The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1886-12-14

POLICY OF RECALLING
all her commercial treaties AIexi-
co has since concluded with several
foreign Governments new treaties of
commerce and navigation, defining
alien rights of trade, property and
residence, treatment of shipping,
consular privileges and thelike. Our
yet unexecuted reciprocity conven
tion of 1888, covers none of these
points, the settlement Of which is
not necessary to good relationship.
| propose to initiate with Mexico
negotiations for new and enlarged
treaty of commerce and navigation.
CUTTINGS CASE.
In compliance with resolution of
the Senate, | communicated to that
body on August 9, last, and also to
the House of Representatives. the
correspondence in the case Of A. X.
Cutting, an American citizen then
imprisoned in Mexico, charged with
the commission of penal ofense in
Texas, of which Mexican citizen
was the object. After demand had
been made for his release, the charge
against him was amended so as to
include violation Of Mexican law
within the Mexican territory. This
joinder of alleged ofienses, one with
in and the other exterior to Mexico,
induced me to order special inves-
tigation of the case, pending which
Mr.. Cutting was released. The in
cident has, however, disclosed a
claim of jurisdiction hy Mexico
novel in our history, whereby any
offense committed anywhere by for.
eigner alien to the place, of commits
sion, and of which-a Mexican is the
object, may, if the offender be found
in Mexico, be there tried and pun
ished in conformity with Mexican
laws. This jurisdiction was sus-
tanned by the courts of Mexico in
the Cutting case, and approved by
the executive branch of that Gov
ernment upon the authority of a
Mexican statute. The appellate
court, in releasing Mr.. Cutting, de-
cided that the abandonment of the
complaint by the Mexican citizens,
aggrieved by the alleged crime Ca
libelous publication removes the
basis of further prosecution and also
declared Justice to have been salts
fed by the enforcement of ;rsmall
part of the original sentence The
admission of such pretension
would be attended with serious re-
suits, invasive of the Jurisdiction Of
this Government, and highly danger
Gus to our citizens in foreign lands;
therefore, / have denied it and pro-
tested against its attempted exercise
as unwarranted by the principles of
law and international usages. A
sovereign has
JURISDICTION
of offense which take effect within
his territory, although commenced
or concoctcd outside Of it, but the
right is denied of any foreign SOW
ereign t, punish citizen of the
United States for an offense commit
ted on our soil in violation of our
laws, even though the ofense be
against a subject or citizen of such
sovereign. The Mexican statute in
question makes the claim broadly,
and the p inciple, if conceded, would
create a dual responsibility in the
citizen and lead to inextrIcable con
fusion destructive OF that certainty
in the law which is an essential of
liberty. When citizens of the Uni
ted States voluntarily go into for
.eign country they must abide By the
laws there in force, and will not be
protected by their own Government
from the consequences Of an otfense
against these laws committed in such
foreign country; but watchful care
and interest oflthis government over
its citizens are not relinquisbed be-
cause they have gone abroad, and if
charged with a crime committed in
the foreign land a fair and open trial
conducted with decent regard for
justice and humanity will be deman-
ded for them. With less than that
this Government will not be content
when life and liberty of its citizens
are at stake, whatever the degree
to which extra territorial criminal
jurisdiction may have been formally
allowed by consent and reciprocal
agreement among certain European
states.
THE CURRENCY QUESTION.
During the fiscal year ending June
30, 1886, there were coined under
the compulsory silver eoinage act of
1878. 20,S3S,905 silver dollars, snd
the cost of the silver used in such
coinage was $2,344,S96. There had
been coined up to the close of the
present fiscal year, under the proyis-
ions of the law, 203, 3,SS2,554 silver
dollars, and ON the first day of De-
cember, 1886, the total amount of
such coinage was $247, ,l3l ,549. The
director Of the mint reports that at
the time. Of tie passage Of the law
of 1878, directing the coinage, he
intrinsic value of the dollar thus
coined was 94a cents each, and that
on the 31st day of July, 1886, the
price of silver reached the lowest
stage ever known, so that the intrin-
sic or bullion price of our standard
silver dollar at that date was less
than y cents. The price of silver
on the 30th day of November last
was such as to make these dollars
intrinsically worth rs cents each.
These differences in the value. Of
the ceins represent the fluctuations
in the price of silver; and they GER
tainly do not indicate that compul-
sorry coinage by the Government en-
hances the price of that commodity
or secures uniformity in its value.
Every fair and legal effort has been
made by she Treasury Department
to distribute this currency among
the people. The withdrawal of Uni
ted States Treasury notes Of small