The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-12-15
ITO be Continued.I
CLEVELAND'S MESSAGE.
WHAT THE PRESIDENT RECOMMENDS
TO CONGRESS.

A Lengthy Document of Which One-Third
is Devoted to Our Foreign Relations.
A Review of the Cutting Case - The
TarifT-other Features of the Message.
WASHINGTON, Dec 6-President Cleve-
lands message opens with the usual survey
foreign relations, and one-third of 1t
is devoted to discussion and review of such
relations. Our government, he says, has con-
sistently maintained its relations of friend
ship toward all other powers, and of neigh
borly interest toward those whose posses
sions are contiguous to our own Few Ques-
tions have arisen during the past year with
other governments and none of those are be-
yond the reach of settlement in friendly
council The cruel treatment of inoffensive
Chinese in the far west is alluded to and in
speaking of a remedy, he says the para
mount duty of maintaining public order and
defending the interests OF our own people
may require the adoption of measures of re-
strictions, but they should not tolerate the
oppression of invividuals of a special race.
Discussing the fisheries question, so long a
subject of anxious difference between. the
United States and Great Britain, the presi-
dent says the questions involved are of grave
consequence, and from time to time, for
nearly three quarters of a century, have
given rise to earnest international discus
sions, not unaccompanied by invitation.
/ Temporary arrangements by treaties have
served to allay friction which, however, has
revived as each treaty was terminated.
/ While desirous that friendly relations should
exist between the people of the United States
/ and Canada, the action of Canadian officials
/ during the past season toward our fishermen
has bsen such, the president thinks, as to
/ threaten their continuance, and although
/ disappointed in his efforts to secure a salts
/ factory settlement of the question, negotia
1 tions are still pending with reasonable hope
/ that before the close of the present session
! of congress, announcement made be made
that an acceptable conclusion has been
reached.
Abiding to our relations with Hawaii the
! president recommends an extension for sever
/ years of the reciprocity treaty of 1875. He
1 urgently renews his recommendations oi
/ legislation to carry into effect the Mexican
| reciprocity treaty of January, 1883, and pro
/ poses to initiate negotiations with Mexico
/ for a new and enlarged treaty of commerct
/ and legislation.
Referring TO the Cutting case, he says tht
incident has disclosed claim of jurisdiction
by Mexico, novel in one history, whereby
any Offense, committed anywhere by 6
foreigner, penal in the place of its commits
sion, and of 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 sus
tanned by the courts of Mexico, and approved
| by the executive branch of that govern
I 81
statute. The appellate court, in releasing
Mr.. Cutting, decided that the abandonment
of the complaint by the Mexican citizen ag
grieved by the allied crime Ia libelous publ
cation, removed the bases of further prose
tion, and also declared justice to have beer
satisfied by the enforcement of small par
OF the orr ~inal sentence
| The admission of such a pretension, th
| president argues, would be attended witt
serious results, invasive of the jurisdiction
of the government, and highly dangerous tC
our citizens in foreign lands; therefore he ha
denied it and protested against its attemptee
exercise, as unwarranted by the principles o
law and International usage. A sovereign
has jurisdiction Of offenses which take effec
within his territory, although concocted o
commenced outside of it; but the right is de
MED of any foreign sovereign TO punish cit
lZeil VI Tue NA4tcd totStttS lOE dt OncllSS NCI
summated on our soil. in violation of ou
laws, even though the offense be against
subject or citizen of such sovereign. Tn
Mexican statute in question makes the clair
broadly, and the principle, if conceded
would make a dual responsibility in the citi
zen, and lead to inextricabls confusion, de
structive of that certainty in the law whic
is an essential of liberty.
When citizens OF the United States yolur
tarily go into foreign country, they mus
abide by the laws therein in force, and wi
not be protected by their own governmen
from the consequences of an offense agains
, those laws committed in such foreign cour
try; but watchful care and interest of thi
government over its citizens are not relir
ouished because they have gone abroad; an
. If charged with crime committed in the for
eign land fair and open trial. conducte
with decent regard for justice and humanity
win be demanded for them With less tha
that the government will not be content whe
the life or liberty of its citizens is at stak.
! Whatever the degree to which extra terr
! toriaI criminal jurisdiction may have bee
| formerly allowed by consent and reciproc.
: agreement among certain of the Europea
/ states, no such doctrine OF practice was eve
known to the laws Of this country. or of tbs
, from which our institutions have maini
. been derived.
In the case of Mexico. there are reasons q
pecially strong for perfect harmony in Ii
mutual exercise OF jurisdiction Nature b.
made US irrevocably neighbors and wisdol
and kind feeling should make us friend
The overflow Of capital and enterprise froi
the United States is potent factor is assis
ing the development Of the resources Of Me,
t leo and in building up the prosperity Of bot
countries To assist this good work. a
/: grounds Of apprehension for the security
person and property should be remover
and the president trusts that In the interes
of good neighborhood the statute referred |
will be 30 modified as TO eliminate the presei
possibilities or danger to the peace Of the tu
countries
It appearing that the government OF Spa
D did not extend to the flag Of the Unit
| States in the Antilles the full measure
!. reciprocity requisite under our statute Il
!. | the continuance OF the suspension of di
81 examinations against the Spanish flags in o,
l | ports / was constrained, in October last
! | rescind my predecessors proclamation
i. February II, 1854, permitting such suspe
: | sion An arrangement was, however. spec.
Z ily reached, and upon notification from Il
~nvsrnmsnt of Spain that all didsrsnti