The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1875-12-09

hOpeQ that sucn leglslatlOn may De an
other step toward the great consumma
ton to be reached when no man shall b,
permitted, directly or indirectly, unde
any guise, excuse, or form of law, to holC
his fellow-man in bondage. l am o
opinion, also, that it is the duty of tn,
United States, as contributing toward
that end, and required by the spirit O.
the law of the land in which We
live to provide by suitable legisla
ton. that no citizen of the United
States shall hold slaves as property il
any other territory, or be interested
therein.
Chill has made reparation in the cast
of the whaleship Good Return, seizeC
without sufficient cause upwards of forty
years ago, though she had hitherto de
MED her accountability. The denial wa
never acquiesced in by the Government
and the justice of the claim has been Sc
earnestly contended for that it has beer
gratifying that she should have at las
acknowledged it. As arbitrator in the
case of the United States steamer Mon
tito, for the seizure and detention o
which the Government of the United
States of Columbia was held account
able, has decided in favor of the claim
This decision has settled a question which
has been pending for several years and
which, while it continued open, might
more or less disturb the good under
standing which it is desirable should be
maintained between the Republics. A
reciprocity treaty with the King of the
Hawaiian Islands was concluded somy
months ago. As it contains stipulation
that it shall not go into effect until Con
gress shall enact the proper legislation
for the purpose, copies of the instrument
are herewith submitted in order that il
such should be the pleasure of Congress
the necessary legislation upon the sub.
ject may be adopted.
In March last an arrangement was
made through Mr.. Gushing, our Minister
in Madrid, with the Spanish Govern
ment for the payment by the latter tc
the United States of the sum of eighty
thousand dollars in coin for the purpose
of the relief of the families and person:
of the ships company, and certain pas
sengers of the Virginius. This sum was
to have been paid in three installment:
at two months each. 1t is due to the
Spanish Government that should state
that the payments were fully and speed.
ily anticipated by that Government, and
that the whole amount was paid within
but few days more than two months
from the date of agreement, a copy Of
which is herewith transmitted. In pur.
suance of the terms of adjustment,
have directed the distribution of the
amount among the parties entitled there
to, including the ships company, and
such of the passengers as were American
citizens. Payments are made accord.
ingly on application of the parties en-.
titled thereto.
CUBA.
No evidence is furnished of an ap-
preaching end of the ruinous conflict
which has been raging for seven years in
the neighboring island of Cuba. The
same disregard of the laws of civilized
warfare and of the just demands of hu.
manity which have heretofore called
forth expressions of condemnation from
the nations of Christendom have con,
tinued to blacken the sad scene. Desc
lation, 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 factories and buildings, is
the agent marking alternate advance OF
retreat of contending parties. The pro-
tracted continuance of the strife seri-
ously affects the interests of all COM
mercial nations, but those of the United
States more than others by reason OF
close proximity, its larger trade and in
tercourse with Cuba, and frequent and
intimate personal and social relations
which have grown up between its citi'
zens and those of the island; and, more
over, the property of our citizens in Cuba
is large, and is rendered insecure and de-
preciated in value and in capacity of pro:
duction by the continuance of the strife
and the unnatural mode of its conduct.
The same is true, differing only in de-
gree, with respect to the interest and
people of the other nations, and the alb
sence of any reasonable assurance of a
near termination of the conflict must, oi
necessity, soon compel the States thus
suffering to consider what the interests
of their people, and their duty toward
themselves, may demand.
l had hoped that Spain would be en-
abled to establish peace in her colony, to
afford security to the property and the
interests of our citizens, and 70 allow a
legitimate hope to trade and commerce,
and the natural productions Of the ISL
and. Because of this hope, and Of an
extreme reluctance to interfere in the
most remote manner in the affairs of an
other and friendly nation, especially Of
one whose sympathy and friendship in
the struggling infancy of our own exist
ence must ever be remembered with
gratitude, l have patiently and anxious
ly waited the progress of events. Our
own civil conflict is too recent for US not
to consider the difficulties which sur.
round a government distracted by dy.
nastic rebellion at home, at the same
time that it has to cope with separate
insurrection in a distant colony. But
whatever causes may have produced the
situation which so grievously affects oul
interests with all its attendant evils op
Grating directly upon this country and
its people, thus far all the resorts o.
Spain have proved abortive, and time
has marked no improvement in the stu
alton. The armed bands of either side
now occupy nearly the same ground al
in the past, with the difference, from
time to time, of more lives sacrificed
property destroyed, wider extents of fer
tile and productive fields, and more val
liable property constantly and wantOnly
sacrificed to the incendiaries of each.
1t consists of this nature, where con
siderable body of people who have at
tempted to free themselves of the contro
of the superior government, have reached
such point in the occupation of terri
tory, in power, and in general organiza
ton, as to constitute in fact body
polite having government in substanc,
as well as in name, possessed of the ele
ments of stability and equipped witt
the machinery for the administration o
internal policy and the execution of it
laws, and prepared and able to admins
ter justice at home as we'll as in its deal
ings with other powers, it is within tn
province of those other powers to recog
nize its existence, as new and independ
ont nation oD6 in Such oaSas Otba