The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1870-12-24
THE PRENDENT'S MESSAGE.
Annual Review Of the Affairs OF
the Nation.
Our Foreign Relations.
FIGURES AND SUGGESTIONS.


war with foreign nations. In our midst COM
parative harmony has been restored
1t is to be regretted however, that free
exercise of the elective franchise has. by vlo-
lence and intimidation, been denied to citizens,
in exceptional cases, in several of the states
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 our
national councils. Georgia, the only State
now without representation, may confidently
be expected to take her place there also at the
beginning of the new year, and then, let us
hope. viii be completed the work Of recon-
with acquiescence on the part OF
the whole people in the national obligation
to paw the public debt created as the price Of
our Union, the pensions to our disabled sold
iers and sailors and their widows and orphans,
and in the changes to the Constitution which
have been made necessary by the great re-
belhon. There is no reason why we
should not advance in national prosper
ity and happiness as no other nation
did after a protracted and devastating war.
THE FRANCo-PRUssIAN WAR.
Soon after the existing war broke out in
Europe the protection of the United States
Minister III Paris was invoked in favor of the
North Germans domicilled III 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 Go
tina, Columbia, Portugal, Uruguay, the DOmln-
clan Republic, Ecuador, Chill Paraguay and
Venezuela, in Paris. The charge was an Oner-
Gus one, requiring constant and severe labor
as well as the exercise of patience, pru-
dence, and good Judgment. 1t has been
performed to the entire satisfaction of
this government, and 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-
lations and those OF the people Of the United
States. The re-estabhshment III France of a
system of government disconnected with the
dynastic traditions of Europe appeared to be
proper subject for the felcitatiOn of AmerI-
cans Should the present struggle result in at
tachlng 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 Now government to use
our good offices jointly with those of European
a
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. | ascertalned
informally and unofficially 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 belliger-
ents, with all of whom the United States are
on terms Of friendship, declined 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 Intervention was in
voked. Should the time come when the action
OF the United States can hasten the return of
peace by a single hour. that action will be
heartily taken. l deemed it prudent, in view
of the number of persons of German and
French birth living In the United State eCls-o is
sue, soon after the official notice of eeve OF
war had been received from both Delhgerents, a
proclamation defining the duties of the United
States a 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 circum-
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
instruction in Cuba has materially changed
since the close of the last session of Congress.
In the early stage of the contest the authorities
of Spain inaugurated system of arbitrary
arrests, of close confinement, Of military trial
and execution of all persons suspected of com
plclty with insurgents and of summary embargo
OF their properties and requisitiOn of their reye-
nues by executive warrant such proceedings,
as far as they effected the persons or property
of the citizens Of the United States were in
nf ha g
between the United States and Spain. Represen-
tatlons of injuries resulting to several persons
claiming to be citizens Of the United States
by reason of such relations were made
10 the Spanish government From
April, 1869 to June last, the Spanish
Minister at Washington had been clothed with
limited power to aid in redressing such
wrongs. That power was found to be with
drawn. In view, as it was said, of the wayera-
bic situation IN which the Island of Cuba then
was, which, however, did not lead
TO the revocation of the suspension
OF the extraordinary and arbitrary
functions exercised by the executive power
III 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
rights secured to their citizens by treaty should
pc respected N Cuba; that as to the past
JOINT tribunal should be established in the
United States with full Jurisdiction over all
such claims. Before such an impartial tri-
brnal, 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 A 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
Iafs and nifty cents in gold. Another and
long pending claim of like nature of the whale
ship, Canada, has been disposed of by friendly
arbitration during the present year
1t was referred by the joint consent of Brazil
and the United States to the decision of Sir
Edward Thornton, Her Britanic Majesty's
minister at Washington, who kindly undertook
the laborious 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 recent examples show that the
mode which the United States has proposed to
Spain for adjusting the pending claims is lust
and feasible. and that 1t may be agreed to
by either nation without diahonor 1t is to
be hoped hat this moderate demand may be
acceded to by Spain without further delay
Should the pending negotiations unfor-
tunately and unexpectedly he without result,
II would then become my duty to communicate
that fact to Congress and await its action on
the subject.
THE SPANIsH-ANIERICAN PEACE CONFERENCE.
The long deferred peace conference
between Spain and the allied South
American republics has been inaugu-
On IL il,a