The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-12-16
MILAN, GIBSON COUNTY, TENNESSEE DECEMBER 49, 1875.

cipitate upon the vessels, both commercial
and national. and upon the consular officers
Of other powers, calls for the definition Of
their relations TO the parties 10 the contest.
Considered as question of eXpedIency,
regard the accordance Of belligerent rights
still 10 be as unwise and premature as | re-
gard IL 10 be at present iRdefensible as a
measure Of right. Such recognition entails
upon the country according the rights which
flow from it difficult and complicated duties
and requires the action from the contendng
parties Of the strict observance of their
rights and obligation. Ii confers the right
Of search upon the high seas by vessels Of
both parties: it would subject the carrying
of arms and ammunition of war, which now
| may be transported freely and without in
| terruption, in the vessels of the United
States to detention and possible seizures; IT
| would give rise to countless YeXatlous
| questions. would release the parent Govern
ment from reposibility for acts done by the
! insurgents, and would invest Spain with
! the right to exercise the supervision
recognized by our treaty of li99 over
our commerce on the high seas, very large
| part of which in its traffic bteween the At
/ lantic and Gulf States and between all OF
! them and the States upon the Pacific passes
/ through the waters which wash the shores
| Of Cuba. The exercise of the supposition
/ could scarcely fail to lead, if not to abuses
| ful relations of the two States. There can
| be little doubt to what result such supervi-
| sion would before long draw this Nation.
| 1t would be unworthy of the United States
| to inaugurate the possibilities Of such revolt
/ by measures of questionable right or eXpe-
| diency or by any indiscretion. Apart from
| any question of theoretical right, | am salts
| fed that while the accordance of belligerent
rights to the insurgents in Cuba might give
| them hope and iuducement to prOtract the
/ struggle il would be but a delusive hope
and would not remove the evils which this
| Government and its people are eXperlen-
/ cling, but would draw the United States into
complications which it has waited long and
already suffered much to avoid. The rec
/ ognitiOn of independence or of belligerency,
being thus in my judgement equally mad
! miSible, it remains to consider what course
shall be adopted should the conflict not soon
| be brought to an end by the acts of the par
| ties themselves, and should the evils which
result therefrom, affecting all nations, and
particularly the United States, continue.
/ In such event | am of opinion that other ma
tions will be compelled to assume the re-
! Sponsbility which devolyes upon them, and
to seriously consider the only remaining
measures possible
MEDIATION AND INTERVENTION.
Owing perhaps to the large eXpanse Of
water separating the island fronrthe penin-
| sula. the want of harmony and personal SYM
pathy between the inhabitants of the colony
and those sent thither TO rule them, and
want of adaptation of the ancient colonial
system of Europe to the present times and
| to the ideas which the events of the past
/ century have developed, the contending par
] ties appear to have within themselves no de-
/ pOsitOry of common confidence to suggest to
| them when passion and excitement have
their sway and to assume the part of peace
makers. In this view in the early days of
| the contest the good offices of the United
| States as a mediator were rendered IN good
| faith, without any selfish purpose, in the in
! tereSt of summary and sincere friendship
| for both parties, but were at the time de-
| clined by Spain, with a declaration, never
theesS. that at future time they would be
| indispensable. No intimation has been re-
| ceived that, in the opinion of Spain, that
time has been reached; and yet the strife
! continues with its dread horrors and injuries
! to the interest of the United States and of
other nations. Each party seems quite ca
pable of working great injury and damage
to the other, as well as to all the relations
and interests of dependents on the
! existence of peace IN the island !;
but they seem incapable of reaching
any adjustment, and both have thus
| far failed of achieving any success
whereby one party shall possess and control
the island to the exclusion of the other.
Under these circumstances the agencies of
others, either in mediation or by intcryen-
| ton. seems to be the only alternative which
must sooner or later be invoked for the ter
| minatiOn of the strife. At the same time,
| while thus impressed, | do not recommend
the adoption of any measure of Intervention.
shall be ready at all times, and as the equal
friend of both parties, to respond TO a Sug-
gestiOn that the good offices of the United
States will be acceptable III aiding in bring
ing about a peace honorable to both. 1t Is
! fa.a :
concerned. that the agency of third power,
to which | have adverted, shall be adopted
only as a last eNpedent. Had it been the
desire of the United States to interfere in the
affairs of Cuba, repeated opportunities FOL
so doing have been presented within the
last few wears, and we have remained pas
sive and have performed our whole duty anC
all international obligations TO Spain Will
frienship, fairness and fidelity, and with {
spirit of patience and forbearance whlcl
negatives every possible suggestion o1
desire to interfere or TO add to the diff
ficulties with which she has been sur
rounded. The Government OF span
has recently submitted to our Minister
at Madrid certain proposals which I
is thought may be found to- be the basis, i
not of the actual submission of terms to mee
the requirements of the particular grlefs o.
which this Government has felt itself entitled
to complain. These proposals have not yet
rival they will be taken in careful eXamina'
ton, and may, | hope, lead to a satisfactory
, | adjustment of the questions to which they
refer, and remove the possibility of future
occurrences, such as have given rise to Oul
lust complaints. 1t is understood also tha
, renewed efforts are being made to Introduce
! reforms in the internal administration of tllC
island. Persuaded, however, that proper
regard for the interests of the United States
and of ITS citizens entitled to relief, from thu
strain TO which it has been subjected by thu
| difficulties of the questions and the wrong
and losses which arise from the contest II
, Cuba, and that the interests of humanlt!
, itself demand the cessation of the strife be
fore the whole island shall be laid waste anC
. larger sacrifices of life be made, L shall fee
! ii my duty should my hope of a satisfactor!
adjustment and of the early restoration 0
, peace and the removal of future causes o
: complaint be unhappily disappointed, t
! make a further communication TO Congress
! at some period not far remote and durin:
the present session, recommending Wha
may then seem to me to be necessary appro
. priations to the favorable consideration O
o Congress.
f MEXICAN BORDER TROUBLES.
, The Free Zone, so called, several year
1 since established by the Mexican Govern
, ment in certain Of the States of that Repub
: lie adjacent TO our frontier, remains in full
D
' iniuriousEto honest traffic, for it operates a
Z an incentive to traders in Mexico to suppl
: without customs charges the wants of inhab
; itantS on this side the line, and prevent tn
{ same wants from being supplied by mer
= chants OF the United States, thereby to
II considerable extent defraudiug our revenu
: and checking honest commercial enterprise
i DepredatiOns by armed bands from MeXic
!, on the people of Texas near the frontie
Il still continue. Though the main oh
: ject of the incursiOns is robber
5 they frequently result in the murde
: of unarmed and peaceably dispose
Il persons, and in some instance eve
u the United States Post-offices and mail com
Il munications have been attacked. Renewe
: remonstrances upon this subject have bee
: addressed TO the Mexican Government, bU
u without much apparent effect. The militar
force of this Government disposable for sci
e vice in that quarter is quite inadequate
g effectually guard the line, even At thos
: points where the incursions are usual
: made. An experiment of an armed vesst
y on the Rio Grande for that purpose is o
Il trial, and it is hoped that, if not thwarte
: by the shallowness of the river and othe
e natural obstacles, it may materially cor
u tribute TO the protection Of the herdsmen {
n -