Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1867-12-13

Il
4 to represented. "A report Of these In
/ teresting proceeding win be submitted
I to Congress, which viii, no doubt, Just
Z ly appreciate the great object, and be
Z ready to adopt any measure which may
tend 10 facilitate it's ultimate accom-
4 plishment.
A QUESTION WITH SPANISH CLAIMANTS,
On the 35th Of February, 1862. Con-
4 gress declared, by law, that the Treas
! ury notes, without interest authorised
4 by that act should be a legal tender in
/ the payment Of all debts, public and
Z private, in the United States. An an
/ nual remittance Of 600, less stipula-
i ted expenses, aCcrues to the claimants
+ under the convention made with Spain.
q These reMittHnces, since the passage OF
I this act, have been paid Ia such notes.
Z The claimants insists that the Govern
{ ment ought to require payment in coin.
! The subject may be deemed worthy Of
i your attention.
THE ALABAMA CLAIMS.
No arrangement has as yet been
( reached for the settlement Of our claims
/ for the BRITISH depreduiions upon sac
eon1fl9rca u, tllt q III i1tisl6df
have felt ii my it my duty the prop
/ ositlOn OF arbitration made by her Maj
/ esty's Government, because it has hith-
/ ertO been accompanied by reservations
and limitations incompatible with the
/ rights, interests and henor Of our coun-
/ try. IL is not to be apprehended that
Great Britain VIII perHistin hes refusal
I to satisfy these Just and reasonable
I claims, which involve the sacred pFin-
1 ciple of nOn-intervention, a principle
I hencefOrth not more important to the
l United States than to England itself.
THE PURCHASE OF ST. THOMAS.
The purchase Of a naval station in
the West Indies has during the present
year attracted the attention Of the State
1 Department. All the commercial ma
tions of the West India Islands were
settled and cOlOnized by the European
States, simultaneously with the settle
ment and colonization Of the America
continent Most Of the colonies plant
ed here became independent nations in
the close Of the last and the beginning
present century, Our own country en-
braces communities which at one per-
iOd were colonies of Great Britain,
France, Spain, Holland, Sweden and
Russia.
The people Of the West indies, with
the exception of those Of the Island of
ed TO independence nor have they be-
come prepared for Helf-defense. Az
though possessing considerable conn
mercial value, they have been held by
several European States which col0uiz-
ed and at the same time conquered them
chiefly for purposes Of military and
naval strategy. In carrying out the
European policy and designs Ia regard
to this continent in our Revolutionary
war, ports and harbors in the West In
dia Islands were used by our enemy. to
to the great injury and embarrassment
of the United States.
We had the same experience in our
second war with Great Britain. The
same European policy for a long time
excluded us even from trade with the
West Indies, while we were at peace
with all nations. In our recent civil
war the rebels and their piratical and
Notwithstanding allies, found facili-
ties in the same ports for work which
they too successfully accomplished, of
1njuring and devastating the commerce
which we are now engaged in rebuild
ing. We labored especially under this
disadvantage, that European steam
vessels employed by our enemies,
supplies in West India ports, while our
own naval operations were necessarily
carried on from our own distant shore
There was then universal feeling q
Dhe want an advanced naval post Ge-
tween the Atlantic coast and Europe. /
The duty Of obtaining such an outpost
peacefully and lawfully, while neither
doing nor menacing injury to other
States, engaged the attention of the
Executive Department at the close of
the war, and 1t has not been lost sight
of since that time. A not entirely dis
similar naval want revealed itself du-
ring the same period on the Pacific
coast. The required foothold there was
fortunately secured by our late treaty
with the Emperor Of Russia, and it now
seems imperative that the more obvious /
necessities of the Atlantic coast should
not be less carefully provided for. A /
good and convenient port and harbor
capable of easy defense, will supply
that want. With the possession Of such /
q station by the United States, neither /
we nor any other American nation /
need any longer apprehend injury or
ohense from any Transatlantic enemy. /
I agree with our early statesmen that |
the West Indies are naturally gravita-
ting to, and may be expected ultimate /
ly to be absorbed by Continental States /
including our own. I agree with them I
also, that il is wise to leave the question 4
Of such absorption to this process of
natural political graVitatiOn, The Is
lands of st. Thomas and st, Johns /
which constitute a part Of the group
called Virgin Islands, seemed to offer
us advantages Immediately desirable,
while their acquisition could be seeur-
ID in harmony with the principles to
which T have alluded. A treaty has
therefore been concluded with the King
Of Denmark for the cession Of those Is
lands, and it wiz be submitted to the
Senate for consideration.
ALASKA.
If will hardly he. necessary IN ca11 t1,a