Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-12-14

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| the Belgians, the king of Spain and the Presi-
! dent of the Argentine Confederation. The king
| of the Begians has declined to act, but [ am
| not as yet advised of the action OF the king of
| Spain. As we have certain interests In the dis
| puted territory Which are protected by our
treaty engagement with one of the parties, it is
| important that the arbitration should not. with
cut our consent. affect our rights, and this gov
eminent has accordingly thought proper to
make its views known to the parties to the
| agreement and to intimate them to the Belgian
| government.
SOUTH AMERICA.
This government sees with great concern the
| continuance of the hostile situation between
| Chill, Bolivia and Peru. An early peace be-
| tween those republics is much to be desired not
only that they may themselves be spared further
misery and boodshed, but because their con-
tinued antagonsm threatens consequences
which are in my judgement dangerous to the
| interest of republican governments on this con-
tinent, and calculated to destroy the best ele-
| ments of free and peaceful civilization
| As in the present excited condition of
| popular feeling in these countries there has
been serious misapprehension of the position of
| the United States, and as separate diplomatic
| intercourse with each, through Independent
ministers, is sometimes subject, owing to the
| want of prompt reciprocal communication, to
| temporary misunderstanding, [ have deemed it
| iudicious at the present time to send special
| envoy accredited to all and each Of them and
| furnished with general instructions which will
enable him to bring these powers into friendly
| relations.
The governmet of Venezuela maintains its at
titude of warm friendship and continues with
great regularity its payment of the monthly
! quota of the diplomatic debt. With
out suggestion as to the direction in which
| congress should act, l ask attention to the
pending question affecting the distribution OF
| the sums thus far received. The relations be-
! tween Venezuela and France, growing out of the
same debt have been for some time past in an
unsatisfactory state, and this government, as
the neighbor and one of the largest creditors of
Venezuela, has interposed itself since with the
French government with the view of producing
a friendly and honorable adjustment.
| [ regret that the commercial interests be-
| tween the United States and Brazil from which
! great advantages were hoped a year ago, have
! suffered from the withdrawal of the American
| lines of communication between Brazilian ports
| and our own. Through the efforts of our
minister resident at Buenos Ayres and the Uni
ted States minister Santiago attreaty has been
concluded between the Argentine Republic and
Chill disposing of the long pending Patagonian
| boundary question. 1t is a matter of congratu-
lation that our government has been offered
the opportunity of successfully exerting its good
influence for the prevention of disagreements
between the republics of the American CONT
| nent
| WITH CHINA.
am glad to inform you that the treaties late
| " negotiated with China have been duly rati-
fed ION both sides and the exchange made at
Peking. Legislation is necessary to call its pro-
| visions into effect. The prompt and friendly
manner in which the Chinese government at
the request of the United States conceded the
modification of treaties, should secure careful
regard for the interests and suscepti-
bities of that government in the enact
ment Of any laws relating to Chinese
immigration. These clauses of the treaties
which forbid the participation of citizens or
vessels of the United States in the opium trade
will doubtless receive your approval, and they
will attest the sincere interest which our people
and government have in the commendable eff
forts of the Chinese government to put stop
to this demOralizing and destructive traffic. In
relation both to China and Japan, some changes
are desirable In our present system of consulate
jurisdiction. [ hope at some future time to
lay before you scheme for its improvement in
the entire east.
WITH JAPAN.
The intimacy between our country and Japan
the most advanced of the eastern nations, con-
tlnues to be cordial. l am advised that the
emperor contemplates the establishment of a
constitutional government, and that he has al
ready summoned parliamentary congress for
the purpose of effecting change. So remarka-
bic step toward complete assimilation with
western systems cannot fail to bring Japan to
closer and more beneficial relationship with our
selves as the chief pacific power. A question
has arisen in relation to the exercise in that
country of the judicial functions carried on by
our minister and consuls. The indictments,
trial and conviction in the consular court
at Yokohama, of John Ross, merchant
seaman on board an American vessel have
made it necessary for the government to insti-
tute a careful examination into the nature and
} methods of this Jurisdiction. 1t appeared that
Ross was regularly shipped under the protec-
ton of the United States but was by birth a
British subject. My predecessor felt it his
duty to retain the position that as a regularly
| shipped seaman on board an American mer-
: chant vessel Ross was subject to the laws Of
the service and to the Jurisdiction of the United
States consul and authorities. renew the rec
ommendation which has been heretofore urged
by the executive upon the attention of congress,
that after the reduction of such amount as may
be found due to American citizens, the balance
of the indemnities heretofore obtained from
China and Japan, and which are now in the
hands of the state department, be returned to
the governments of those countries.
SANDWICH ISLANDS.
The king of Hawaii in the course of his
homeward return after a journey around the
world, has lately visited this country. While
our relations with that kingdom are friendly
: this government has viewed with con,
Germ the efforts to seek replenishment
of the diminishing population of the
island from outward sources to degree which
may impair the native sovereignty and indie
|
the first to testify a lively interest.
VARIOUS NATIONS.
Relations Of unimpaired unity have been
maintained throughout the year with the re-
spective governments Of Austria, Hungary,
: Belgium, Denmarl Hayti. Paraguay, Uruguay,
Portugal, Sweden and Norway, and this may
also be said of Greece and Ecuador. Although
our relations with these latter states have for
/, some years been severed by the withdrawal of
appropriations for diplomatic representatives at
Athens and Quito, it seems expedient to re-
store those missions, even on reduced scale,
and decidedly recommend such a course,
: especially with respect to Ecuador, which is
likely within the near future to play an impor-
tant part among the nations of the Southern
Pacific.
INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITIONS.
The participation of Americans in the exhibi-
tons at Melbourne and Sydney will be approx
: ingly mentioned in the reports of the two exhi-
billions soon to be presented to congress. They
will disclose the readiness of our countrymen to
oOroDotitio1o distant foI5O Of