Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-12-06

ships, having once escaped from British
ports, ever afterwards entered them in
every part of the world, TO reft, and
SO to renew their dePredations. The
consequences of this conduct were
most disastrous to the States then in rebel
lion, increasing their desolation and misery
by the prolongation of our civil contest.
1t had, moreover, the effect, to a great ex-
tent, to drive the American flag from the
sea, and TO transfer much of our shipping
and our TO the very Power whose
subjects had created the necessity for
such a change These events took plaee
before I was called to the Administrator Of
the Government. The sincere desire for
peace by which | am animated led me In
approve the proposal, already made, TO sub
NIT the questions which had thus arisen be
tween the countries to arbitration. These
questions are of such moment that they
must have commanded the attention of the
great Powers, and are so interviewer with
the peace and interests of every one Of
them as TO have ensured an impartial deci-
sion. I regret to inform you that Great
Britain declined the a~rbitrament, but, on
the other hand, invited US to the formation
of a joint commission to settle mutual
claims between the two countries, from
which those for the depredations before
mentioned should be excluded. The propo-
sitiOn, in that very unsatisfactory form, has
been declined.
The United States did not present the
subject as an impeachment of the good faith
of a Power which was protesting the most
friendly dispositions, but as involving ques-
tiOns of public law, of which the settlement
is essential TO the peace of nations; and,
though pecuniary reparation to their injured
citizens would have followed incidentally on
a decision oOafnaf Graak Drsfofp gr.e -
pensation was not their primary object.
They had a higher motive, and it was in the
interests of peace and justice to establish
important principles of international law.
The correspondence will be placed before
you. The ground on which-the 9ritish Min
lister rests his justification is, substantially,
ti.at the municipal law Of a nation, and the
domestic interpretations of that law, are
the measure of its duty as a neutral:
and l feel bound to declare my opinion,
before you and before the world, that that
justification cannot be sustained before
the tribunal of nations. At the same time
L do not advise to any present attempt at
redress by acts of legislation. For the
future, friendship between the two coun-
tries must rest on the basis of mutual
justice.
~ MCAACE DOtAhANE AND
MEXICO.
From the moment of the establishment
of our free Constitution, the civilized
world has been convulsed by revolutions
in the interests of democracy or of mon
archy; but through all those revolutions
the United States have wisely and firmly
refused to become prOpagandists of re-
pu%blicanism. 1t is the only government
suited to our condition; but we have
sought to impose it on others and we
have consistently followed the advice of
Washington to recommend it only by the
careful preservation and prudent use of
the blessing. During all the intervening
period the policy of European Powers and
the United States has, or the whole,
been harmonious. Twice, indeed, rumors
OF the invasion of some parts of America,
the interest Of monarchy, have prevail
ed; twice my predecessors have had
occasion to announce the views of this
in respect to such Interference. On
both occasions the remOnstrance of the
United States was respected, from a deep
conviction, on the part Of European Gov
ernments, that the system of non-inter-
ference and mutual abstinence from propa-
gandlsm was the true rule for the two
hemispheres. Since those times we have
advanced in wealth and power; but we
retain the same purpose to leave the ma
tions of EEurope to choose their own
dynastis- and form their own systems of
government. This consistent moderation
may justly demand corresponding moder-
alton. We should regard il as a great ca
lamlty to ourselves, to the cause of good
government. and to the peace of the world,
should any European Power challenge the
people, as it were, to the defence
OF RePublicanism against foreign interior.
enee' We cannot ioresee and are unwilling
to consider what opportunities might pre.
sent themselves, what eombipatiors migbt
oiier to protect ourselves against designs
to our form of government. The
United States desire to act in the future as
they nave ever acted heretofore they never
VIII be driven from that course but by the
aggression of European Powers and we
rely on the wisdom and Justice of those
to respect the system of n~on-inter-
terence which has so long been sanctioned
by time and which, by its good results. has
approved itself to both continents.
The correspondence between the United
states and France, in reference to questions
whIch have become subjects of discussion
between the two Governments, will, at a
proper time, be laid before Congress.
TIE GLORY OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
When, on the organization of our Govern
under the Constitution, the President
u the United States delivered his inaugural
address to the two Houses of Congress, he
said to them, and through them to the
and to mankind, that "the pre-
of the sacred fire of liberty and
he destiny of the republican model Of GOV
'rnment are justly considered as deeply,
perhaps as finally, staked on theexperiment
ntrusted to the American people" And the
douse OF representatives answered Wash
ngtOn by the voice of Madison ave adore
40 invisible hand which has led the
American people, through so many diff
'utnsa, to cherish a conscious responsible
for the destiny Of republican liberty"
More than seyenty-six years have glided
way since these words were spoken the
United States have passed through So
7erer trials than were foreseen and now.
It this new epoch in our existence as one
lation, with III Union purified by sor-
and strengthened by conflict. and
established by the virtue of the people. the
greatness of the occasion invites us once
more to repeat with solemnity, the pledges
# our fathers to hold ourselves answerable |
'efore our fellow men for the success of
he republican form of government. Ex-
'erlence has proved its sufficiency in
'eace and in war; it has indicated its
authority through dangers, and Affections,
sudden and terrible emergencies,
which would have crushed any system
hat.had been less firmly Fixed in the heart
T the people. At the Inauguration of
Washington the foreign relations of the
Ountry were few, aud its trade was re-
ressed by hostile regulations now
the civilized nations of
globe welcome our commerce
their governments profess towards US
nifty Then our country felt its way
e%sitatingly along an untried path, with
tates so little bound together by rapid
leans Of communication as to be hardly
nOwn to n another, and with historic
extending W every few years;
ow intercourse between the States is swift
nd intimate the experience Of centuries
as been crowded into a few generations.
has created an intense, indestructible
a~tionality. Then our jurisdiction did not
ZACH beyond the inconvenient boundaries
! the territory which had achieved indie
endence now, through cessions of lands.
rst e~olOnized by Spain and Fradce, the
has acquired q more complex
l~aracter, and has for its natural limits
Ie chain of Lakes, the Gulf of Mexico.
i'd on the east and the west the two great
cans. Other nations were wasted bycivil |
for ages before they could establish for
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