The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-12-10


may be fully disclosed and the action and the
attitude of the administration clearly COM
pretended, more extended reference Is not
deemed necessary in this communication
1he gu sion of general revision of the
treaties OF Japan Is again under discussion at
TOXIC. AS the first to open relations with
that empire, and as the nation in most direct
commercial relation with Japan, the United
States have lost no opportunity to testify
their consistent friendship by supporting the
just claims OF Japan to autonomy and indie
pendence among nations. A treaty of extra
dltion between the United States and Japan,
the first concluded by that empire, has been
lately proclaimed. The weakness Of Liberia
and the difficulty of maintaining effective
sovereignty over its outlying districts, have
exposed that republic to encroachment. 1t
cannot be forgotten that this distant commu-
nifty is an oifshoot OF our system, owing its
origin to the associated benevolence of Amer
ican citiz4ns, whose praiseworthy efforts to
create nucleus of civilization in the dark
continent have commanded respect and SYM
pathy everywhere, especially in this country
Although formal protectorate over Liberia
is contrary to our traditional policy, the
moral right and duty of the United States to
assist in all proper ways in the maintenance
OF its integli ity is obvious, and has been con-
sistently announced during nearly half a CEN
tury. recommend that, i'll the reorganiza-
ton OF our navy, small vessel, no
longer found adequate to our needs, be
presented to Liberia, to be employed
by it in the protection Of its coast
wise revenues The encouraging devel-
opment of beneficial and intimate relations
between the United States and Mexico, which
has been so marked within the past few
years, Is at once the occaSi1 1n of congrat ula-
ZION and of friendly olicitude urgently
renew my former representation of the reed
! Of speedy legislation by congress to curry into
! iI4fn a1
OF -an 20, 1883 Our commercial treaty OF
1851 with Mexico was terminated. according
to its provisions, in 1881, upon no, ification
given by Mexico in pursuance of her an.
nouncod policy OF recastins all her CONNER.
cial treaties Mo1ico has since conclndei
with several foreign governments new tire aties
OF commerce and navigation, d. filming alien
rights OF trade, property ind residence, treat
ment OF shipping, consular privileges and
the like Our yet unexecutGd reciprocity
convention OF 1888 covers none of these points,
the settlement Of which is 50 neces; nry to
good relationship. / propose to initiate with
Mexico negotiations for Il new and enlarged
treaty of commerce and navigation. In on
pliance with a resolution of the senate com
municated to that body on Auv 9 last, and
also to the house of Representatives, the cor
respondence in the case of A. X. Cutting ali
American citizen then imprisoned in Mexico
charged with the commission of penal
oi1ense in Texas, of which n Mexican citizen
was the object. After de nand had been
made for his release the charge against him
was amended SO as to include Il violation Of
Mexican law within. Mexican territory
This joinder of alleged offenses, one within
and the other exterior to Mexico, induced me
to order special inve tigation of the case,
pending which Mr.. Cutting was released
The incident has, however. disclosed claim
of jurisdiction by Mexico novel in our
history, whereby any oifense committed
anywhere any here BY a foreignerl penal il, IN
which Mexican is the object, may, if the
offender be found in Mexico, be there tried
and punished in conformity with Mexican
laws. This jurisdiction was sustained by the
courts of Mexico in the Cutting case, and APP
proved by the executive branch of that gov
ernment, upon the authority Of a Mexican
statute. The appellate court in releasing
Mr.. Cutting, decided that the abandonment
of the complaint by the Mexican citizen az
greved 10y the alleged crime IA libelous pub
lication) removed the basis of further prose-
cution, and also declared justice to have been
satisfied by the enforcement of a small part
of the original sentence. The admission OF
such pIetension would be attended with Sc
rious results, invasive OF the jurisdiction OF
this government, and highly dangerous to our
citizens in foreign lands; therefore have de-
MED it and protested against its attempted
exercise as unWarranted by the principles OF
law and international usages. " hen citizens
of the United States voluntarily go into 4
foreign country they must abide by the laws
there in force, and will not be protected by
their own government from the consequences
of an oifense against those laws committed in
such foreigncountry; but watchful care and
interest of this government over its citizens
are not relinquished because they have gone
and il charged with crime committed
in the foreign land fair and open trial, con-
Quoted with decent regard for justice and
will be demanded for them. With
less than that this government will not be
content when the life or liberty of its
citizens is at stake. Whatever the degree
to which extraterrtorial criminal juris-
diction may have been formerly al
lowed by consent and reciprocal agreement
among certain of the European states, no
such doctrine or practice was ever known to
the laws OF this country or of that from
which our institutions have mainly been
derived
In the case of Mexico there are reasons
strong for perfect harmony in the
mutual exercise of jurisdiction. Nature has
made us irrevocably neighbors, and wisdom
and kind feeling should make us friends.
The overflow of capital and enterprise from
the United States is potent factor in assist
ing the development of the resources of Mex
leo, and in building up the prosperity of both
countries.
To assist this good work ~ grounds of ap-