The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1869-12-16

peclaIly to his recommendation for tn
repeal of laws allowing shares of fine
penalties, forfeitures, etc., to officers
the Government, or to infOrmers.
The office of Commissioner of In
ternal Revenue is one of the most al
duous and responsible under the Gov
ernment;-it falls but little, if an
short of Cabinet position in its i'm
portance and responsibilities. [ woul
ask for it, therefore, such Legislation
as, in your Judgment. will place tn
Office on a footing of dignity commen
surate with its Importance, and with
the character and qualifications of tn
class ofmen required to fill it prop
erly.
As the United States is the freest 0
all nations, so, too, its people sympa
thize with all people struggling 70
liberty and self-government. Blu
while so sympathizing, it is due to on
honor that we should abstain from en-
forcing our views upon unwilling na
tions, and from taking an interested
part, without invitation, in the quar-
rels between different nations, or be
tween Governments and their sub
Jects. Our course should always bC
in conformity with strict justice anC
law, international and local. Such
has been the policy of the Admins
ton in dealing with these questions.
For more than a year a valuable
province of Spain, and near neigh
Dor of ours, in whom all our people
can but feel deep interest, has been
struggling for independence and free
dom. The people and Government
of the United States entertain the
same warm feelings and sympathies
for the people of Cuba, in their pend
ing struggle, that they manifested
throughout the previous struggles be-
tween Spain and her former colonies,
in behalf of the latter. But the con-
test at no time assumed the conditions
which amount to war, in the sense
OF international law, or which would
show the existence of a de facto polit-
ical organization of the insurgents suf-
ficient to justify recognition of bel
ligerency. The principle is main
tained, however, that this nation is
its own judge when to accord the
rights Of belligerency, either to a peo-
pie struggling to free themselves from
a government they believe to be op-
pressive, or to Independent nations at
war with each other. The United
States has no disposition to interfere
with the existing relations of Spain to
her colonial possessions on this CONT
nent. They believe in due time Spain
and other European Powers will find
their interest in terminating these re-
latiOns and establishing their present
dependencies as independent powers
members of the families of nations.
The dependencies are no longer re-
garded as subject to transfer from one
European Power to another. When
the present relations Of colonies cease
they are to become Independent pow-
ers, exercising the right of choice and
of self control in the determination of
their future condition and relations
with other powers.
The United States, in order to put
a stop to bloOdshed in Cuba, and in
the interest of Il neighbOring people,
proposed their good offices to bring
the existing contest to a termination.
The offer not being accepted by Spain
on basis which We believed could be
received by Cuba, was withdrawn. 1t
is hoped that the good offices Of the
United States may yet prove advaQ-
tageUus for the settlement of the un.
happy strife.
Meanwhile number of illegal ex-
petitions against Cuba have been br0k-
en- up. Ithas been the endeavor of
the administration to execute the neu-
trality laws in good faith, no matter
how unpleasant the task, made so by
the suffering we have endured from
lack Of like good faith toward US by
other nations.
The United States schooner Lizzie
Major was arrested on the high seas
by Spanish frigate, and two passcn-
gers taken from it, and carried as pris
oners to Cuba. Representations of
these facts were made to the Spanish
Government as soon as official iufor-
nation of them reached Washington.
The two Passengers were set at liber
ty, and the Spanish Government as
sured the United States that the cap
tain of the frigate, in making the cap
ture, had acted without law; that he
had been reprimanded for the irregu-
larity Of his conduct, and that the
Spanish authorities in Cuba would not
sanction any act that could violate the
rights or treat with disrespeci the SOW
ereignty of this nation.
The question of the seizure Of the
brig Mary Lowell, at one of the Bahia
ma Islands, by the Spanish authori-
ties, is now the subject of correspen-
dence between this Government and
that of Spain and Great Britain. The
Captain General of Cuba, about May
last, issued q proclamation authorizing
search to be made of vessels on the
high seas. Immediate remonstrance
was made againstthis, whereupon the
Captain General issued a new procla-
limiting the right of search
Of vessels Of the United States so far
rs authorized under the treaty Of 1875.
This proclamation, however, was i'm
withdrawn.
] have always felt that the most in
innate relations should be cultivated
between the Republic of the United
States and all independent nations on
this continent. 1t may be we'll worth
considering whether new treaties be-
tween the United States and them
may not be proitably entered into,
to secure more intimate relations,
commercial and otherwise.
The subject of an interoceanic ca
nal, to connect the Atlantic and Pacif-
ic oceans, through the Islhmus of Dari-
rien, is one in which commerce is great
ly interested, Instructions have been
given to our Minister to the Republic
of the United States of Colombia to
endeavor to obtain authority for a
survey, by their Government, in or
der to determine the practicability Of
such an unde' taking, and q charter
for the right of way, to build, by pri-
Vate enterDTiEe. such work. If the suYy