The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-12-04
PRksrDEsr,s MESSAGE.
He Believes In Strengthening tho Navy
 Other Reoomm sndations.


 legislative halls of those charged with the duty of making laws for the benefit of generous and free people impress slvely suggests the exneting obligation and inexorable responsibility involved in their task. At the threshold Of such labor now to be undertaken by the con- gress of the United States and in the discharge of an executive duty enjoined by the constitution. I submit this com munication. containing brief state- ment of the condition of our national affairs, and recommending such legis- lation as seems to me necessary and expedient.
 OUR FOREIGN RELATIONS.
 The history of our recent dealings with other nations. and our peaceful relations with them at this time. ad- ditionally demonstrates the advantage of consistently adhering to a firm but just foreign policy. free from envious or ambitious national schemes and characterized by entire honesty and sincerity.
 Although the war between China and Japan endangers no policy of the United States, 1t deserves our gravest consideration. by reason of Its disturb ance of our growing commercial in- terests in the two countries and the in- creased dangers which may result to our citizens domiciled or soiourning in the interior of China. Acting under a stipulation in our treaty with Korea (the first concluded with western power). I felt constrained at the begin ming of the controversy to tender our good offices to induce an amicable ar engagement of the initial difficulty gorwing out of the Japenese demands for administrative reforms in Korea; but the unhappy precipitation of &C., tual hostilities defeated this kindly purpose.
 Deploring the destructive war be- tween the two most powerful of the eastern nations and anxious that our commercial interests in those countries may be preserved and that the safety ardized. I would not hesitate to heed any intimation that our friendly aid for the honorable terminia tion of hos tilities would be acceptable to both belligerents.
 A convention has been finally con- cluded for the settlement by arbitra- tion of the prolonged dispute with Ecuador growing out of the proceed ings against Emilio Santos, a natural ized citizen of the United States.
 Apart from the war in which the is- land empire is engaged Japan attracts increasing attention in this country by her evident desire to cultivate more liberal intercourse with us and to seek cur kindly aid in furtherance of her laudable desire for complete autonomy in her domestic affairs and full equali- ty in the family of nations. The Ja- panese empire of to-day is no longer the Japan of the past and our relations with this progressive nation should not be less broad and liberal than those with other powers.
 THE BLUEFIELDs INCIDENT.
 Prominent among the questions of the year was the Bluefields incident, in what is known as the Mosquito In- dian strip, bordering on the Atlantic ocean and within the jurisdiction of Nicaragua. By the treaty of 1860 be- tween Great Britain and Nicaragua the former government expressly recog- nized the sovereignty of the latter over the strip, and a limited form of self-government was guaranteed to the ito T,,1s cording to their customs, for them selves and other dwellers within its limits. The so-called native govern ment, which grew to be largely made up of aliens for many years disputed the sovereignty of Nicaragua over the strip and claimed the right to maintain therein a practically independent mu- nicipa1 government Early in the past year efforts of Nicaragua to maintain sovereignty over the Mosquito territo- ry led to serious disturbances culmi- hating in the suppression of the native government and the attempted substi- tuition of an impracticable composite administration, in which Nicaragua and alien residents were to participate. Failure was followed by an insurrec- tion which for 8 time subverted Nica- raguan rule, expelling her officers and restoring the old organization. This in turn gave place to the existing local government established and upheld by Nicaragua Although the alien inter- ests arrayed against Nicaragua in these transactions have been largely American, and the commerce of that region for some time has been and still is chiefly controlled by our citizens, we cannot for that reason challenge the rightful sovereignty of Nicaragua over this important part of her domain. For some months on and during part of the time two of our naval ships have been stationed at Bluefelds for the protection of all legitimate. inter- ests of our interests of our citizens. September last the government at Inanagua expelled from it's territory twelve or more foreigners. including two Americans, for alleged partIcipa- tion in the seditious or revolutionary movements against the republic at BluefieIds already mentioned; but through the earnest remonstrance of this government the two Americans have been permitted to return to the peaceful management of their bllsi- ness. Our naval commanders at the scene of the disturbances, by their constaa1t exhibition of firmness and good judgment, contributed largely to the prevention of more serious conse- l onences and to the restoration If n,lint