Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1885-12-19

1 A'itIuDthuk OVtTuHSUt DTtDcIH1In1DR tho CiOSuJO
of certain ports there la tho hands Of the insur-
gents, anu declaring vessels held by the rev"iu-
ticnists to be partial and liable to capture by
any. power. To. neither OF these propositions
could the United States assent. An effective
closure OF ports not in the possession Of the gov
eminent, but held by the hostile partisans, could
not be recognized, neither could vessels OF the in
rurgents against Legitimate sovereignty be
donied hostess human generois within the pre-
cspts Of internationa. law. Whatever might be
the definition and penalty Of their acts under the
municipal law OF the state against whose author
ity they were In revolt. The denial by this gov
esnnient OF the propositions did not,
however, imply tho admission ~ q belligerent
status on the part OF the insurgents. The
government has expressed its willing
by arbitration. Of claims by foreign citizens
arising ont OF the destruction of the city Of
Aspinwall BY the discretionary forces.
THE N~ICARAaUAN TREATY.
The interest Of the United States in a practical
. Bile transit for, ships across tho strip OF land sep
aratipg the Atlantic from the Pacific has been
repeatedly manifested during the last half "a
century. Wy immediate predecessor caused to
be NEGOTIATED the ,ficaIaguan treaty for the
construction BY and at the sole, cost of the
United States of a canal through Nicaraguan ter
ritory, and laid it before the senate. Pending
the action of that body thereon, | Withdrew the
treaty for REORGANIZATION. Attentive considera-
ton of it's provisions LEADS me to withhold it
from r~esubmission to the senate.
Maintaining as l do the tendency Of a line OF
presidents from Washington's day which pro-
scribe enlarging- entailing alliances in foreign
states, / do not favor a policy OF acquisition OF
new and distant territory or the incorporation Of
remote interests with our own. The laws Of
progress are vital and organic. and we must be
conscious Of that irresistible tide Of commercial
our civilization day BY day is being
urged onward. by those increasing facil-
tiles of production, transportation and commu-
nication to which steam and electricity has given
birth. But our duty in the present instructs us
to address on selves mainly to The development
of the vast resources of the great area committed
4 ~ m rharoa and m tha nnlftyafi m ~ tha ante
of peace within our borders through zealously
| preventing the American hemisphere from being
involved in political problems and complications
Of distant governments. Therefore l am unable
to recommend a proposition involving para
mount privileges OF ownership or right out
side of our own territory, when coupled with alb
solute and unlimited engagements to defend the
territorial integrity OF the state wherein snch lie.
While the general project of connecting the two
oceans by means of q canal ~ To be encouraged,
l am Of the opinion that any scheme to that end
to he considered with favor shall be FREQ from
the features alluded to.
THE ROUTE
is declared by engineers of the highest repute
and by competent scientists to afford an entirely
practical transit for vessels and cargo and by
means OF a ship railway from tla Atlantic to the
Pacific. The obvious advantages of such a route,
II feasible. over others more from the axial lines
of traffic bet ween Europe and the Pacific. and
particularly between the valley of the Alissis-
sippi and the western coast OF North and South
America are deserving OF consideration. What
of'i AiAEh w AAlhl ITO oiH Glt IDt Llt OAR
rIer dividing the two greatest maritime areas of
the world must b. for the worlds beneht-a
trust for mankind to be removed from the chance
of denunciation by any single power, nor be-
come a point of invitation of hostilities or a
prize for warike ambition. An engagement
combining the constructions ownership and oper-
alton OF such n work by this government with an
offensive and defensive alliance for its prot C.
( o with the foreign state whose responsibilities
ahG riihts we would share - in my Judgment;
inconsistent with such d rdi"ation 10 universal
aud neutral use. and would moreover entail
measures for it, realization beyond this scope of
our national policy or present means.
The lapse of years has abundantly confirmed
the wisdom aud foresight Of thess early admlnis-
uatiOns, which long before the conditions of
maritime intercourse were changed and enlarged
10y the progress OF the ugs. pioclalmrd The
VITAL NEED OF INTER-oCEANIC TRAFFIC.
across the commercial isthmus and consecrated
1t III advance To the common use of mankind 10y
their positive declarations, and through the for
NAL obligation # treaties. Toward such realiza-
ton the efforts 81 my administration will be APP
piled, ever bearing in mind the principles on
which it must rest, and which were declared in
no uncertain terms 10y Mr.. Cass, who, while sec
retarE or state in 1853, announced that what the
United States want in Central America next to
the happiness of its people j. the security and
n"ot'a!Ity OF the inter-oceanic routes which lead
throus ia it.
1he construction of three transcontinental
lines OF railroad all in successful operation
wholly within oar territory and uniting the At
lantic and tho Pacihc oceans, has been accom-
fAalA ny 'NhAA VI u llNNNl ~ trlluZ hlI I'LL
pressiyo nature, and has created new conditions
not IN the routes OF nmnerc only, but in po-
litical geography, which powerfully affect our
relations toward and necessarily increase our in-
terosts IN ans traDscoatlnantal routes which may
be opened and employed for the ends
,ina pnefe " for ' ases i ri ca other To b e%R.
Transportation is a faclgr in the cost of
commodities scarcely second TO that of their lr)-
duction and W ighs rs heavily On the consumcr.
UrrS,et ace already has proven the great im-
p0rt4nce OF having the comp tition hol ween laLd
c~u,rtse ara water carriage fully developed, eacu
acting ~ a protection 10 the public against the
tsnUoncits OF monopoly. winch Ia in point the
consolidation OF wealth alid gower IN the hands
o. vast Corporations. Vd"He suggestions may
serve 10 emphasize what ! have already said ON
tbe arnre OF the necessity of y Capitalization of
any iGpir-pceRnic transit, and this can only %
ace Jlnplslied by making tho uses of the route
op,n 20 all nations and subject to the ambitions
aud wariike necessities of mono. The drawings
and report OF a recent survey Of tho kicaraguan
canal ron q made by Chief Engineer Menocal
will be communicated for your Information.
The claims of %citi2hns Of ths United States for
losses by reason of the late military operations OF
Cnil ia Psru aud Bolivia arr tn" SUBJECT OF ne
gotiations for u claim convention with Chill,
providing for their submission 10 arbitration.
THE or oUR RELATIONS WITH
is fully sustained in the application Of the acts
lately passed to execute the r. atty OF 1887 re-
s~trictive Of the immigraiion Of Chinese laborers
into thu United States. Individual cases of
ANf's -AhR bA'N f8LSNs -'s ~ ~ ~ Nbo
executive TO remedy md calling for judicial de-
termination. The cUndit.o on of the Chinese ques-
ton in tho western states and territories is, do
spite this restrictive legislation, far from being
satisfactory. The recent outbreak in Wyoming
Territory. where numbers OF unoftending Chi
ness, indisputably within The protection OF the
treaties and the law. were murdered by a mob,
and the still more recent threatened outbreak OF
the same character in Washington Territory are
still fresh in the minds of all. and there is appre-
hCnsiOn lest the bitterness OF feeling against the
monaghan race on tho Pacific slope may mad
vent in similar iawless demonstrations All the
power of this government should be exerted to
maintain tha amplcst good faith toward
China in the treatment OF these men
and the iniiexible sternngss of the law
in bringing tho wrOngduars to justice
should be insisted upon. hyeIy effort has been
lent outbreaks and to all the representatives OF
China in their Investigation OF these o~utrages.
ant il is but Just TO say that they arc traceahle 10
the lawlessness OF men not citizens OF the United
States. engaged Ia competition with Chinese
latorefs. Race prejudice is the chief factor in
"a large part az orr domain, jeopardizinE cur
name and the good relationship W try to main
tain with China. The ight of the government 10
prevent the Influence OF elements hostile to it's
internal peace and security max not be ques-
toned, even who're there is no treaty stipulation
on the subject That the exclusion of Chinese
labor - demanded IN other countries whore like
conditions prevail is strongly evidenced in the
dominion OF Canada, where thinere immigration
IL now regulated 10y laws more exclusive than our
own. III the existing laws are inadequate to COM
pass the end IN view, ! shall be prepared Ia give
earnest consid ration of any further remedical
meas ures within the treaty limits which the wis
dom OF congress- may devise.
THE I~NDBPRNDgNr STATE OF THE oN6O