Litchfield enquirer., 1869-12-16

officials, and the substitution of increased national bank circulation, to- replace the outstanding three per, cent.eI certificates, and most especially to his recommends tion for the repeal of laws allowing shares of fines. penalties, forfeitures,5 Sc ,J to the officers of the government or to informers. The office of Commissioner of Internal Revenue is one of the most arduous and responsible under the government. It ] falls little, if any, short of a cabinet posi- tion in it's importance and responsibilities. l would ask for it, therefore. such legisla
 tion as in your judgment will place the of l flee on { footing of dignity commensurate with it's importance and with the character and qualifications of the class of men re- quired to fill it properly. 5tE 4- 3zs'
 | As the United States is the first of all nations. so, too, the people sympathlze 1 with all people struggling for liberty and self government. But while so sympathi- zing it is due to our honor that we should
 so abstain iron. enforcing our views upon unwilling nations, and from taking an in- terested part without invitation in the
 quarrels between different nations, or be- tween governments and their subjects. Our course should always be in nformity
 with strict justice and law, international and local. Such has been the policy of the administration in dealing with these questions. For more than year valua- ble province of Spain and near neighbor of ours. in whom all of our people cannot but feel deep interest, has been strug- gling for independence and freedom. The people and government of the United
 States entertain the same warm feelings and sympathies for the people of Cuba in their struggle that they manifested throughout the previous struggles between
 Spain and her former colonies in behalf of the latter. But the contest has at no time
 assumed the conditions which amount to
 8 war in the sense of international law, or which would show the existence of a de facto political organization of tue insnr-
 gents sufficient to justify a recognition of belligerency. The principle is main tained, however, that this nation is it's own judge when to accord the rights of belligerency, either to people struggling to free them
 selves from government they believe to be oppressive, or to Independent nations
 at war with each other. The United States have no disposition to interfere with the existing relation of Spainto her colonial possessions on this continent. They be- lieve m due time Spain and other Euro pean powers will find their interest in ter minating those relations and establishing their present dependencies as indepen- pendent powers, members of the family of nations. The dependencies are no longer regarded as subject to transfer from one European power to another. When the present relation of colonies ceases they are to become independent powers, exercising the right and choice of self-control in the l 1 oE e,k,,
 and relation with other powers. The Uni ted States, in order to put stop to blood l shed in Cuba, and in the interest of neigh to bring the existing contest to a term1na- tlon. The offer not being accepted by Spain on basis which we believed could be received by Cuba, was withdrawn. ; It is hoped that the good offices of the Uni ted States may yet prove advantageous for the settlement of this unhappy strife;
 meanwhile number of illegal expeditions against Cuba have been broken up. It has been the endeavor of the administra- tion to execute the neutrality laws in good faith, no matter how unpleasant the task, made so by the suffering we have endured from lack of like good faith towards us by the nations. Ca the 26th of March last the United States schooner Lizzie Major was arrested on the high seas by Spanish frigate, and two passengers were taken from it and carried as prisoners to Cuba. Representations of these facts were made to the Spanish government as soon as sufficient information of them reached Washington. The two passengers were set at liberty and the Spanish govt assured the United States that the captain of the frig- ate in making the capture had acted with out law, that he had been reprimanded fer the irregularity of his conduct, and that the Spanish authorities in Cuba would not sanction any act that could violate the rights or treat with disrespect the sover
 eighty of this nation. The question ol of the Bahama Islands by the Spanish au
 thorities is now the subject of correspon
 dence between this government and those of Spain and Great Britain. The Captain
 General of Cuba, about May last, issued proclamation authorizing search to be made of vessels on the high seas. Imme
 diate remonstrance was made against this, whereupen the Captain General issued $ new proclamation, limiting the right -o
 search to vessels of the United States SC far as authorized under treaty of l795; this proclamation, however, was immediately withdrawn. have always felt that the most intimate relations should be cultivat
 ed between the republic of the United States and all independent nations of thl: continent. It may be we'll worth consid
 ering whether new treaties between the United States and them may not be prof itably entered into to secure more intimate relations, friendly. commercial and other
 wise E .T e~sr rri-.# 7ad .iEs 78 .f&z
 The subject of an inter-oeeanicI canal
 to connect the Atlantic and Pacific ocean
 through the Isth0us of Darien, is one, il which commerce is greatly Interested In
 structions have been given to our Minister
 to the republic of the United States of Go
 lumbia to endeayor to obtain authority fol
 n survey by the government, in order tt determine the practicability of such al undertaking and charter for the right Q way to build by private enterprise such. work, if the survey proves to be practfca
 ble. In order to comply with the agree. meut of the United States, as, -to a mixed commission at Lima for the adjustment Q claims, it became necessary to send a com
 missioner and a secretary to Lima in -Atf gust last. No appropriation having beer made by Congress for this purpose, It agl now asked that one be made, covering tn
 past and future expenses of the com mls sion. The good offices of the United State to bring about a peace between Spain ane the South American republics with whicl she is at war having been accepted b.