Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1870-12-08
Presidents Message.
To the Senate and

to THIS nation has passed since the lae
assembling of Congress. We have
through kind Providence, been blesse
with abundant crops, and have bee
spared from complications and war wit
foreign nations. In our midst compare
tive harmony has been restored, 1t
TO be regretted, however, that a free, ey
ercise of the elective franchise has b.
violence and intimidation been cenie
TO citizens in exceptional cases, in sev
eral OF the states lately in rebellion IAN,
the verdict OF the people has thereb
been reversed. The States OF Virginia
Mississippi and Tsxas have been restor
ed to representation in our Dationa
councils. Georgia, the only State nov
without representation, mag contidentl,
be expected to take her place there als'
at the beginning OF the new year, an6
then let US hope will be completed tn,
work of reconstruction, with an acqui-
escence on the part of the whole people
i'll the national obligation to pay tn,
public debt created as the price of oul
Union, the pensions to our disabled sol
tiers and sailors and their widows ans
orphans, and in the changes to the Con
stitution, which have been made neces
sary by great rebellion. There is H'
reason why we should not advance IN
material prosperity and happiness AZ ns
other nation ever did after So proIractetI
and devasting q war.
Soon after the existing war broke Ou!
in Europe, the protection OF the United
States Ministry in Paris was invoked Ill
favor of the North Germans domiciled
In French territory. Instructions were
issued to grant the protection. This has
been followed by an extension of Ameri-
can protection TO the citizens of SaxOny,
Hesse andSaxe-Coburg-G -Gotha, Colomb bia
Portugal, Uruguay, and the dominican
Republic, Ecuador, Chilli, Paraguay and
Venezuela in Paris. The charge was an
oneTous one, requiring constant and Sc
we're labor, as well as the exercise of pa
tiencs, prudence and good judgment. II
has been performed to the entire salts
faction of this government, and as L am
tisfaction of the government of North
Germany. AS soon as learned that a
republic had been proclaimed at Paris,
and that the people of France had ac-
quiesced in the change, the Minister OF
thS United States was directed by teie-
graph to recognize it, and to tender my
congratulations and those of the people
of the United States. The establishment
in France OF system of government
disconnected with the dynastic tradi
Lions of Europe appeared to be proper
subject for the felicitation of Americans.
Should the present struggle result in
attaching the hearts to our simpler forms
of representative government, it will be
subject of still further satisfaction to
our people.
While we make no effort to impose our
institutions upon the inhabitants fOther
countries, and while we adhere to our
traditional neutrality in civil contests
elsewhere, we cannot be Indifferent to
the spread of American political ideas in
a great and highly civilized country like
France. We were asked by the new
government to use our good offices Jointly
with those of European powers In the
interest of peace. Answer was made
that the established policies and the true
interests of the United State forbade
them to interfere in European questions.
Jointly with European powers, L ascer-
tanned unofficia,Iy that the Government
of North Germsny-was not disposed To
listen to such representations from any
powers, and though earnestly wishing 10
see the blessings of peace restored 10 the
belligerents, with all of whom the Uni
ted States are on terms of friendship, /
declin ed on the part of this Government
to take step which could only result
in injury to our true interests, without
advancing the object for which our in
tervention was invoked. Should the
time come when the action oftne Unitedf
States can hasten the return of peace by
q single hour. that action will be heart
lily taken. l deemed it prudent, in view
of the. number of persons of German
and French birth living in the United
- lr-s .r~flt az Tfar.l
of state of war had been received from
both beIligerents, proclamation defin- |
ing the duties of the United States as
neutral and the obligations of persons
residing within this territory to o serve
their laws and the law of nations. The |
proclamation was followed "a
The properties and the requisition of
their revenues by the executive warrant
such proceedings. As far as they affect |
ed the persons or property of citizens OF
the United States, they were in viola
tion of the provisions of the treaty OF
17e5, between the United States and
Spain. Representations of the Injuries
resulting to several persons claiming to
be citizens of the United States, by rea-
sons of such violations, were made to
the Spanish government from April,
1863, to June last. The Spanish Minis |
ter at Washington had been clothed
with q limited power to aid in redress
ing such wrongs. THAT power WAS found
60 be Withdrawn, in view, rs it'wns said,
of the favorable situation in which the
Island of Cuba then was, which, how
ever, did not lead to a revocation rsus-
pension of the extraordinary and a bi- /
trary functions exercised by the. eXecu-
tive power in Cubs, and were obliged 10
m q q oIr ann nj Amt of Madrid m rho
negotiation thus opened and still pend
ing there the United States only claimed
that fol the future the rights secured 10
their citizens by treaty should be re- I
spected in Cuba, and that as 10 the past {
= joint tribunal should be established i'll
The United States, with full Jurisdiction
over all such claims and before such an
partial tribunal, each claimant would be {
required to prove his case. On the other |
hand, Spain would be at liberty to tray-
erse every material fact, and thus COM t
0iete equity would be done. A case E
ghict at one time threatened seriously t
10 Affect the relations between the Uni l
ed States and Spain, has already been I
disposed OF; In this way. The claim Of t
he Col. Lloyd, of Aspiu wall, for the il a
egal seizure and detention of that vos- '
el, was referred to an arbitration by f
mutual consent, and hiss resulted in an a
ward to the United States for theown- c
RS of the same, of Sic, ,702 80 in gold. q
Another and long pending claim of a
ike nature, that of the whaleship Can u
da, has been disposed ofby friendly ar Il
itration during the present year. 1t G
vas referred by the joint consent of Bra fl
il and the United States, TO the decis- g
On OF Sir Edward Thornton, her Brit n
anic Majesty's Minister at Washington fl
1no kindly undertook the Iaborious task 81
I examining the voluminous- mass of a
orrespondence aud testimony submit
ed by the two Governments and award ia
d to the United States the sum of one es
undred thousand seven hundred and q