The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1873-12-20

voluntarily render allegiance to other
| powers. We have agreed that residence
in a foreign land without intent to return
shall itself work eXpatriation. We have
| agreed upon the length of time necessary
for such intent. Invite Congress to mark
| out and define when and how expatriation
can be accomplished; to regulate by law
the condition of American women marry
| ing foreigners, to fix status of children
| born in a foreign country of American par
ents residing more or less abroad, and fix
rules for determining such other kindred
| points as may seem best to Congress. In
compliance with the request of Congress
transmitted to the American Minister at
| Madrid, with instructions to present it to
| the Spanish Government the joint resolu-
| ton, approved on the Sd of March last,
rendering to the people of Spain, in the
name and on behalf of the American people,
the congratulations of Congress upon the
effort to consolidate in Spain the princi-
| pies of universal liberty in Republican
| form of government. The existence of this
new republic was inaugurated by striking
| the fetters from the slaves in Porto Rico
| This beneficent measure was followed by
| the release of several thousand persons ille-
gally held as slaves in Cuba, which the
| Captain General of that colony was de
prived of the power to set aside. BY the
| orders of his superior at Madrid, the Sc
| queStered estates of American citizens,
| which had been the cause OF long and fire.
| quent correspondence, were ordered to be
restored to their owners. All these liberal
steps were taken in the face of violent op-
position directed by the reactionary slave
| holders of Havana, who are yainly striving
to stay the march of ideas which has ter
minated slavery in Christendom, Cuba only
excepted. Unhappily, however, this bane-
! fll influence has thus far succeeded in de-
/ feating the efforts of all lberal-minded men
in Spain to abolish slavery in Cuba, and in
preventing the promised reform in that
island. The struggle for political supre-
macy continues. The pro-slavery aristoc-
racy in Cuba is gradually arraying itself
in more and more open hostility and de-
fiance of the home government, while it
| still maintains a political connection with
the Republic on the Peninsula, although
usurping and defying the authority Of the
| home government, whenever such usurpa-
| ton or defiance tends in the direction of
oppression or of the maintenance of abuses.
1t is still power in Madrid and recognized
! by the Government there as an element
more dangerous to continued colonial re-
lations between Cuba and Spain than
that which inspired the insurrec-
| L
| granting any relief from misrule and
abuse, with no aspirations for freedom,
commanding no sympathies in generous
breasts, aiming to riyet still stronger the
shaekles of slavery and oppression, has
seized many of the emblems of power III
! Cuba, and, under professions of loyalty to
the mother country, is eXhausting the re-
sources of the island, and is doing acts
fsicls arc at variance WITH those principles
| of Justice, hberality and of right which
/ give nobility of character to republic. In
the interests of humanity, OF civilization
and of progress, it is to be hoped that this
evil influence may be soon amended.
THE STEAMER yIRGINIUs
was, on the 26th of September, 1870, duly
registered at the port of New York as {
part of the commercial marine of the Uni
ted States. On the 9TH of October, show
ing the certificate of her registration in the
usual form, she sailed from the port o
New York, and has not since been within
the territorial jurisdiction of the Unitet
States. On the 31st of October last, while
sailing under the flag of the United States
on the high seas, she was forcibly seiZet
1 by the Spanish gunboat Tornado and wa!
carried into the port of Santiago Gle Cuba
where many of her passengers and creV
were inhumanly, and $50 far at least as re
lated to those who were citizens OF th'
United States) without due process of law
put to death. 1t is well established prin
ciple, asserted by the United States from
!, the beginning of national independence
and recognized by Great Britain and othe
t maritime powers. and stated by the Senat
, in resolution passed unanimously on tn
10th of June, 1858, that American vessel
on high seas in time of peace bearing tn
American flag remain under the jurisdict
: ion of the country to which they belong
and therefore any visitation, molestauol
or detention of such vessel, is an offence OF
the part OF foreign power, and violation
of the sovereignty of the United States. Il
. accordance with this principle, the restora
ton of the Virginius and the survivors ofhe
J passengers and crew, and due reparatiol
J TO the flag, and the punishment of the au
) thorities who had been guilty of the lille
} gal acts of violence, were demanded. I'h
? Spanish Government has recognized th
r / Justice of the demand. and has arrange
2 for the immediate delivery of the vesse
: and for the surrender of the survivors c
S the passengers and crew, and for salut
: to the flag, and for proceedings looking t
the punishment of those who may b
2 proved to have been guilty of illegal act
2 of violence towards citizens of the Unite
} States, and also to indemnifying those VIII
f NAV be shown to be entitled to indemni
r ty. A copy of the protocol of confer
t ence between the Secretary of State an
: the Spanish Minister, in which the term
7 of this arrangement were agreed to,
: transmitted herewith. AS the correspond
4 ence on this subject, in cipher and by cs
1 BILE. will need the yerification OF the actuf
e text of the correspondence, it has SCENE
i to me to be due to the importance of tn
: case not to submit this correspondent
t until the accurate text can be received b
S mail. 1t is expected shortly and will b
4 submitted when received.
S In taking leave of this subject for th
: present, I wish to renew the expression {
= nv conviction that the existence of Afr
0 can Slavery in Cuba is principal cause {
t the lamentable condition of the Island.
!. do not doubt that Congress shares wit
e me the hope that it soon will be made
t disappear, and that peace and prosperit
| r-1I, - fl,.A ,1nv.o