Year: 1869




the subject of correspondence between
this Government and those of Spain and
Great Britain. The Captain General of
Cuba, about May last, issued a proclama-
tiOn authorizing search to be made of YES
| sells on the high seas Immediate remon-
STRANGE was made against this, whereupon
the Captain General issued new procla-
nation, limiting the right of search of YES
sells belonging to the United States so far
as authorized under the treaty of 1895
This proclamation, however, was imme-
dIately withdrawn.


l have always felt that the most init
mate relations should be cultivated be-
tween the Republic of the United States
anu all independent nations on this conti-
nert. 1t may be well worth considering
whether the treaties between the United
States and them may not be proftably
entered into, to securr more intimate re-
lations, friendly commercial intercourse,
and otherwise.


The subject of an inter-oceanic canal to
connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
| thrOug IN the Isthmus of Darien is one in
which commerce is greatly interested. In
| structiOns have been given to our Minister
to the Republic of the United States of
Columbia to endeavOr to obtain authority
for a survey by this Government in order
to determine the practicabilty of such an
undertaking, and a charter for the right of
way to build by private enterprise such
work, If the survey proves it to be prac-
ticable.


In order to comply with the agreement
of the United States as to mixed COM
mission at Lima, for the adjustment of the
| claims, it became necessary to send a Com
missioner to Lima in August last. No ap-
preparation having been made for this
purpose, it is now asked that one be made
covering the past and future expenses of
the Commission.


The good offices of the United States,
to bring about peace between Spain and
the South American Republics, with
which she is at war, having been accepted
| by Spain, Peru and Chill, congress has
been invited to be held in Washington
| during the present winter.


A grant has been given the Europeans
of an exclusive right of transit over the
territory of Nicaragua, to which Costa
Rica has given its assent, which, it is al
legged, conflicts with vested rights of citi-
zens of the United States. The Depart
ment OF State has now this subject under
consideration.


The Minister of Peru having made
iCllCSCuIdtlouS Illdt WIS IL state
war between Peru and Spain, and that
Spain was constructing in and near New
York thirty gunbOats, which might be
used by SPAN in such way as to relieve
the naval force at Cuba so as to operate
against Peru, orders were given to prevent
their departure. No further steps having
been taken by the representatives of the
Peruvian Government to prevent the de-
parture of these vessels, and not feel
ing authorized to detain the property of
a natien with which we are at peace on a
mere Executive order, the matter has
been referred to the courts to decide.


The conduct of the war between the
allies and the Republic of Paraguay has
made the intercourse with that country
so difficult that it has been deemed adj
visable to withdraw our representative
from there


Toward the close of the last Admins
tratiOn convention was signed at Lon
con for the settlement of all outstanding
claims between Great Britain and the
United States, which failed to receive the
advice and consent Of the Senate to its
ratification. The time and the circum-
stances attending the negotiation Of the
| treaty were favorable to its acceptance by
the people of the United States, and its
provisions were wholly inadequate for the
settlement of the gross wrongs that had
been sustained by this Government, as
well as by its citizens. The injuries result
ing to the United States, by reason of the
course adopted by Great Britain during
our late civil war, in increased rates of in
surance, in the diminution of exports and
imports, and other Instructions to domes-
tic industry and production, in its effect
| nnOr fha forairp comm oroo Of 20 coupfr,,
in the decrease and transfer to Great
Britain of our commercial marine, in the
prolOngation of war and increased cost,
both in treasure and in lives, of its sup
preston could not be adjusted and salts
| fed as ordinary commercial claims which
continually arise between commercial ma
tions, and yet the Convention treated them
simply as such ordinary claims from which
they differ more widely in the gravity of
their character than in the magnitude of
their amount. Great even as is that diff
ference, not word was found in the treaty
and not an inference could be drawn from
it, to remove the sense of the unfriendli-
ness Of the course of Great Britain in our
struggle for existence, which had so deep
ly and universally impressed itself upon
the people of this country. Believing
that a convention thus misconstrued in it's
scope and made quite different in its pro-
visions would not have produced the
hearty, cordial settlement of the pending
questions which alone is consistent with
the relations which desire to have estab-
lished between the United States and
Great Britain, / regarded the action of the
Senate, in rejecting the treaty, to have
been wisely taken in the interest of peace,
and as a necessary step in the direction
| of rnarfaot nd a1 fr,o l.,
tween the two countries. A SEN
sitive people, conscious of their power,
are more at ease under a great wrong
wholly unatOned than under the restraint
of a settlement which satisfies neither their
ideas of justice nor their grave sense OF
the grievance they have sustained. The
rejection of the treaty was followed by a
state Of public feeling on both sides, which
l thought not favorable to an immediate
attempt at renewing negotiation. l ac-
cOrdingly so instructed the Minister OF
the United States to Great Britain, and
found that my views in this regard were
shared by her Majesty's Minister / hope
that the time may soon arrive when the
two Governments can approach the solu-
ton of this mOmentOus question with an
assurance of what is due to the rights, dig
nifty and honor of each, and with the de-
termination, not only to remove the causes
of complaint in the past, but to lay the
foundation of a broad principle of public
laws, which will prevent future differ
ences, and tend to firm and continued
peace and friendship. This is now the
only grand question which the United
States have with any foreign nation.


The question of treaty for Reciprocity
between the United States and the British
Provinces on this continent ha.
not been favorably considered by the
Administration. The advantage of sucl
! a treaty would be wholly in favor of the
British producer, except possiblya few en-
J gagged in the trade between the two sec
tions. No citizen of the United States
would be benefited by reciprocity. Our
internal taxation would prove protection
to the British producer almost equal t.