Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1870-12-14
THE PRESIDENT''S MESSAGE.
Annual Review of the Affairs Of
the Nation.
Our Foreign Relations.

Our Foreign Relations
FIGURES AND SUGGESTIONS
To the Sedate dnc House of Representative:
year of peace and general prosperity t,
this nation has passed since the last assemb
ling of Congress; we have, through kint
Providence, Deen blessed with abundant crop,
and have been spared from complications anl
war With foreign nations. In our midst com
| paratlve harmony has been restored.
1t Is to be regretted, however, that fret
exercise of the elective franchise has, by vio
lence and intimidation, been denied to citizens
In exceptional cases, in several of the state,
lately in rebellion, and the verdict of the peo
| pie has thereby been reversed.
| The States of Virginia, Mississippi and Tex
as have been restored to representation in oul
national councils. Georgia, the only State
be expected to take her place there also at the
beginning OF the new year, and then, let ui
hope, will be completed the work of recon
| structlon, with an acquiescence on the part Of
the whole people in the national obligation
to pay the public debt created as the price Of
our Union, the pensions to our disabled sold
lers and sailors and their widows and orphans,
and in the changes to the Constitution which
have been made necessary by the great re-
betllon. There is no reason why we
should not advance in national prosper
ity and happiness as no other nation
did after protracted and devastating war.
THE FRANCo-FRUssIAN WAR.
Soon after the existing war broke out in
Europe the protection of the United States
Minister in Paris was invoked in favor of the
North Germans domicilled in French territory.
Instructions were issued to grant the pro-
lection. This has been followed
by an extension of American protection to
citizens of Saxony, Hesse and Sax Coburg Co.
tina, Columbia Portugal Uruguay, the Domin-
clan Republic, Ecuador, Chill, Paraguay and
Venezuela, In Paris. The charge was an oner-
as well as the exercise of patience, pru-
dence, and good Judgment It has been
performed to the entire satisfaction of
this government, and as am
officially informed, equally SO to the satisfac-
ton of the government of North Germany.
As soon as learned that Republic had been
proclaimed at Paris, and that the people of
France had acquiesced in the change, the min
lister of the United States was directed by tele-
graph to recognize it and tender my congratu-
1ations and those of the people of the United
States. The re-establishment in France of a
5ySuOh VI SOfOIuu0lt ulSCOuu6CC6u W1GQ Cl6
dynastic traditions of Europe appeared to be
proper subject for the felicitation of Amer
cans. Should the present struggle result in at
taching the hearts of the French to our SIM
pier 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 of
other countries, and while we adhere
to our traditional neutrality in civil
interests elsewhere, we cannot be Indifferent
to the spread of American polite 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 policy and true in
terests of the United States forbade them to
interfere in the European questions Jointly
with European powers. l ascertained.
informally and unoficially, that the govern
ment of North Germany was not then disposed
to listen to such representations from any
powers, and though earnestly desiring to see
the blessings of peace restored to the belhger-
ents, with al OF whom the United States are
on terms Of friendship, declined on the part
which could only result in injury
to our true interests without advancing
the object for which our intervention was in
voked. Should the time come when the action
of the United States can hasten the return of
peace by single hour, that action will be
bdhCu. i uOSmcu IL III view
of the number of persons of German and
French birth living in the United States, to is
sue, soon after the official notice of a state of
war had been received from both belligerents a
proclamation defining the duties of the United
States as neutral, and the obligations of per-
sons residing within their territory to observe
their laws and the laws of nations. The proc
lamation was followed by others, as circun-
stances seemed to call for them. The people
thus acquainted in advance of their duties
and obligations, have assisted in preventing
violations of the neutrality of the United States
THE CUBAN REVOLUTION.
1t Is not understood that the condition of the
msurrection d Cuba has materially changed
since the close of the last session of Congress.
In the early stage of the contest the authorities
CT Spain naugurated a system of arbitrary
arrests, of close confinement, of military trial
and execution of all persons suspected of COM
phcity with insurgents and of summary embargo
of their properties and requisiion of their reve-
nues by executive warrant, such proceedings
as far as they effected the persons or property
of the citizens of the Uniped States, were in
violation of the provisions OF the treaty of 1895
between the United States ano Spain. Represen-
tations of injuries resulting to several persons
claiming to be citizens of the United States
by reason OF such relations, were made
April, 1869 to June last, the Spanish
Minister at Washington had been clothed with
limited power to aid in redressilg such
wrongs. That power was found to be with
drawn. In view, as it was said, of the wavera-
ble situation in which the Island of Cuba then
to the revocation of the suspension
of the extraordinary and arbitrary
functions exercised by the executive power,
In Cuba and we were obliged to make our
complaint at Madrid. In the negotiations thus
opened and still pending there, the United
States only claimed that for the future the
lights secured to their citizens by treaty should
be respected in Cuba; that as to the past a
joint tribunal should be established in the
United States with full jurisdiction over all
such claims. Before such an impartial tri-
bunal, each claimant should be obliged to prove
his case. On the other hand, Spain would be
at liberty to traverse every material fact, and
thus complete equity would be done. case
which at one time threatened seriously to effect
the relations between the United States and
Spain has already been disposed of, in this
way. The claim of the Col Loyd-Aspinwall
for the illegal seizure and detention of that
vessel was referred to arbitration by mutual
consent and has resulted in an award to the
United States for the owners of the sum OF
nineteen thousand seven hundred and two dol
lars and fifty cents in gold. Another and
long pending claim of like nature of the whale
ship, Canada, has been disposed of by friendly
arpltraton during the present year.
~ AOiSAAOo Ny t1lC JoLiG COuSouJ Vi braZll
and the United States to the decision of Sir
Edward Thornton, Her Britanic Majesty's
minister at Washington. who kindly undertook
the labonous task of examining the volumin-
Gus mass of correspondence and testimony
submitted by the two governments, and award
ed to the United States one hundred thousand
seven hundred dollars and nine cents, which
has since been paid by the imperial govern
ment. These re cent examples show that the
mode which the United States has proposed tC
Spain for adjusting the pending claims is Just
and feasible, and that it may be agreed to
by either nation without dishonor. 1t is te
be hoped hat this moderate demand may be
aeceded to by Spain without further delay
Should the pending negotiations unfor-
tunately and unexpectedly be without result
It would then become my duty to communicate
that fact to Congress and await its action on
the subject.
THE sPASIsH-AMERICAN PEACE CONFERENCE
The long deferred peace conference
between Spain and the allied South
American republics has been inaugu-
rated in Washington under the aus.
pices of the United States, pursuant