The Lake County star., 1875-12-09

a mediator, were intended in good fait
withC ut any selfish purpose, in the inter
est of humanity and in sincere friendshi
for both parties. but were at the tim
declined by Spain, with the declaration
they would be indispensable. No init
nation has been received that, in tn
opinion of Spain, that time has beel
reached and yet the strife continue
with it's dread horrors, and all its inju
ries to the interests of the United States
and Of other nations. Each party seem
quite capable of working great injurie
and damage to the other, ss well as to al
the relations and interests dependen
upon the existence of peace in the island
But they seem incapable of reaching an,
adjustment, and both have thus IA
failed of achieving any success whereof!
one party shall possess and control In,
island to the exclusion of the other
These circumstances indicate that tn,
agency of others, either by mediation o.
by Intervention, seems to be the only al
tentative which must sooner or later bt
invoked for the termination of the strife
At the same time while thus impresse d
I do not recommend the adoption of any
measure of intervention. shall b.
ready at sll times, and as the equa
friend of both parties, to respond to {
suggestion that the good offices of the
United States will be an acceptable aiG
in bringing about a peace honorable t.
both. It is due to Spain, so far as thi,
Government isconcerned, that the agency
of third power, to which have ad
verted, shall be adopted only as last ex
pedient. Had it been the desire of the
United States to interfere in the affairs
of Cuba, repeated opportunities for SC
doing have been presented within the
last few years; but we have remained
passive and have performed our whole
duty and all international obligations to
Spain with friendly frmness and fidelity
and with a spirit of patience and for.
bearance which negatives every possible
suggestion of desire to interfere or add
to the difficulties with which she has
been surrounded. The Government OF
Spain has recently submitted to our
Minister af Madrid, certain proposals,
which may be found to be the basis, il
not the actual submission of terms to
meet the requirements of the particular
griefs of which this Government has felt
itself entitled to complain. These pro-
posals have not yet reached me in their
full text. On their arrival they will be
taken into careful examination, and it
may be hoped will lead to a satisfactory
adjustment of the question to which
they refer, and remove the possibilities
Of future interference, such as have given
rise to our just complaints.
1t is understood, also, that renewed
offers are being made to introduce reform
in the internal administration of the
Island. am persuaded, however, that a
proper regard for the interests of the
United States and of its citizens entitle
1T to relief from the strain to which it
had been subjected by the difficulties of
the questions, and the wrongs which arise
from the contest in Cuba and that the
interests OF humanity itself demand the
cessation of the strife before the whole
island shall be laid waste, and large
sacrifices of life be made.
/ shall feel it my duty, should my hope
of satisfactory adjustment, and Of the
early restoration of peace and the re-
moval of future causes of complaint be
most happily dissipated, to make a
further communication to Congress, at
some period not far remote, and during
the present session, recommend what may
seem, to me, to be necessary to the favor
able consideration of Congress.
The President recommends, as the
powers of Europe have manifested
friendly interest toward the United
States in joining in celebrating the Cen
nial, that a more national Importance be
given to this exhibition.
After speaking of reports Of sundry
boards of commission, the President con-
tinues: In nearly every annual message
that have had the honor of transmit
ting to Congress, have called atten-
tion to the fact that the free zone,
so-called, several years since estab-
lished by the Mexican Government In
certain of the States of that republic
adjacent to our frontier, remains in full
operation. 1t has always been materially
injurious to honest traffic, for it operates
rs an incentive to traders in Mexico, to
supply, without customs charges, the
wants of the inhabitants on this side of
the line, and prevents the same wants
from being supplied by merchants of the
United States, thereby to considerable
extent defrauding our revenue and
checking honest commercial enterprise.
by armed bands from
Mexico on the people of Texas, near the
frontier, continue. Though the main
object Of the incursions is robbery, they
frequently result in the murder of un-
armed and peaceably disposed persons,
and in some instances even the United
States post-offices and mail communica-
tions have been attacked. Renewed re-
upon this subject have been
addressed to the Mexican Government,
but without much apparent effect.
The military force of the government
disposable for service in that quarter, is
quite inadequate to efectually guard the
line even at those points where the in
cursions are usually made. An expert.
ment of an armed boat on the Rio Grande
for that purpose is OH trial, and it is
hoped that ifnot thwated by the shallow
ness of the river and other natural OBJ
stacles, it may materially contribute to
the protection of the herdsmen of Texas.
The proceedings of the Joint Com
Inlttce, unucT tue COuNentlO0 DetWeen
the United States and Mexico, of the 4th
of July, 1868, on the subject of claims,
will soon be brought to close. The re.
suit of those proceedings will then be
to Congress.
VENEZUELA.
/ am happy to announce that the gov
ernment Of Venezuela has, upon further
consideration, practically abandoned its
objection to pay the United States that
share of its revenue which, some years
since, IL allotted toward the extinguish-
ment Of claims of foreigners generally.
In thus reconsideIing its determination
that government has shown q Just sense
of elfrespect, which can not fail to re-
feet credit upon 1t in the eyes Of all dis
interested persons elsewhere. 1t is to be
regretted that its payments on account
Of claims of citizens of the United States
are still 30 meager in amount, and that
the stipulations Of the treaty in regard to
the sums to be paid, and the periods
when these payments were to take
a -