Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1870-12-15


itary trial and execution Of persons
suspected of completely with the in
surgents, and the summary embar
go of their properties and seque,,
tration of their revenues by exccu'
tive warrant. Such proceedings, as
far as they affected the persons OF
property Of citizens of the United
States, were in violation of the
provisions of the treaty Of 1895 be-
tween the United States and Spain
Representations Of injuries result,
ing to several persons claiming to
be citizens of the United States, by
reason of such violations, were
made to the Spanish Government,
from April, 1869, to June last. The
Spanish Minister at Washington
had been clothed with a limited
power to aid in redressing such
wrongs. That power was found to
be withdrawn, in view, as it was
said, of the favorable situation in
which the Island of Cuba then was,
which, however, did not lead to the
revocation or the suspension of
the extraordinary and arbitrary
functions exercised by the eXecu-
tive power in Cuba, and we were
Obliged to make our complaint at
Madrid.
ARBITRATION OF CLAIMS AGAINST
SPAIN.
In the negotiations thus opened
and still pending there, the United
States only claimed that for the fu-
ture the rights secured to their cit
lzens by treaty should be respect
ed in Cuba, and that as to the past,
a joint tribunal should be establish
ed in the United States, with full
Jurisdiction over all such claims.
Before such an impartial tribunal,
each claimant would be required to
prove his case. On the other hand,
Spain would be at liberty to trav-
erse every material fact, and thus
complete equity would be done. A
case which at one time threatened
seriously to affect the relations be-
tween the United States and Spain,
has already been disposed of in
this way, The claim of the Lloyd
Aspinwalp' fol- the illegal seizure
and detention Of that vessel was re-
ferred to arbitration by mutual con
sent, and has resulted in anaward
to the United States for the owners
of the same, to the amount OF sly
702.50. 'l'+ L''. d
Another and long pending clam
of like nature, that of the whale
ship Canada, has been disposed of
by friendly arbitration during the
present year. 1t was referred by the
Joint commission of Brazil and the
United States to the decision of Sir
Edward Thornton, Her Britanic
Maiesty's Minister to Washington,
who kindly undertook the 'labori-
Gus task Of examining the volumi-
nous mass of correspondence and
testimony submitted by the Gov
ernments, and awarded to the Unit
ed States the amount of 800, 740-
90 in gold, which has since been
paid by the Imperial Government.
These recent examples show that
the mode which the United States
have proposed to Spain for adjust
ing the pending claims, is just and
feasible, and that it may be agreed
to by either nation without dishon-
or. 1t is to be hoped that this
moderate demand may be acceded
to without delay. Should the pend
ing negotiations unfortunately and
unexpectedly be without result, it
will then become my duty to com
municate that fact to Congress and
invite action on the subject. .'
THE SPANISH AMERICAN PEACE CON
FERENCE.
The long deferred Peace Confer
ence between Spain and the allied
South American Republics, has
been inaugurated in Washington,
undcr the auspices Of the United
States. Pursuant to the recon-
mendations contained in a resolu-
ton of the House of Representa-
tiyes of the 18th of Dec, 1866, the
Executive Department of the Gov
errment offered its friendly offices
for the promotion Of peace and har-
mony between Spain and the allied
Republics. Hesitations and obsta-
cles occurred to the acceptance of
the offer Ultimately, however, a
conference was arranged, and was
opened in this city on the 29th of
October last atlwhich I authorized
the Secretaryyof State to preside.
1t was attended by the Ministers of
Spain, Peru, Chilli and Ecuador.
> In consequence Oft absence of a
representative from Bolivia, the
conference was adjourned until the
attendance of a ~plenipotentiary
from that Republic could be secur-
ed. or otter measures could be
adopted toward comprising its OBJ
iect. The allied and other Repub-
lies of Spanish origin on this CONT
nent may see in this fact anew evil
deuce of our sincere interest in
their welfare; our desire to see
them blessed with good Govern
ments capable Of maintaing order
and preserving their respective ter
,,;4or;o1 ;ntoopift- and of Our sim