The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-12-18

since the adjournment of Congress, for the
abolition of servitutie in Portuguese colo
mics. 1t is TO be hoped that such legislation
| may be another step toward the great con
| summation to be reached, when no man shall
be permitted, legally or indirectly, under the
| quasi excuse or form of law, hold his fellow
man in bondage. l am of opinion, also, that
it is the duty of the United States, as con
tributing toward that end and required by
the spirit of the age in which we live to pro-
vide, by suitable legislation, that no citizen
of the United States shall hold slaves as prop
erty in any other country, or be interested
therein. Chill has made reparation in the
case of thc whaeship, Good Return, seized
without sufficient cause, upwards of forty
years ago, though she had hitherto denied
her accountability, the denial was never &c
guessed in by this government, and the JUS
tce of the claim has been so earnestly con.
tended for that it has been gratifying that
she eh6ald have at last acknowledged it,
the arbitration in the case of the United
States schooner Montijo, for the seizure and
detention of which the government Of the
United States of Columbia was held account
! able, has decided in favor of the claim. This
decision has settled question which has
been pending for several years, and which,
while Ii continued open, might more or less
disturb the good understanding which II is
desirable be maintained between the Repul,-
lies. A reciprocity treaty with the King OF
the Hawaiian Islands was concluded the same
month, Us it contains stipulation that il
shall remain in eject until Congress shall
enact the proper Legislation FIR The purpose
. .upies of the Instrument are herewith sub
spitted; in order that if such should be the
pleasure OF Congress the necessary legisla-
ton upon the subject may be adopted, In
March last, an arrangement was made through
Mr.. Cushiss, cGf Minister in Madrid, with
'ss Spanish government for the payment by
the latter to the United States, of the sim OF
$4,000 in coin for the purpose of the relief
of the families or persons of the ships com
pany, and certain passengers Of the Vir-
ginius- This sum was to have been paid i'll
three iiistallmehts, at two months each, and
it is due to the Spanish Government that
should state that the payments were fully and
speedily anticipated by that Government, and
that the whole amount was paid within but a
few days more than two ni5iiths from the
date of agreement, a copy of which is here
with transmitted, and, IN pursuance of the
terms of the adjustment, l have directed the
distribution of the amount among the parties
entitled thereto, including the ships COM
pany, and such of the passengers as were
American eitisehs.
THE CUBsN QUESTION.
Payments are made accordingly on appli-
cation of the parties entitled thereto. The
paper has furnished no evidence of an ap-
proaching end of the ruinous conflicts which
has been raging for seven years in the neigh
boring island of Cuba, with the same disre-
gard of the laws OF civilized warfare and of
the just demands of humanity, WHICH have
heretofore called forth expressions of con-
demnation from all nations OF Christendum,
which they have continued 90 blaeheh. The
sad scene of desola;ioh, ruin and pillage are
pervading the rich fields of one of the most
fertile and productive regions of the earth,
and the ineendiaries with torch firing planta-
tons and valuable factories and buildings is
the agent marking alternate advance or re-
..
tracing continuance of the strife seriously
affects the interests OF aii commercial nations
but those of the United State more than
Othersj by its close proximity, its larger
trade and intercourse with Cuba, and the
frequent and intimate personal and social
relations which have grown up between its
citizens and those of the Island, and more
over the property OF our citizens IN Cuba is
large and is rendered insecure and depreci-
ated in value and in capacity of production
by the continuation of the strife and the I'M
natural mode of its conduct The same is
true, differing only in degree with respect to
the interest aid people of other nations and
Ire absence of reasonable assurance of a
near termination of the conflict must of ne
cessity soon compel the States thus suffering
to consider what the interests of the people
and their duty toward themselves may de-
mand, L have hoped that Spain would be en-
abled to establish peace in her colony, to af-
ford security To the property and the in
terests OF our citizens and allow legitimate
srope to trade and commerce and the natu-
raj productions of the island because of this
scope and from an extreme reluctance to in
terfere, in the most remote manner in the af-
fairs by another and friendly nation, especi-
ally of one whose sympathy and friendship
in the struggling infancy Of our own existence
must ever be remembered with gratitude.
have patiently and anxiously waited the pro-
gress of events. Our own civil conflict is too
for ia Har en1
which surround a government distracted by
4 dynastic rebellion at home, at the same
time that il has to cope with Separate in
snrreetion in a distant colony, but whatever
cause may have produced the situation
which so seriously affects our interests, il ex-
cites, with all its attendant evils operating
directly upon this country and its people.
Thus far all the efforts of Spain have proved
abortive and time has marked no improve
ment in the situation. The armed bands of
the other side now occupy nearly the same
ground as in the past, with the difference
from time to time of more lives sacrificed,
property destroyed and wider extents of fer
tile and productive fields and more valuable
property constantly, wantonly sacrificed to
the inccndiaries torch.
In contests of this nature, where a con-
siderable body of people who have attempted
to free themselves of the control of the Su-
perior Government have reached such point
IN occupation of territory in power and
in general organization as to constitute
in fact a body polite, having Government
in substance, as well as in name, possessed of
the elements of stability and equipped with
the machinery for the administration of in
tcrnal 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, it is within the province of those
other powers TO recognize its existence as a
new and independent nation. In such cases
other nations simply deal with an actually
existing condition of things, and recognize
us one of the powers of earth. That
body polite, which, possessing the necessary
elements, has in fact become new power.
In word the creation of new State, is a
fact to establish the condition of things es-
sential to the recognition of this fact. There
must be a people occupying a known territo-
ry, under some known and defined form of
government acknowledged by those subject
thereto, in which the functions of govern
ment are administered By the usual methods
competent to metc out justice to citizens and
strangers, to afford remedies for public and
for private wrongs, and able to assume the
relative international obligations and capa-
bic of performing the corresponding interna-
ional duties resulting from its acquisition of
the rights of sovereignty, and power should
exist, complete in its organization, ready to
take, and able to maintain its place among
the nations OF the earth. While conscious
that Instruction in Cuba has shown Il
strength and endurance which makes it at
least doubtful whether it be in the power of
Spain to subdue it, 1t seems unquestionable
that no such civil organization exists, which
may be recognized as anindependent govern
ment capable of performing its obligations and
entitled to be treated as one of the powers
of the earth. a recognition under such cir
cumStances wsuld he inconsistent with facts,
and would compel the power to give it soon
to support by force the government which
had really given ii its only real claim OF ex-
istence. In my judgment the United States
should adhere to the policy and principles
which have heretofore been its sure and safe
guides in like contests between revolving
colonies and their mother country and act
ing only upon the clearcst evidence should
avoid any popularity Of suspicion of imputa-
tive. \ recognition Of the independence of
Cuba being, in my opinion, impracticable
and indefcnsiblc, the next question which
presents itself, is that of the recognition of
belligerent rights in the parties to the con
test.
In Il former message to Congress, | had oc-
casion to consider this question: and reached