The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1869-12-07

which would show the existence of a de fact,
political organization of the insurgents suf
hcient to justify recognizing Of belligerency
The principle is maintained, however, tha
this nation is its own Judge when TO accorC
the rights Of belligerency, either to people
struggling to free themselves. from govern
ment they believe to be oppressive, or to in
dependent 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 continent
They believe that in due time Spain aud 9th
er European powers will find it to their inte r
est in terminating those relations, and estab
fishing their present dependencies as indie.
pendent powers. members of the family OF
nations.
But the United States in order to put a
stop to bloodshed in Cuba, and in the inter.
est of neighboring people, proposed their
good oifices TO bring the existing contest TO a
termination. The offer not heing accepted
by Spain on o basis which il was believed
could be received by Cuba, was withdrawn.
1t is hoped that the good offices of the Uni
ted States may yet prove advantageous for
the settlement Of tho unhappy strife.
! DARIEN CANAL,
| The subject of an inter oceanic canal
to connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans
through the lsthmus of Darien is one in
which commerce is greatly Interested In.
structlons have been given to our minister
to the republic Of Columbia to endeavor to
obtain authority for a survey in order to de-
termine the practcability Of such an under
taking and charter for the right OF way to
build by private enterprise such work if
the survey proves it to be practicable.
| The good Offices of the United States to
bring about peace between Spain and the
South American republics with which she
is at war having been accepted by Sna,n,
Peru and Chill, Congress has been in.
| vited to be held at Washington during the
| present winter.
THE SPANISH 0UNBoATs.
The Minister of Reru having represented
that a war existed between Peru and Spain,
aud 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. No further steps
having been taken by the representative of
the Peruvian government to prevent the
departure of these vessels, and |, not feel
ing authorized to detain the property of a
nation with which we are at peace on a mere
executive order, the matter has been refer
red to the Courts to decide.
THE ALABAMA TREATY.
Towards the close of the last administra
ton, a convention was signed at London for
the settlement Of outstanding claims be-
tween Great Britain and the United States,
which failed to receive the advice aud con
sent Of the Senate to its ratification. The
time and circumstances attending the nego
tiation OF the treaty we're favorable to its
acceptance by the people of the United
States, but its provisions were wholly mad
equate for the settlement OF the grave
wrongs that had been sustained by this
government as well hs by its citizens The
injuries resulting TO the United States by
reason Of the course adopted by Great Brit, |
ain during our late civil war in the diminu
ton of exports aud imports, the obstruction
to domestic industry and the prostration of
our foreign commerce, the decrease and |
transfer to Great Britain of our commercial
marine, the proIongation Of the war and |
the increased cost both in treasure aud in |
lives Of its suppression could not be adjust |
ed and satisfied as ordinary commercial
claims which continually arise between com.
mercial nations, and yet the convention
treated them simply as such ordinary
claims, from which they differ more widely |
-, AIns aP al - Al u,al.
magnitude of their amount, Great ever as
is that difference, not word was found in
the treaty, and not an inference could be
drawn for it to remove the sense OF the un.
friendly course of Great B tain in our
struggle for national existence which had 80
deeply and universally impressed itself up .
on the people of this country. Concluding |
that q convention thus misconstrueG in its /
scope and provisions would not have pro.
duced the hearty and cordial settlement OF
pending questions which alone is consistent
with the relations which desire to have es.
tablshed between the United States and
Great Britain, regard the action Of the
Senate, rejecting the treaty, to have been
wisely taken in the interests of peace and
as a necessary step in the direction Of
cordial friendship between the two coun.
tries
RECIPROCITY.
The question Of q treaty for reciprocity
between the United States aud the British
provinces on this continent has not been IA
vorably considered by the administration.
The advantage of such treaty would be
wholly in favor OF the British producer, ex.
cept, possibly, few engaged in the trsde
between the two countries. No citizen of
the United States would be benefited by re
ciprocty. Our internal taxation would
prove protection to the British producer
almost equal to the protection which our
manufacturers now receive from the tariff.
Some arrangement, however, for the regula.
ion of commercial intercourse between the
United States and the Dominion may be de.
irable.
HUDSON BAY coMPANY's CLAIMS.