The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1869-12-14

The United States, in order to ,5,,t sion
to bloodshcd in Cuba, and in ihe inter.
est Of neighboring people, proposed
their good Offices to bling the exciting
contest to I termination. The offer not
being accepted BY Spain on a basis which
we believed could lie received by Cuba,
was Withdrawn. 1t is hoped that the
good Offices Of the United States may
yet prove advantageous for tie settle.
ment OF this unhappy strife. In The
meantime annmbcr Of Illegal expeditions
against Cuba have been broken ND. It
has been the endcavor of the Admins
tration to execute the neutrality laws in
good faith, no matter how unpleasant
the task, made SO by the suffering We
have endured from lack Of like good
faith towards us by other nations. The
United States schooner Lizzie Major was
arrest ed on the high seas by Spanish
frigate, and two passengers taken from
it and carried rs prisoners TO Cuba. Rep
resentations Of these facts were made
to the Spanish Government as soon as
official Information Of them reached
Washington The two passengers were
set at liberty, and the Spanish Govern.
ment assured the United States that th.
captain Of tie frigate, in making the cap
ture, had been rcprimandcd for the If
regularity OF his conduct, and that thG
Spanish authorities in Cuba would moi
sanction any act that would violate the
tights or treat with disrcspect the sover
eighty Of this nation.
The question Of the seicurc of tht
brig Mary Lowell, at one of the Baham;
islands. by Spanish authorities, is more
the subject Of correspondence tctwccr
this Government and those of Spain anc
Great Britain.
Tie Captain General of Cuba, abou
| May last issued a proclamation author
izing search to be made of vessels OF
the high seas Immediate remonstranc'
WAS made against this, whereupon tht
Captain General issued a new proclama
ton. limiting the right Of search of yes
sells of the Uuited States, so far as au
thorized under the treaty Of 1795. Thii
proclamation, however, was immediate
ly withdrawn. | have always felt tha
the most intimate relations should h'
! cultivated between the Republic Of tht
United States and all allindependent nation!
on this continent. 1t may he well worti
considering whether new treaties be
tween the United States and them may
be not proftably entered into to secure
more intimate relations, friendly, com
mcrcial, and otherwise. The subject o
a canal to connect the Atlantic and Pa
cifC Oceans through the isthmuS Of Da
rien, is one in which commerce is great
| ly interested. Instructions have beer
given to our Minister to the Republic o
the United States of Colombia, to en-
deavor to obtain authority for q survey
by this Government, in order to determ
inc the practicability Of such an under
taking, and q charter for the right o
way TO build, by private enterprise, sUcl
work, if the survey proves it to be prac
ticablc. In order TO comply with tht
agreement Of the United States as TO +;
mixed commission at Lima, for the ad
Ijustment of claims, if became necessary
to send a commissioner to Lima in Aug
ust last. No appropriation having beeI
made for this purpose, it is now aske(
that one be made, covering the past ant
future expenses of the commission. The
good offices of the United States t
bring about peace between Spain anC
the South American Republics will
which she is at war, having been accept
ed by Spain, Peru and Chill, Congress:
has been invited to be held in Washing
ton during the present winter. A gran
has been given to Europeans Of an ex
elusive right of transit over the Terrific
ry Of Nicaragua to which Costa Rica ha.
given its assent which, it is alleged, con
hicts with the vested rights Of the citi
gems of the United States. The Depart
meut Of State has now this subject undet
consideration. The Minister Of PERI
having made representations that there
was Estate of war between Peru anC
Spain, and that Spain was constructing
in and near New York thirty gunboats
which might be used by Spain in such ;
way as to relieve the naval force at Cuba
so as to operate against Peru, orders were
given to prevent their departure. NJ
further steps having been taken by tht
representative Of the Peruvian Govern
ment to prevent the departure of these
vessels, and not feeling authorized tc
detain the property Of Il nation witt
which we are at peace, on mere EXec
utive order, the matter has been referred
to the courts to decide. The conduct o.
the war between the allies and the Re
public Of Paraguay, has made the inter
course with that country SO difficult that
it has been deemed advisable to with
draw our representative from there
Towards the close of the last Admin
istration convention was signed al
London for the settlement of the out
standing claims between Great Britain
and the United States, which failed to
receive the advice and consent of the
Senate to its ratification. The time and
the circumstances attending its ratifca-
ton we're unfavorable to its acceptance by
the people Of the United States, and its
provisions were wholly inadequate for
the settlement Of the grave wrongs that
had been sustained by the government
as well as by its citizens. The injuries
resulting to the United States by reason
of the course adopted by Great Britain
during our late civil war, Increased the
rates Of insurance in the dimunition of
exports and imports, and other obstruc-
tons to domestic industry and produc-
tion; in its effect upon the foreign com
merce Of the country; in the decrease
and transfer to Great Britain Of our
commercial marine; in the prolonGatlon
of the war, and the increased cost, both
in treasure and lives, could not be al.
iuBted and satisfied as ordinary CONNER
cial claims which continually arise be-
tween nations, and yet the convention
treated them simply as such ordinary
claims, from which they differ most
widely in the gravity Of their character
and the magnitude of their amount. Great
even as is that difference, no word was
todnd in the treaty, and no inference