Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1867-12-14

European steam vessels, employed bv our
enemies, found friendly shelter, protec-
tion and supplies in West Indian ports
while our own naval operations were
necessarily carried on from our own dis
tant shore. There was then a universal
! feeling of the want of an advance naval
post between the Atlantic coast and Eu-
rope 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 disSimi-
| lar naval want revealed itself during the
same period on tho. Pacific coast. The
required foothold there WAS fortunately
secured by our late treaty with the Em-
| peror of Russia, and it now seems imper-
atiye that the more obvious necessities Of
the Atlantic Coast should rot be less
carefully provided for \ good and con-
vcnient port and harbor, capable OF easy
def: nc, VII supply the WANT. With the
possession of such Il station hy the Unit
ed States, neither we Hor any other Amer
lean nation naed any longer abprehcnd
injury or ofenses f,5m any transatlantic
enemy.
agree with our caly statesmen that
the West Indies are naturally grayitating
| to, aud may be expected ultimately to be
| absorbed by Continental States, iEclati-
ing our own. | agree with them also
that it is wise to leave the question of
such absorption to the process of natural
political gravitation. The Islands oi St.
Thomas and st. Johns, which constitute
part OF the group called Virgin Islands,
seemed to offer us advantages immcdiat-
IL desirable, while their acquisition could
be secured i'll harmony with the prirci-
pies to which have alluded. \ treaty
has therefore been concluded with the
King Of Denmark for the cession Of those
Islands, and it VIII be Submitted to the
Senate for consideration.
ALASKA.
1t will hardly be necessary TO call the
attention Of Congress to the subject of
providing for the payment to Russia ef
the sum stipulated for the cession of Alas
ka, possession having been formally dc
livered to our Commissioner The terri
tory remains for the present III the carS
Of 4 military force, awaiting such civil
organization as shall be directed by Con
grcss.
RIGHTS OF NATCEALIzED CITIZENS.
The annexation of many German States
to Prussia, and the reorganization Of that
country under new and liberal Consti-
tuition have induced NE to renew the cf-
fort to obtain u just and prompt settle
mcnt of long veXed question, concern
inc TIE claims of the foreign States for
the military service from the subjects
.naturalized in the United States and in
connection with this subject the attcn-
tion of Congress is respectfully called to
singula. and embarrassing conflict of
the laws. The Executive Department
Of this government has hitherto uniform
ly held, as it now holds, that naturaliza-
ticn i'll conformity with the Constitution
aud laws Of the United States absolvcs
the recipient from his native allegiance.
The Courts Of Great Britain hold that al
lc@iance to the British Crown is indeieas-
naturalization the British Judges cite
the courts and law authorities Of the
United States in support of chat theory,
against the position held by the executive
authority Of the United States. This
conflict pcrplcXes the public mind con-
ccrnng the rights of natural;zed citizens,
and impairs the national authority abroad
called attention to this in my last an
nu&l Message, and now again | respect
fully appeal to Congress to declare the
national will Enthusiastically upon the in
portaat question.
sL1VE TRADE.
The abuses Of cur laws by the clan,lc5-
tine prosecution CT the African slave
trade from American ports or by Ameri-
can citizens has altogether ceased, All
under existing circumstances 10 appre-
hension Of its renewal i'll this part OF the
wcrid is entertained, Under the circum-
stances, it becomes question whether
we shall not propose to Her MajeSty's
government a suspension or discontinue
ance of the stipulations for maintaining
a naval force tor the suppression OF that
trade.
[Siened1 ANDREW JOHNSON.
Washington, December 3, 1867.
Affection.
TTnU- much mora vp uniu!,t make of Our