The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1881-12-15
Presidents Message.
DELIVERED TO CONGRESS DEC. 9TH, 1881.
TO the Senate and House of Representatives Of
the United States:

IICSluCuS NACSSuSC.
DELIVERED TO CONGRESS DEC. 9TH, 1881.
To The Senate and House of Representatives. Of
the United States:
An appalling calamity has befallen the Ameri-
can people since their chosen repre- sentatives last
met in the halls where you are now assembled.
We might else recall with unaltered content the
rare prosperity with which throughout the year
the nation has been blessed Its harvests have
been p)enteous. Its various industries have thriy-
en-. The health OF its people has been preserved
1t has maintained with foreign governments
the undisturbed relations of amity and peace
For these manifestations of His favor we owe to
Him who holds our destiny in His hands, the
tribute of our grateful devotons to that mysteri-
GUS exercise Of will, which has taken from us
the beloved and illustrious citizen, who
was but lately the head of this
nation. We bow in ssrrow-submission, The
memory of his exalted character, of his achieve
ments, and of his patriotic life, will be treasured
forever asa sacred possession of the whole people,
The announcement Of his death drew from for
eign governments and peoples tributes of sympa
thy and sorrow which history will record as signal
tokens of the kinship Of nations and the fedora
tiOn Of mankind.
GOOD WILL PREVAILS.
The feeling of good will between our own gov
ernment and that Of Great Britain was never more
marked than at present. In recognition of the
pleasing fact, l directed, on the occasion of the
late centennial celebration at Yorktown that n
salute be given to the British flag.
OUR DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS
Save for the correspondence, to which | shall
refer hereafter in relation to the proposed canal
across the isthmus of Panama little has occurred
worthy of mention in the diplomatic relations Of
the country. Early in the year the Fortune Bay
claims were satisfactorily settled by the British
government paying in full the sum Of fl5OO0,
most of which has already been distributed as
the terms OF the settlement, which included COM
pensaton for injuries suffered by our fishermen at
Ashee Bay. There has been retained from the
gross award sum which is deemed adequate for
these claims.
CONFERENCE.
The participation of Americans in the exhi
bitons at Melbourne and Sydney will be ap-
mentioned in the reports OF the
two exhibitions soon to be presented to con :
gress. They viii disclose the readiness of our
countrymen to make successful competition in
distant fields of enterprise. Negotiations for an
copyright treaty are in hopeful
slsTINa BULL.
progress. The surrender Of Sitting Bull and his
force upon the Canadian frontier has allayed all
apprehension, although bodies Of British indians
still cross the border in quest Of sustenance. Up
IN this subject correspondence has been opened
which promises an adequate understanding Our
troops have orders to avoid In the meanwhile, all
collisions with alien Indians.
YORKTOWN,
The presence at the Yorktown celebration Of
representatives of republicans descendants Of La
fayette and of his gallant compatriots, who were
our allies in the revolution has served to strength
en- the spirit of good will which has always exist.
ed between the two nations.
BIMETALLIc.
You will be furnished with the proceedings OF tho
uiinetalic conference, held during the summer q.
tho city of Paris. No accord was reached, bu. =
valuable interchange of views was had, and tho
conference will next year be renewed. AT tbs
electrical exhibition and congress, also held Al
Paris, this country was sredbly represented by
eminent specialists, who, in the absence Of An up
the instance of the state department.; while our
exhibition in THU almost distinctiyely Americau
tlcld OF achievement has won several awards.
recommend that congress provide for the re
payment Of the personal expenses incurred
in the public interest by tho honorary commits
soncrs and delegates.
STATUS OF GERMAN CITIZENS,
No new question respecting tho status Of ou'
natu'alzed citizens in Germany have r-Sen dur
ing the past year and the causes OF complaint
especially in Alsace and Lorraine have practically
ceased through the liberal action Of the imperiA
government. in accepting our. otter. expressed d
treaty Of 1868, to the lately acquired Rhenish
provinces has received very earnest attention and
definite and lasting agreement on this point ID
confidently expected. The participation of the
descendants Of Baron Won Steuben in the York.
town festivities, and their subsequent reception
by their American kinsmen, strikingly comedies
with the good will which unites the German people
with our own
Our intercourse with Spain has been frien IL,
and the agreement concluded in February last
fixes term for the labors for the Spanish anr
American claims commission. The Spanish gov
ernment has been requested to pay the late award
of the commission and will, it is believed, acced,
to the request as promptly and courteously US OF
former occasions. By recent legislation on rous, q
fine has been imposed upon American shipping il
Spanish and colonial ports, for slight irreguari.
ties.
One case of hardship is cpecally worthy o
mention. The bark Masonica bound for Japan
entered Manila in distress and is
THERE SOUGHT TO DE CoNFIscArEp
under the Spanish revenue LAWS tor an alleged
shortage in her transhipped cargo. Though eff
forts for her relief has thus far proved unavailine
it is expected that the whole will be adjusted in
friendly spirit.
RUSSIA,
The senate resolutions of coincidence on thu
ss'" 'snation of the Car Alexander II
~s,> appropriately communicated to the Russiar
government, which in turn has expressed its sym.
pathy in our late national bereavement. 1t i.
desirable that our cordial relations with Russia
should be strengthened by proper engagements
assuring To- -neeccfnl- -Amerlnans who visit tha,
en-
ci