proper source of information. These
might be supplied by requiring the clerks Of
the courts where declarations of intention"
may be made, or naturalization effected, to
send, periodically, lists of the names Of persons
nattralized or declaring their intention to be-
come citizens, to the Secretary of the Interior,
in whose department these names could be ar
ranged and presented for general information.
There is also reason to believe that foreign
ers frequently become citizens of the United
States for the sole purpose of evading the du-
ties i'm posed by the laws of their native coun-
try, to WHICH, in becoming naturalized here,
they at once repair, and, though never retur-
ming to the United States, they still claim the
intsrposftiorY of the g. vernment as oitizens.-
Many alteEaatisps and great franas have here
tofore arifaBHs, ,af, this ah,sss It.Ig othare-.
fore, subtSy - M Tasr psseEaT tgpsideration::
Il might bai6 BILE tol fatea Slmit, bsyond
which no ois5zsa of the q etstes, residing
abroad, may claim lthe iatsfRpsit ton. of his,
Government. The right of suffrage has often
been assumed and exercised by aliens sundar
pretenoe of naturalization. which llhsg bsYe