Richmond weekly palladium., 1875-12-09
CHILL.

CHILL
Chill has made reparation in the case
of the whale-ship, Good Return, seized
without sufficient cause, upward OF
forty years ago Though she had
hitherto denied her accountability the
denial was never acQuiesced In by TINS
government, and the Justice of the
claim has been so earnestly contended
for that it has been gratifying that she
should have at last acknowledged it.
COLOMBIA.
The arbitration in the case of the Uni
ted States steamer, Manitijo, for the sci
zure and detention of which the GOV
| ernment of the United States of Col
ombia was held accountable, has de-
cided in favor of the claim. This de-
cisiOn has settled a question which has
been pending for years, and which,
while it continued open, might more or
less disturb the good understanding
which it is desirable should be main
tanned between tho republics
HAWAII
A reciprocity treaty with the King of
the Hawaiian Islands was concluded
the same month. As it contains a
stipulation that it shall not go into eff
feet until Congress shall enact the
copies of the instrument are herewith
submitted in order that, if it should be
the pleasure of Congress, the neces-
sary legislation upon the subject may
be adopted.
THE vIRGINIUS CASE.
In March last an agreement was
made through Mr.. Gushing, our Minis
ter in Madrid, with the Spanish gov
ernment, for the payment by the latter
to the United States of the sum of
$50, ,OO0 in coin, for the purpose of the
relief of the families or persons of the
ships company, and certain paSSen-
gers of the Virginius. This sum was
| to have been paid in three installments
of two months each. 1t is due to the
Spanish Government that 1 should
state the payments were fully and
speedily anticipated by that govern
ment, and that the whole amount was
paid within but few days more than
two months from the date of the agree
ment, copy of which is herewith
transmitted.
In pursuance of the terms of the ad
justment' have directed the distribu-
tiOn of the amount among the parties
entitled thereto, including the ships
as were Americans. Payments are
| made accordingly on application of
the parties entitled thereto.
THE CUBAN QUESTION.
The year has furnished no evidence
| of an approaching end-of the ruinOus
conflict which has been raging for sew
en- years in the neighboring island of
| Cuba The same disregard of the laws
of civilized warfare and of the just de-
mands of humanity, which have here
! tOfOre called forth expressions of con-
demnatiOn from the nations of Chris
| tendon, have continued to blacken the
| sad scene. DesOlation, ruin and pillage
are pervading the rich fields of one of
| the most fertile and productive regions
/ of the earth, and the incendiary's torch,
firing plantations and valuable fac
tories and buildings, is the agent mark
| ing the alternate advance or retreat of
the contending parties. The protract-
| ed continuance of the strife seriously
| affects the interests of all commercial
nations, but those of the United States
more than others, by reason of closer
proximity, its larger trade and inter-
course with Cuba, and the frequent
and intimate personal and social rela-
tions which have grown up between its
citizens and those of the island.
Moreover, the property of our citizens
| in Cuba Is large, and is rendered inSe-
cure and deprecated in value and in
capacity of production by the cOntin-
uation of the strife, and the unnatural
mode of its conduct. The same is true,
differing only in degree, with respect
| to the interest and people of other ma
tiOnS; and the absence of any reason
able assurance of near termination
Of the conflict must of necessity soon
| compel the States thus suffering to
| consider what the interests of this
people and their duty toward them
| selves may demand.
I have hoped that Spain would be
enabled to establish peace in her col
Ony, to afford security to the property
and the interests of our citizens, and
allow legitimate scope to trade and
| commerce and the natural productions
| of the island, because of this hope,
and from an extreme reluctance to in
| terfere, in the most remote manner, in
the affairs of another and friendly ma
| ton, especially of one whose sympathy
and friendship the struggling infancy
| Of our own existence must ever re-
member with gratitude, have patient
ly and anxiouSly waited the progress
| of events. Our own civil conflict is
too recent for us not to consider the
difficulties which surround a govern
meQt distracted by a dynastic rebellion
| at home at the same time that 1t has
to cope with separate insurreotion in
a distant colony. But whatever causes
may have produced the situation which
| SO grievOusly affects our interest, it
exists with all its evils, operating
directly upon this country and its peo-
pie. Thus far all the resorts of Spain
have proved ahortive, and time has not
| marked an Improvement III the Sttu-
alton. The armed bands of either side
now occupy nearly the same ground as
In the past, with the difference, from
1 Ax~A x,f Co.,
property destroyed, and. wider extents
| of fertile and productive fields and
more valuable property constantly and
wantonly sacrificed to the tnoendiaries
| of each.
In contests of this nature, where
considerable body of people who have
attempted to free themselves of the
control of the superior government
| have reached such point in the occu-
| patton Of territory, in power, and in
| general organization as to constitute,
in fact body polite, having govern
ment in substance as well as in name,
| possessed OF the elements of stability,
and equipped with machinery for the
administration of an internal policy
| and the execution of it's laws, and pre-
| pared and able to administer Justice,
| at home, as we'll as In Its dealings with
other powers, it is within the province
| existence as a new and independent
nation. In such cases other nations
simply deal with an actually existing
| condition of things and recognize as
one of the powers of the earth that
body politics which, possessing the
| necessary elements, has in fact become
| a new power, I'm word, the creation
of new State is, fact to establish
the condition of things essential. To
recognition of this fact, there must
tory. to united under soms Inown and
defined form OF government, acknOwl-
edged by those subject thereto, by
| which the functions of government are
administered by the usual methods,
competent to mete out justice to citi-
zens and strangers, to afford remedies
| for public and for private wrongs, and
able to assume the relative internar
tional obligations, and capable OF per-
forming the corresponding information
al duties resulting from its acquisition
of the rights of sovereignty; and power
should exist complete i'm it's OrganiZa-