Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-12-11

ants unCe- the convention made with Spain
in 1891. There remittances, since the pass
are OF that act, have been paid in such notes
The claimants insist that the government
ought to require their payment in coin. The
subject may be deemed worthy Your atten-
ton.
THE ALABAMA CLAIMS.
No arrangement has vet been reached ior
the settlement of our claims for British dep
relations upUn the commerce of the United
States. | have felt it nv duty to decline the
proportion of arbitration made By her Maj
estys government, because it has hitherto
been accompanied by reservations and limi
tations Incompatible with the rights inter
Gets and honor of our country. lie IL not To-
DC apIrehended that Great Britain will per
sist In her refusal to satisfy these just anc
reason be claims which involve the princiJls
of non-intervcntiUn, a principle hcnceiorti.
more important to the United States than all
other commercial nations
TERRITORIAL ACQUISITIONS.
Ito Wet Indian Islands were settled IN d
colonized 10y European states. simultaneous
~ with the Colonization Of the -tmeIica:
cont nent- Most Of the colonies pllntel
here became ind, pendent nations ut IT, Il ~,
of the last and tue beginning OF the present
century. Oar own Country embraces cer.-
nunirics wi i:h - one period. were 4!,ui,
of Great Britain, France. Spain. II liam.
Sweden and Russia. The people II tie
West Indies, with the exception Of those
rhe islanl Of Ilayti, have neither at,ainc.
aspired to independence, nor have thcy
become prepared for self-delense Aitiluug.
possessed Of considerable commercial value
they have been held by the several EurJi,c-ll.
states which coo lied or at some time cor
qucred them. chiefly for the purposes of mil
Irary and naval strategy in carrying out
European policy and designs in Ic-trd
this continent. In our revolutionary wa
forts and harbOre ia the V est Indian islam.
were used by our enemy to the great iuiury
and embarrassment q the United Statc@.
We had the same experience in our secl.i.
war with Great Britain. The same Europeal
policy Ion q long time excluded as even from
trade with the West Indies, while we ,rar,
At peace with all nations. In oar r-eenf
civil war rebels and their piratical and block
sde breaking allies found facilities il rls
same ports lor the work which they TOO f.ig-
cessfully accomplished, Of iniuring and ii
yastatIug the Commerce which we are n9w
engaged IN rebuilding. We labJred esq
cIally under the disadvantage that EurODeau
steam vessels, employed bY our enemies.
found friendly shelter. protection and sup
plies in West Indian porte. while our own
n avail opera tIOns were necessarily carried Oh
from our own distant shores.
There was then a universal feeling Of want
of an advanced naval outpost between the At
ltntic coast and Europe. The duty of obtain
ing such an OUTPOST peaceably and lawfully /
while neither doing nor menacing injury u
other states, earnestly engaged the attention
o. the executive department. before the close 4
OF the war. and it mas not been lost sight % /
sIncc that time. \ not entirely dissmilaI /
naval want resolved itself during the same ,
peri d on the Pacific coast The required .
ioothold was fortunately secured by our late /
treaty with the Emperor Of Russia. and il I
now seems imperative thas the more obviog-
Necessities Of the coast should not be les
carefully provided for. good and conyen- /
lent poIt and harbor, capable of easy defense /
Will supply that want With the possession /
of SUCH ! station by the United States
neither we nor any other American nation
nect longer apprehend injury offense from
any transatlantic enemy. | agree with Oul
carly Statesmen that the est Indies natu-
rally gravitate To. and may be expected ulti-
mately TO be absorbed hy the continental
states, including our own | agree with
them also that it is wise TO leave the ques-
tIon OF such absorption To the process of ma
tion"l political gravitation. The island Of
ST. Thomas and St. Johns, which constitute
Plrt OF q group called the Virgin Island
seemed 10 offer advantages immediately
desIrl lie while their acquisition could he Sd
cured in harmony with the principles t
which have alluded. A treaty has there
fore been concluded with the King of Den
mark for the ces-ion OF those islands. ana
Will he submitted ID the Senate for consider
atiJn.
1t will hardly ne necessary to call the at
tentiOn Ut Congress To the subject of provid-
ing for the payment to Russia of the sum
stipulated in the treaty for the cession OF
Alaska Possession having been formally
delivered u Our com missioner. the territory
Remains for the present in the care of a mil
itary force, awaiting such civil organization
as shall be directed by Congress.
RIGHTS OF SATURALIzEp CITIZENS.
The annexation Of many small German
Safes to Prussia, and the reorganization OF
that country under a new and liberal consti-
tuition, Lave induced me 70 renew the effort
Z obtain a just and prompt settlement Of the
Dng-vcxed question concerning tie claims OF
foreign states for military service from their
sub r., tturalized in the United States
In connection with this subject the attention
tf Congress Is respectfully called to singu-
lar and embarrassing conflict of laws The
executive department of this Government hae
hitherto uniformly held, as it now holds.
that naturalization, in conformity with the
Constitution and the laws of the United
States, absOlves the recipient from his native
hold that allegiance 10 the British Crown is
indeteasible, and is not absolved by our laws
of naturalization British judges cite courts
and law authorities of the United States in
support of that theory, against the position
held by the executive Of the United States
This cIntiict pcrplexes the public mind con
corning the rights of natIralized citizens.
and impairs the national authority abroad
called atten ion 70 this subject in nv last
annual message, an now again respectfully
appeal Il Congress to decree the national
will Enthusiastically upon this important ques-
ton.
The SLAVE TRADE.
The abuse OF our laws by the clandestine
prosecution of the African slave trade from
American ports or By American citizens has
alt Iyethcr ceased, and under existing circum-
stances no apprehensions of its renewal in
this part Of the world are entertained. Tn
der these circumstances it becomes ques-
ton whether shall not propose to her
government suspension or dis {
continuance of the stipulations for maintain |
ing naval force for the suppression of that
trade. ANDREW JOHNSON.