Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1869-12-15


and it may be we'll worth
considering whether new treaties between
the United States and them may not be
innate relations, friendly, commercial and
otherwise.
The subject of an inter-oceanic canal to
connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans
through the IsGhmus OF Darien is one IN
which commerce is greatly interested. In
structions have been given to our Minister
to the Republic Of the United States OF
Colombia to endeavor to obtain authority
for q survey by this government in order to
determine the practicability OF such an un-
dertaking, and a charter for the right OF
way to build by private enterprise such
work, if the survey proves it to be pratic-
able. In order to comply with the agreement
of the United States as to a mixed COM
mission at Lima for the adjustment Of
claims, it became necessary to send COM
missioner and secretary to Lima in August
last No appropriation having been made
by Congress for this purpose, it is now
asked that one be made covering the past
and future expenses of the commission.
The good offices of the United States to
bring abouta peace between Spain and the
South American republics, with which she
is Mt war, having been accepted by Spain,
Peru and Chill, congress has been invi-
ted to be held ia Washington during the
present winter.
grant has been given to Europeans of
an exclusive right OF transit owe:
the territory of Nicaragua to
which Costa Rica has given its assent,
which it is alleged conflicts with vested
rights of citizens of the United States
The department of state has now this sub
ject under consideration. The minister Of
Peru having made representations that
there was state of war between Peru and
Spain, and that Spain was constructing in
and near New York thirty gunboats, which
might be used by Spain in sucha way as to
relieve the naval force at Cuba, so Us to op-
crate 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 feeling
authorized to detain the property of a
nation with which we are at peace on q
mere Executive order, the matter has been
referred to the courts to decide
The conduct of the war between the
allies and the republic of Paraguay has
made the intercourse with that country SO
difficult that it has been advisable to with
draw our representative from there.
Towards the close of the last administra-
ton convention was signed at London for
the settlement of all outstanding claims be-
tween Great Britain and the United States,
which failed to receive the advice and con-
sent of the Senate to its ratification. The
time and the circumstances attending
the negotiation Of the treaty were
favorable to its acceptance by the
psople of the United States, and its pro.
visions were wholly inadequate for the set
tlement of the grave wrongs that had been
, sustained by this government as well as by
it's citizens The injuries resulting to the
, United States by reason of the course
adopted by Great Britain during our late
civil war, in increased rates ofinsurance, in
the diminution of exports and imports, and
{ other distractions to domestic industry
and production, in its effect upon the for.
eign commerce of the country, in the de.
crease and transfer to Great Britain of our
J commercial marine, in the prOlongation OF
| the war and increased cost both in treasure
+ treasure, and in lives, of its suppression,
f could not be adjusted and satisfied as ordi
5 nary commercial claims, which continually
arise between commercial nations, and vel
the convention treated them simply as such
| ordinary claims, from which they diffel
5 more widely in the gravity of their charac
l ter than in the magnitude of their amount
| Great, even, as is that difference, not wore
/ was found in the treaty. and not an infer
4 ence could be drrwn from it, to remove thu
5 sense of the unfriendliness of the course o.
= Great Britain in our struggle for existence
! which had universally impressed itsel
0 upon the people of this country. Believing
5 that the convention thus misconceived il
: its scope and made quite liberal in its pro
/ visions would not have produced the hear
+ ty and cordial settlement of pending ques
tions which alone is consistent with tht
| relations which desire to have establish
. ed between the United States and Grea
I Britain, hregarded the action OF the Sen
+ ate in the rejection of the treaty to have
been wisely taken in the interest of peace
and necessary step in the direction
3 of perfect and cordial friendship betweer
, the two countries. A sensitive people, con
scious Of their power, are more at ease un
der great wrong wholly unatoned thai
under restraint of settlement which salts
fies neither their ideas Of justice nor thei
grave sense of the grievance they hav,
sustained. The rejection Of the treaty wa
J followed by state of public feeling OF
both sides, which 1 thought no
: favorable to an immediate at
tempt at renewed negotiation
l accordingly so instructed the Minister @
the United States to Great Britain, ant
found that my views in this regard wer
shared by Her Majesty's ministers. Ihop
} that the time may soon arrive when th
two governments can approach the solu
ton of this momentous question with al
assurance Of what is due TO the rights, dig
nifty and honor of each, and with the de
{ termination not only to remove the cause
! of complaint in the past, but to lay th
foundation of broad principle of publ
t law which will prevent future differences
. and tend to a firm ant
continued peace and friendship
This is now the only grave question whicl
the United States have with any foreign ma
tion.
The question of treaty for reciprocit,
between the United States and the British
provinces on this continent has not beef
favorably considered by the administration
, The advantage of such treaty would b.
wholly in favor of the British producer, ex
cept possibly few engaged in the trad
between the two sections. No citizen o.
the United States would be benefited b,
reciprocity. Our internal taxation woul(
prove protection to the British produce
almost equl II to the protection which ou
manufacturers now receive from the tariff
Some arrangement, however, for the regu
lation of commercial intercourse between
the United States and the Dominion o
Canada may be desirable. .. .
The com mission for adjusting the claims
for the Hudson Bay and Puget's Sount
. Agricultural Company upon tho United
States has terminated its labors. The award
of six hundred and fifty thousand dollars
has been made, and all rights and titles o.
the company on the territory of the United
{ States have been extinguished. The deedf
| g. /, ,ft hn 1. L.