The weekly clarion., 1870-12-15
PRESIDENT,s sIEssAGE.
To he Senate and House Of Representatives:

| bling of Congress. We have, through
| kind Providence, been blessed with abund
ant crops, and have been spared from eou
| plieations and war with foreign DatlOnz.-
| In our midst comparative harmony has bee
restored. IL is 10 be regretted. howevel
that a free exercise of the elective franenis
has. by violence and intimidation. been de
MED to citizens in exceptional cases In sewers
of the States lately in rebellion. and the yer
diet Of the people has thereby been reversed
The States of Virginia, Mississippi and Tex
as have been restored to representation 4
our national councils
Georgia, the only State now without rep
resentation, may confidently be expected g
take her place there also at the beginning o
the new year, and then let Us hope will b.
com pleted the work of reconstruction =
W Ith an acQuiescence on the part of TIN
whole people in the national obligation &
pay the public debt created as the price o
our Union, the pensions to our disabled sol
dleTs and sailors and their widows and or
phans, and in the changes to the COnstitu
ton which have been made necessary by z
great rebellion, there is no reason why we
should not advance in material prosperity
and happiness as no other nation ever did
after so protracted and devastating q war
Soon after the existing war broke out in
Europe. the pro 1ection of the United States
Minister in Paris was invoked in favor oi
Northern Germans domiciled in French ter
ritoTy. Instructions were issued To grant
the protection. This has bsen followed by
an extension of American protection 10 citi-
zens of Saxony, Htsse and SAKE Coburg
Gotha, Columbia Portugal, Uruguay, the
Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Chill, Para
quay and VenZuela, in Paris. The charge
was an onerous one, requiring constant and
severe labor, as well as the exercise of pa
tience, prudence and good judgment. It
has been performed 20 the entire satisfac-
tion of this Government, and as l am Off
eialy informed, equally to the satisfaction
of the Government of North Germany.
AS soon as l learned that a Republic had
been proclaimed at Paris, and that the peo
pie OF France had acquieSced in the change.
the Minister of the United States was d-
rected by telegraph to recognize it, and TO
tender my congratulations, and those Of the
people of the United States. The re-estab
lishmenJ in France of a system of govern
menC disconnected with the dynasty tradi-
tiOns of Europe appeared to be "A proper
subject for the Fluctuations of Americans.
should the present struggle result in at
taching the hearts Of the French 10 our
simpler forms of representative government,
it will be subject of still further satisfac-
tion to our people. While we make no ef-
fort TO impose our institutions upon the
of other countries. and while
we adhere to our traditional neutrality in
civil contests elsewhere, we cannot be indif-
ferent to the spread of American political
ideas. in a great and highly civilized coun-
try like France.
we were asked by the new Government
to use our good offices. Jointly with those of
European powers. in the interests of peace.
Answer was made that the tablished pol
icy, and the true interests of the United
States, forbade them to interfere in Euro
pean questions Jointly with European pow
ers. l ascertained informally aud unOfli-
cially that the Government of North Ger
many was not then disposed to listen to any
such representation from any powers, and
hough earnestly wishing to see the bless
ngs of peace restored To the belligerents
with whom the United States are on terms
Of friendship | declined on the part of this
TO Cake step which could on
" result in injury to our true interests,
without advancing the object for
which our Intervention was invoked.
should the time come when the
lctiop of the United States can hasten
the return of peace by single hour, that
action will be heartily taken. | deemed it
prudent in view of the number ofpersons of
ierman and French birth, living IN the
United States, to issue soon after official no.
ice Of a state of war had been received
rom both belligerentS, proclamation de-
lining the duties of the United States as
Neutral and the obligations of persons re-
'iding within their territory TO observe their
avs and the laws of nations. This procla-
nation was followed by others, as circum
stances seemed 10 call for them.
The people thus acquainted in advance
With their duties and obligations. have as
sted in preventing violations OF the neutral
ty of the United States.
Ii is not understood ;hl: t.c c].a...i b. 81
he insGrrection in Cuba has materially
hanged since the close of the last session
If Congress.
In an early stage of the contest, the au-
horIies of Spain inaugurated system of
arbitrary arrests, of close confinement ana
# military trial and execution of persons
OF completely with the insurgents,
md of summary embargo Of their proper
les and sequestratiOn of their revenues by
Executive warrant. Such proceedings, so
ar as they affected the persons or proI-
,rty of citizens of the United States, were
n violation of the provisions of the treaty
II 1895, between the Uuited States ard
spain. Representations of injuries result
ng to several persons claiming TO be citi-
.ens of the United States, by reason of such
were made TO the Spanish Gov
From April, 1869. To June last,
he Spanish Minister at Washington had
Ieen clothed with limited power TO aid in
such wrong. That power was
ound to be withdrawn, in view, as it was
aid. ''of the favorable situation in which
he Island of Cuba" then 'was." which.
however, did not lead to a revocation or
of the extraordinary and arbi
rary functions exercised by the executive
power in Cuba, and we were obliged To
make our complaints at Madrid. In the
regulations thus opened, and still pending
here, the United States only claimed that
or the future the rights secured to their
itiZens by treaty should be respected in
cuba, and that, as to the past, a joint tribu-
lal should be established in the United
states, with full jurisdiction over all such
laims. Before such an impartial tribunal
ach claimant would be required to prove
lis case. On the other hand. Spain would
e at liberty TO traverse every material fact,
nd thus complete equity would be done.
\ case, which at one time threatened seri-
usly to affect the relations between the
United States and Spain, has already been
disposed of in this way.
The claim of the owners of the &'Col. Lloyd |
Aspinwall, - for the illegal seizure and de-
ention of that vessel, was referred to arbi-
ration by mutual consent, and has resulted
q an award to the United States, for the |
wnerS, of the sum of nineteen thousand |
even hundred and two dollars and hfty |
ents in gold.
Another and long pending claim of like |
ature, that of the whale ship Canada" |
as been disposed of by friendly aroitra-
lent during the present year. 1t was re-
erred by the Joint consent of Brazil AMI the |
United States to the decision of Sir Edward
'hornton, Her British Maiesty's Minister at
yashington, who kindly undertook the la
orious task of examining the volumlnous
aass of correspondence and testimony sub
litted by the two Governments, and award
d the sum of $l00,l00 90 in gold, which has
ince been paid by the Imperial Govern
lent. These recent examples show that
he mode which the United States has pro-
osed to Spain for adjusting the pending
laims is just and feasible, and that 1t may
e agreed to by either nation without dis
onor. It is to be hoped that this moderate
emand NAV be agreed to by Spain without
arther delay. Should the pending nego-
latious unfortunately and unexpectedly
,e without result, then it will become my
uty to communicate that fact to Congress
md invite its action on the subject
ween Spain and the allied South American
Republics has been inaugurated in WASH
n ngton, under the auspices of the United
'tates. Pursuant to Recommendation con-
aimed in the resolution of the House OF