Year: 1875

trbutlng toward that end, and required Dy u
spirit of the age in which we live, TO provid


by suitable legislation that no citizen Of the [


States shall hold slaves, as property, in an


other country or be interested therein


TREATY WITH HAWAIIAN GOVERNMENT.


A reciprocity treaty, with the Hawaiian /:
lands was concluded, the same month. As
contains stipulation that il shall not go int
! effect until Congress shall enact the prope


legislation for the purpose, copies of the instru
ment are herewith submitted, in order that


such should be the pleasure Of Congress, tn


necessary legislation upon the subject may b
adopted.


SPANISH INDEMNITY.


In March last an arrangement was mad
through Mr.. Gushing, our Minister in Madrid
with the Spanish Government for the paymen
by the latter to the United States al the sum o
$50. 900 in cnin for the purpose of the relief o
the families or persons of the ships COMPANY
and certain passengers of the Nirginius Thi
sum was to have been paid in three installments
at two months each. 1t is due to the Spanish
government that | should state that the pay
ments were fully and speedily anticipated by
that government, and that the whole amour
was paid within but few days more than two
months from the date of the agreement, a copy
of which is herewith transmitted.


In pursuance of the terms of the adjustment
have directed the distribution of the amount
among the parties entitled thereto, including
the ships company and such of the passengers
as were American citizens Payments art
made accordingly on application of the partie.
entitled thereto. x


THE CUBAN INsURRECTIoN- -


The past year has furnished no evidence Of
an approaching end of the ruinons ceHf1icl
which has been raging for seven years in the
neighboring Island of Cuba. The same disre
gard of the laws of civilized warfare and oi
the Just demands of humanity, which have
heretofore called forth expressions of condem.
nation from the nations of Christendom have
continued to blacken the sad scene. Desola-
ton, ruin and pillage are pervading the rich
field of one of the most fertile and productive
regions of the earth, and the incendiaries torch,
firing plantations and valuable factories and
buildings, is the agent, marking the alternate
advance or retreat of contending parties. The
protracted continuance of the strife seriously
affects the interests of all commercial nations,
but those of the United States more than others,
by reason of close proximity, its large trade
and intercourse with Cuba, and frequent and
intimate personal and social relations which
have grown up between its citizens and those
of the island; moreover the property of our
citizens in Cuba is large, and is rendered inse-
cure and deprecated in value and in capa-
CITY of production by the continuation of the
strife and the unnatural mode of its conduct.
The same is true, differing only in degree with
respect to the interest and people of other ma
tions, and the absence of any reasonable assur-
ance of near termination of conflict must, of
necessity, soon compel the State thus suffering
to consider what the interests of their own peo-
Ii, Il
mand. l have hoped that Spain would be en-
abled to


ESTABLISH PEACE


in her colony, to afford security to the prop
erty and the interests of our citizens, and al
low legitimate scope to trade and commerce,
and the natural productions of the Island.


Because of this hope, and from an extreme
reluctance to interfere in the most remote
manner in the affairs of another, and friendly
natior, especially of one whose sympathy and
friendship in the struggling infancy of our
own existence must ever be remembered with
gratitude, / have patiently, and anxiously
waited the progress of events. Our own civil
conflict is too recent for US not to consider the
difficulties which surround u government dis
tracted by dynastic rebellion at home, at the
same time that it has to cope with a separate
insurrection in distant colony; but whatever
causes may have produced the situation which
so grievously affects our interests, it exists,
with all its attendant evils, operating directly
upon this country and its people. Thus far all
the resorts of Spain have proved abortive, and
time has marked no Improvement in the situa-
ton. The armed bands of either side now
occupy nearly the same ground as in the past,
with the difference, from time totime, of more
lives sacrificed, more property destroyed, and
wider extents of fertile and productive fields,
and more valuable property constantly, wan
tonly sacrificed to the incendaries' torch. In
contests Of this nature, where considerable
body of people who have attempted to free
themselves of the control of the superior gov
ernment have reached such point in the oc-
cupation of territory, in power and in general
organization, as to constitute IN fact body
polite, having a government in substance as
well as in name, possessed of the elements of
stability and equipped with the machinery for
the administration of internal policy, and the
execution of its laws, and prepared and able
to administer justice at home,a as well as in its
dealings with other powers, it is within the
province of those other powers to recognize its
existence as a new and independent nation. In
such cases other nations simply deal with an
actually existing condition of things and re-
cognize as one of the powers OF the earth that
body polite which, possessing the necessary
elements has in fact become a new power. In
a word, the creation of a new State is fact to
establish, the condition of things essential to
the recognition of this fact. There must be a
people occupying known territory, united
under some known and defined form Of govern
ment, acknowledged by those subject thereto,
in which the functions of government are ad-
ministered by usual methods, competent to
mete out justice to strangers, to afford RENE
:. 20, or,1 for rrofn nd
able to assume the relative international obi
cations and capable of performing correspond
ing obligations. International duties, resulting
form its acquisition of the rights of sovereignty
and power, should exist complete in its organi-
zation. ready to take and able to maintain its
place among the nations of the earth. While
conscious that the insurrection in Cuba has
shown a strength and endurance which makes
it at least doubtful whether it be in the power
of Spain to subdue it, it seems unquestionable
that no such civil organization exists which
may be recognized as an independent Govern
ment capable of performing its obligations, and
entitled to be treated as one of the powers OF
the earth. A recognition under such circum-
stances would be inconsistent with the facts,
and would compel the power giving it soon to
support, by force, the Government to which it
had really given its only claim of existence. In
my Judgment, the United State should adhere
to the policy and the principles, which hereto
fore have been its sure and safe guides in like
contests between revolted colonies and their
mother country, and acting only upon the
clearest evidence, should avoid any possibility
of suspicion or imputation-a recognition oi
the Independence of Cuba being, in my opin.
ion, impracticable and indefensible. The ques
ton which next presents itself is that of the
recognition of belligerent rights in the parties
to the contest.


In former message to Congress 1 had oc.
casion to consider this question, and reached
the conclusion that the conflict in Cuba, de
vastating as were its incidents, did not rise tc
the fearful dignity of war Regarding it now,
after this lapse of time, am unable to see thai
any notable success of any marked or real ad
vance on the part of the insurgents has essen
tally changed the character of the contest. /
Lan ann,,ired greater hut not greater o.