North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1867-12-11

Q less stipulated expenses, accrues to claim
. ants under the convention made witt
Spain in 1884. These remittances, sine
: the passage of the act, have been paid il
: such notes. Claimants insist that govern
ment ought to require payment in coin.
: No arrangement has as yet been reache,
for the settlement of our claims for British
depredations upon the commerce of tn
United States. have felt it my duty t
decline the proposition of arbitration mad
E by her Majesty's government, because i
has hitherto been accompanied by reserva
tons and limitations incompatible witt
the rights, interests and honor of our coun
l try. 1t is not to be unprecedented tba
, Great Britain will persist in her refusal t,
satisfy these just and reasonable claims
which involve the sacred principle of non
intervention, a principle henceforth no
less important to the United States thar
any other commercial nation. The Yves
India Islands were settled and colonizee
by European States simultaneously with
the settlement and colonization of thu
American continent. Most of the colo
MES planted here became independent ma
tons in the close of the last and beginning
of the present century. Our own coun.
try embraces communities which at one
period were colonies of Great Britain,
France, Spain, Holland, Sweden and
Russia. The people in the West Indies,
with the exception of thuse of the Island
of Havti. have neither attained nor aspired
to independence. Nor have they be-
come prepared for selfdefence. Although
possessing considerable commercial value.
they have been held by several European
States which colonized at some time, con-
quered them chiefly for purposes of militia
| ry and naval strategy in CARRYING out Eu-
ropean policy and designs in regard to this
| continent in our revolutionary war, the
ports on the West India Islands were used
| by our enemy to the great injury and en-
| barrassment of: The United States We
! had the same experience in our second
war with Great Britain. The same Eu-
| ropean policy for long time excluded
| the United States 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 blockade
| breaking allies found facilities in the same
| ports for the work which they too success
fully accomplished Of injuring and devas-
| tating which we are now engaged in re-
building. We labored especially under
the disadvantage, that European steam
| vessels employed by our enemies found
friendly shelter, protection and supplies in
West Indian ports, while our own naval
operations were necessarily carried on
from our own distant shores. There was
then a universal feeling of regret at a
want OF advanced naval outpost between
the Atlantic coast and Europe. The duty
OF obtaining such an outpost peacefully
and lawfully, while neiti.er doing or men,
acing injury to other States. engaged the
attention of the State Department at the
close of the war, and it has not been lost
sight Of since that time. A not entirely
dissimilar naval want revealed itself dur
ing the same period on the Pacific coast.
A required foothold there was fortunately
secured by our late treaty with the EN-
peror of Russia, and it now seems imper-
| alive that the more obvious necessities of
the Atlantic coast should not be less care
fully provided for. A good and convenient
port and harbor capable of easy defense.
will supply that want. With the posses.
sion Of such station by the United States,
neither we nor any other nation need long
er apprehend injury or offense from any
transatlantic enemy. l agree with our
| early statesmen that the West Indies ma
turally gravitate to, and may be expected
ultimately to be absorbed by continental
States. including our own. l agree with
them, also, that it is wise to leave the
question 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 groupe called Vir-
gin Islands, seemed to offer to the United
States advantages Immediately desirable,
while their acquisition could be secured in
harmony with the principles to which /
have alluded. A treaty has, therefore,
been concluded with the King of Dem
mark, for the cession of these islands, and
will be submitted to the Senate for consid-
Grafton. 1t will hardly be necessary to
call the attention of Congress to the sub.
ject of providing for the paoment to Rus
STA Of the sum stipulated in the treaty for
the cession of Alaska. Possession having
been formerly delivered to our commits
sioner, the territory remains for the pre-
sent in the care of military force, await
ing such civil organization as shall be d.
rected by Congress. The annexation of
many smaller German States to Prussia,
and the reorganization of that country un-
der new and liberal constitutions, have
induced me to renew the effort to obtain a
just and prompt settlement of the long and
vexed question concerning the claims Of
foreign States for military service from
their subjects naturalized in the United
States, and in connection with this subject
the attention of Congress is respectfully
called to a singular and embarrassing con-
hict Of the laws. AT
The executive department of this gov
eminent has hitherto uniformly held, as it
now holds, that naturalization in conform
ity with the constitution and laws Of the
United States absolves the recipient from
his native allegiance; the courts of Great
Britain hold that allegiance to the British
crown is indefeasible, and is not absolved
by our laws of naturalization. British
Judges cite the courts and laws Of the
United States in support Of that theory
against the position held by the executive
authority Of the United States. l called
attention to this in my last annual mes
sage, and now again respectfully appeal to
congress to declare the national will un-
mistakably upon this important question.
The abuse of our laws by the clandes.
tine prosecution Of the African slave trade
from American ports or by American citi-
zens has altogether ceased, and under ex-
listing circumstances no apprehension of
its renewal in this part of the world are
entertained. Under the circumstances it
becomes question whether we shall not
propose to Her Majesty's government on
the suspension or discontinuance Of stipu.
lations for maintaining a naval force for
the suppression of that trade.
ANDREW JOHNSON.
Washington, Dec. 3, 1867.
; The Louisiana black-and-tan conven.