Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1869-12-10

ment bonds, thus reducing the in
terest bearing debt of the country,
and of submitting to Congress the
question of the disposition to be
made of the bonds so purchased
The bonds now held by the Treas
ury amount to about $75, 100000,
including those belonging to the
Sticking Fund. I recommend that
the whole be placed to the credit of
the sinking fund.
Your attention is respectfully in
vited to the recommendation of the
Secretary of the Treasury for the
creation of the office of Commission
er of Customs Revenue; for the in
crease of salary to certain classes
officials and the substitution of iu-
creased and national bonds to re-
place the outstanding joint certifi-
Gates; and most especially, to his
recommendation for the repeal of
laws allowing shares of fines, pen
alties, forfeitures, &c. to officers
and informers.
The office Of Commissioner of In
ternal Revenue is one Of the most
arduous and responsible, under the
government. 1t falls but little, if
any, under a Cabinet position in its
importance and responsibilities. l
would ask for it, therefore, such leg
islation as in your judgement will
place the office on a footing Of dig
nifty commensurate with it's impor-
tance, with the character and quail
fication of the class of men required
to fill it properly.
AS the United States is the freest
of all nations, so, too, its people
sympathize with all people strug
Cling for liberty and self govern
ment; but while so sympathising,
it is due to our honor that we should
abstain from enforcing our views on
unwilling nations and from taking
an interested part without invitation
in the quarrels between different ma
tions or between governments and
their subjects. Our. course should
always be in conformity with strict
justice and law, international and To-
cal. Such has been the policy of
the administration in dealing with
thsae questions. For more than q
year valuable province of Spain
and a near neighbor Of ours, in
whom all our people cannot but feel
a deep interest, has been struggling
for independence and freedom. The
people and government Of the Unit
ed States, entertain the same warm
feelings and sympathies for the peo-
pie of Cuta IN their pending strug
gle, that they manifested through
out the previous struggle between
Spain and former colonies in behalf
of the latter but the contest at no
time assumed the conditions which
amount to war in the sense of in
ternational law, or which would
show the existence Of de facto po-
litical organization ofthe insurgents
sufficient to justify recognition of
beligerency. The principle is.main-
tanned, however, that this nation is
its own judge when to accord the
rights of beligerency either to peo-
pie struggling to free themselves
from a government they believe to
be oppressive or to independent ma
tions at war with each other. The
United States have no disposition
to interfere with the existing rela-
tons of Spain to her colonial pos
sessions OF this continent; they be-
lieve that in due time spain and 9th
er European powers will find their
interests in terminating these rela-
tions and establishing their present
dependencies as Independent pow
ers. Members of the family Of ma
tions, these dependencies are no
longer regarded as subject to trans
fer from one European power to an
other When the present relations
of the Cubans cease they are to be
come an independent power, exer-
cising the right Of choice and Of self
control in the determination of theil
future condition and relations with
other powers. The United States
in order to put stop to bloodshed
in Cuba, and in the interest of s
nelghboring people proposed theil
good offices to bring the existing
i contest to a termination. The of
fer not being accepted by Spain OF
a basis which we believed could b,
received by Cuba, was withdrawn
1t is hoped that the good offices o
the United States may yet prove ad
vantageous for the settlement O
this unhappy strife. Meanwhile
number of illegalexpeditions agains
Cuba have been broken up. It ha
been the endeavor Of the admins
tration to execute neutrality laws il
good faith, no matter how unpleas
q ant the task has been, made so b,
the suffering we have endured from
a lack of good faith towards US b.
other nations. In the case of th
United States Schooner Lizzie Ma
jors, which was arrested ON the higI
seas by Spanish frigate, and tw'
passengers taken from it and cal
ried as prisoners to Cuba, represen
. tations of these facts were made t.
: the Spanish Government as soon a
official information of them reache
Washington, and the two passer
!, gers were set at liberty, and th
r Spanish Government assured th
> United States that the Captain c
the frigate in making the captur
> had acted without law; that he ha
been reprimanded for the irregular
/, ity of his conduct, and that til
= Spanish authorities in Cuba woul
. not sanction any act that would vic
late the rights, or treat with disre
= spect the sovereignty, ofthis natiol
: | The nueStlnn of the saiZnra of th