Bloomsburg democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1867-1869, 1867-12-11
Tho Exposition Of Universal Industry At

ING LxposiIon OF universal Industry q
Paris has passed. and seems To have full,
realized the INTERPRETATIONS Of tho Frencf
Government. lfdue allowance be made fo
tho recent political arrangement of industr,
here, the part which tho United Suites hui
borne in this exhibition of ofinvention and AR
may bc regarded with very high satisfaction
During the Exposition a conference wa,
held Of delegates from several nations, tht
United States being one, In which the incon
vcnienccs0f commerce and social intercourse
resulting from the diverse standardsof mon
ey value were fully dic,issed and plans were
developed for establishing, by universal con
sent, q common principle for the coinage
Of gold. These conferences arc expected tc
be renewed, with the attendance of many
foreign States not hitherto represented. A
report OF these interesting proceedings will
be submitted to Congress, which will nc
doubt justly appreciate the great object,
and DO ready TO adopt any measure which
may tend to facilitate its ultimate accom-.
plishment.
On the 25th of February, 1862, Congress
declared by law that Treasury notes with.
out interest, authorized by that act, should
be legal tender in payment Of all debts,
publicand private, within the United States.
An annual remittance Of $4,000, less stip-
ulated expenses, accrues to claimants under
the Convention made with Spain in 1884.
These remittances, since the passage of that
act, have been paid in such notes. The
claimants insist that the Government ought
to require payment in coin. The subject
may be deemed worthy of your attention.
The West India Islands were settled and
colonized by European States simultaneous
ly with the settlement and colonization of
| the American continent. Most Of the colo
nies planted here became independent ma
tons in the close of the last and the begin
ming OF the present century. Our own
country embraces communities which, at one
period, were colonies of Great Britain,
France, Spain, Holland, Sweden and Rus
sia. The people iD the West Indies, with
he exception OF those Of the Island OF
Haytl, have neither attained nor aspired to
Independence, nor have they become pre-
pared for seli-deloucc. Although possess.
iins considerable commercial value, they
have been held by the several European
States which colonized or at some time cou-
quered them, chiefly for purposes of mill
tary and naval strategy in carrying out Eu.
ropean policy and designs in regard to this
continent. In our Revolutionary War,
ports and harbors in 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 Euro
pean policy for a lang time excluded us
even from trade with the West Indies while
we were at peace with all nations. In our
recent civil war; the re e's, and their pratt
cal and blockade breaking allies, found IA
clities in the same ports for the work,
which they too successfully accomplished, Of
injuring and devastating the commerce
wb'ch we are nov. engaged in rebuilding -
We labored especially under this dsadvan-
tage-that European steam vessels, employ
ed by our ep91bteS found friendly shelter,
projections t4Gnd supplies in West Indian
ports, while our own naval operations were
necessarily carried on from our own distant
shores. There was then universal feeling
of the want of an advanced naval outpost
between the Atlantic coast and Europe
The duty of obtaining such an outpost peace.
fully and lawfully, while neither doing nor
mcnacing injury to other States, earnestly
engaged the attention Of the Executive De-
partment before the close Of the war, and
it has not been lost sight of since that time.
4 not entirely dfiissiHifar naval want reveal.
I'd itself during the same period on the Pa
c!fic 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 necess;-
ties o. the Atlantic coast should not be less
anrp rpFi1ilx, ,rnviInI fnr A ,,.>I H..
lent port and harbor, capable of easy defence
will supply that want. With the possession
of such station by the United States,
neither We nor any other American nation
need longer apprehcDd iniuryor offence from
any Transatlantic enemy. | agree with
our early statesmen that the West Indians
naturally gravitate to, and may be expected
ultimately to be absorbed by the Contiuen-
tai States, including our own. agree with
them also that it is wise 10 leave the aues.
tion of such absorption to this process of
natnrai political gravitatien. The Island,
Of st. Thomas and St. Johns, which con-
stitute u ra,tof the group called the Virgin
Islands, seemed 10 offer us advantages im-
mcaiate'y desirable, while their acquisition
could be secured in harmony with the prin-
cipes to which have alluded. a treaty
has, therefore, been concluded with tho
Hing Of Denmark for the cession Of those
islands, and will be submitted to the Senate
for consideration.
In connection with this subject, the at
tentiOn of Congress is respectfully called to
q singular and embarrassing conflict of
laws. The Executive Department of this
Government has hitherto uniformly held,
as it now holds, that naturalization. in con.
iormity with the Constitution and laws of
the United States, absolves the recipicn.
from his native allegience. Tnc courts of
Great Britain hold that allegiance. The
courts of Great Britain hold that allegiance
to the British Crown is indefeasiblc, and is
not absolved by our laws of naturalization.
British judges cite courts and law authorities
OF the United States in support cf that the
ory against the position held by tho Exec
tive authority of the United States. This
conflict perplexes the public mind concern
ing The rights G t naturaliaed citizens. and
impairs the national authority abroad.
called attention to this subject in my last
annual message, and now again respectfully
appeal TO Congress to declare the national
will unmistakably upon this important ques-
tion.
The abuse Of our laws by the clandestine
prosecution OF the African slave-trade from
American ports by American citizens has
altogether ceased, and, under existing cir
ceumstances, no apprehensions of its renewal
n this part of the world are entertained -