Fair play., 1875-12-09
other country Or be interested

had hitherto denied her accountability The de
NAL was never ac9uesccd in by this Govern
r. mant, and the justice of the claim has been :;
earnestly conten'!et for that it has been crafty
ing that she should have Ill last ac cknoWieigei il
The arbitrator in the case of ;h5 United state;
steamer Montiio. for the seizure and detention
of which the Government OF the United States o
Colombia was held accountable. has dcciei il
favor of the claim. This decision has srttel Il
question which mas been pending fox -evera
Years, and which. while il continued open, might
more or less disturb the goo understanding
! which 1t - desirable should De maintained be-
. tween the republics.
/, \ re iprocity treaty with the King of the
Hawaiian Islands was conrluic,. -ou,e months
ago. As it contains stipulation that il shall he
noncfec,ive until Congress .ha! exact the proper
legislation fDr the purpose, copies of the instru-
mcnt are herewith submitted, i'll order that if
/ such should be the pleasure o! Congress, the
: necessary legislation upon the subject may BE-
adopted.
In March last arrangement was made
through Mr.. Gushing our Minister al Na.ri,i
with the Spanish Government tor the payment by
the latter to the United States of the sum oi
Se6. .tVj in coin for the purpose Of the relief of
the families or persons OF the ships company
and certain passengers OF the Nirginius. This
sum was to have been paid in three instalments
at two months each. 1t is due TO the Spanish
Government that should state that the payments
were fully and speedily anticipated by that Gov
ernment, and that the whole amount was paid
within but a few days more than two months
from the date of agreement. Il copy of which is
| herewith transmitted. In pursuance of the
tribution OF: the amount among the parties enti-
tied thereto, including the ships company and
such oi the passengers as were American citi
zens. Payments are made accordingly OH appii-
cation OF the parties entitled thereto.
THE CUBAN REBELLION.
There is no evidence of an approaching end of
the ruinouS conflict which has been raging for
seven years in the neghbUring Island of Cuba,
The same disregard of the laws of civilized war
fare and of the just demands of humanity which
Earth
demnatIOn from the nations of Chris;en,.om have
continued to blacken the sad scene. Desulation.
RUIN anu pIiiagc are pcrvaiin@ the rich fields Of
one OF the most fertile ana productive regions of
! the earth, and the ncen!iarv's torch firm.
plantations and valuable factories and tlIildinys
Is the agent marking the alternate advance or re
treat oi the coni,ndng parties. The prntractcd
continuance of the strife seriously affects the in
terests Of all commercial nations; but those uf
! the United states more than others, by
er SH tras M and ns nerccrrsa SpGs,''S w,l ITS ca ir
and frequent and intimate personal
and social relations which have grown ,p be-
tween its citizens and those of tie island. More
ov,r, the property %: our citizens in Cuba is
!arg. and Is rendered: Insecure and t,epreci;.tei
III value and IN capacity OF production by the
continuation of the strife and the unnitural mode
of its conduct. he same is true lifierin.. only
in degree, with pee; to the interests and peo-
pie OF other nations; and the absence of any
reasonable assurance OF Il near termination OF
the conflict must oi necessity soon compel the
States thus suffering to consider what the inter
ests OF their people and their duty towards them
selves may demand. l have hoped that Spain
would he enabled To establish peace in her COLONY
to afford security 10 the property and the inter
ests of citizens. anil allow Il legitimate scope
TO trade and commerce and the national prOuc |
tions of the island. Because of this hone and |
from an extreme reluctance to interfere in the |
most remote manner III the affairs of another and
friendly natiOn-especially Of one whose svmpa- |
thy and friendship in the struggling infancy
OF our own existence must ever be remembered |
with gratitude have patiently and anXiously |,
waited the progress of events. Our own civil |
conflict Is too recent for us not to consider the |
difficulties which surround Government dis |
tracteti by dynastic rebellion 1T home, at the |
same time that it has to cope with Il separate in.
surrection ina distant colony: But whatever
cause may have produced Il G situation which SO |
greyOlisly affects our interests with its attend
ant evils operating directly upon this country |
and its people, thus far all the resorts of spain
have proved abOrtive, and time has marked no |
Improvement in the situation. The armed bands |
of the other side now occupy nearly the same |
ground as in the past, with the difference that |
from time to time more lives are sacrificed, prop
erty destroyed, and wider eXtents of fertile and /
productive fields and more valuable property |
constantly and wantOny sacrificed to the incen-
people who have attempted to free
themselves OF the control of the Superior Govern
ment have reached such point in the occupa.ion |
of territory, in power and in general organiza- |
tiOn rs to constitute in fact body pOlitic-having
a government in substance as we'll as in name,
a..
ped with machinery for the administration OF in.
ternal policy and the execution Of its laws and
prepared and able to administer justice at home
as well as in its dealings with other powers is
within the province of those powers to recognize
its existence as new and independent nation
In such cases other nations simply dea! with an
actually existing condition Of things, and recog-
nize as one of the powers of the earth that body
polite which, possessing the necessary clements
has in fact become new power. In Il word. the
creation of new STATE is Il fact. To establish
thar ,<NFt
ton of this fact, there must be q people occIpv-
ing known territory, united under some known
aud defined form of government, acknowledged
by those subject thereto, in which the fi,nc- |
by the usual metho'ls; competent to
mete out justice to citizens and strangers; 10 af
ford remedies for public and for private wrongs:
and able to assume the relative and international
obllgations, and capable oi performing the cor
responding International duties, resulting from
its acquisition to the rights, sovereignty and
power which should exist complete in its organ
2ation, ready to take and able TO maintain its
place among the nations of earth. While con
scious that the nsurrectIon in Cuba has shown a
strength anu endurance which make it ii least
doubtful whether il VIII be in the power of Spain
To SUbdUe, 1t seems unIucstionab!e that no such
civil organization exists which may he recog-
niZed as an independent government, capable Of
performing its obligations aId entitled to he
treated as one of the powers o. the earth. re-
cognition un:er those circumstances wouid be
inconsistent with the facts and would compel
the powers to give support by force to "a
Government to which it had really
given only = real claim of exist
ence. In my Judgment the United states
should adhere 10 the policy and the principles
which nave herei fore been its sure safeguards
in like contests between revOlted colonies ard
their mother country. and, acting only upon the
clearest evidence, should avoid any probability
of suspicion ,r -: imputation in the recog-
milton vi the Independence 81 Cuba, it being in
my opinion iInprdctic.ibe and iniefensible. The
question winch next preseRts itself is that OF the
recognition OF the 5elligerent rights in the par
ties to the contest. In Il former message 10 Con-
gress had reason to consider this question. and
reached the conclusion that the conflict in Cuba,
dreadful and devastating were the evidences,
did not rise to the fearful dignity Of war Re
garling il now after this lapse OF time, | am un-
able to &c that any notable success or any mark.
ed or real advance on the part of the insurgents
hos assaot,.lly ch1nred tho rs .ha