Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1869-12-15

/ Continent. They believe that in due time
/ Spain and other European powers Will hnd
/ their interest in terminating those relations,
( and establishing their present dependecies as
! independent powers--memhers of the fami-
! ly OF nations. The dependence. are no lon
! ger regarded as subjects to transfer from one
! European power to another. When the
! present relation OF Colonies ceases, they are
/ to become independent powers, exer eising
/ the right OF choice and OF sci el*control. In
! the determination Of their future condition
and relations with other Powers, the United
/ States, III order TO put 4 stop to bioodshcd
~ Cuba, aud n the interest of q neighbor-
/ ing people, proposed their good Offices to
} bring the contest to a termination. The
! offer not being accepted by Spain on basis
! which we believed could be received by Gu
! ba, was withdrawn, 1t is hoped that the
good offices OF the United States may yet
( prove advantageous for the settlement Of
/ this unhappy strife. Meanwhile n number
OF illegal expeditions against Cuba have
/ been broken up. IL has been the eudeavOr
/ OF the Administration to execute the ncu
/ traiity laws in good faith, no matter how
unpleasant the task, made SO by the suffer
ing we have endured from lack Of like good
/ faith towards US b other nations.
! On the Doth of March last the United
I States schooner Lizzie Major was arrested
on the high seas by Spanish irigate, aud
/ two passengers y ere taken from 1t and car
ried as prisoners to Cuba. Representations
of these facts were made to the Spanish
! Government as soon as sufficient informa
tion of them reached Washington. The
two passengers were set at liberty and the
Spanish Government assured the United
States that the captain of the frigate, in
making the capture, had acted without law ;
bot H.. b.,l Iatf bo
u arity of his conduct, and that the Spanish
authorities in Cuba would not sanction any
act that could violate the rights or treat
with dIsTGspect the sovereignty of this ma
tion.
The question of the siezure of the brig
Mary Lowell at one of the Bahama Islands
by Spanish authorities is now the subject of
correspondence between the Government
and those Of Spain ana Great Britain. The
Captain General OF Cuba, about May last,
ISSUED a proclamation authorizing search to
be made Of vessels on the high seas. I'm
mediate ramouStrgnre was made against this,
whereupon jhe Captain-G General Issued
new proclamation iinitiE theright OF search
to vesselS of the United States, so far as au-
thorized bv the treaty of 1885. This proc
lamation, however. was Immediately with
drawn. 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 between the United States and them
may rot be proftahly entered into to secure
more intimate relations, friendly, CONNER
cial, and otherwise.
THE D lRTAN CANAL.
The subj ct of the in,eroccauic canal to
connect the Atlantic and paci tic oceans thrO'
:he !, thmus oi Dari2n is one IN - wiich com
mcrce Is greaTly interested. Instructions
have been given to eur Minister to the Re
public of The United States of Colombia TO
endcav0T to Obtain authority Tor a survey by
the Government in order to determine the
practicabiiity of SUI, h an undertaking, and
a charter for the right Of way to build by
private enterprise such a work If the sur
yey proves to be practicable
IL order to comply with the agreement of
the United States as to a mixed commission
at Lima for the adjustment g claims, it be
came necessary to send a Commissioner aud
Il Secretary to Lima in August last. No ap
preparation havIrg been made by Congress
for this purpose, 1t is now asked hat one be
made covering the PAST and future expenses
OF the Commission.
The good Offices OF the United States to
bring about d peace between Spain and the
Is at war. having been accepted 10y SPAN,
Peru. and Chill, Congress has beer invit-
ed to be held in Washington during the
present winter.
4 grant has been given to Europeans Of
an exclusive right Of transit over the terri
tory Of Nicaragua, to which Costa Rica has
given its assent, which, 1t is alleged, con
fcts with vested rights of ciJizeus OF the
United States. The Department OF State
has nov this sphiect under consideration.
PERU AND THE SPANISH GUEBoATs.
The Minister of Peru having made repre-
sentations that there was state Cf war be-
tween Peru and Spain, and that Spain was
constructing in and near New York 80 gun
boats. which might be used by Spain in
such a way as 30 relieve the naval forces at
Cuba 50 Is to operate against Peru, orders
were given TO prevent their departure. No
further steps having been taken by the rep
reseutaGive of the Peruvian Government to
prevent the departure Of these vessels, and
/ not feeling authorized to detaiu the prop
erty OF a nation with which we are at peace,
on a mere Executive order, the matter has
been referred to the Courts to decide.
The conduct Of the war between the Al
lies and the Republic ct Paraguay has made
the intercourse with that country 50 difficult
that it has been decided advisable to with
draw our representative from there.
TIE ALABAMA CLAIMS.
Toward the close Of the last Administra-
ton 4 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 10 its ratification. The
time and the circumstances attending the
negotiation Of that treaty were favorable to
its acceptance by the people of the United
States, Dut its provisions were wholly made
quate for the settlement of the grave wrongs
that had been sustained by this Government
as we'll 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
the increased rates Of insurance. in the dI.
minution of exports and imports, and other
distractions to domestic industry and pro-
duction. in It's effect upon the foreign com
merce Of the country in the decrease and
transfer to Great Britain of our commercial
marine. in the prolongation of the war and
the increased cost, both in treasure and IN
the lives of its suppression, could not be
adjusted and satisfied as ordinary CONNER
cial claims which continually arise between
commercial nations and yet the convention