Year: 1875

other step toward the great consumms


tien to be reached when no man shall b


permitted, directly or indirectly, unde


anv guise, excuse, or form of law, to hol'


his fellow-man in bondage. i am O
opinion, also, that it is the duty of tn


United States, as contributing towar'


that end, and required by the spirit o


the law of the land in which W


live to provide by suitable legisla


ton, that no citizen of the Unitet
States shall hold slaves as property il


any other territory, or be interested
therein.


Chill has made reparation in the cas-
of the whaleship Good Return, seizet
without sufficient cause upwards of forty
years ago, though she had hitherto de
MED her accountability. The denial wa


never acquiesced in by the Government
and the Justice of the claim has been 81
earnestly contended for that it has beer
gratifying that she should have at las
acknowledged it. AS arbitrator in tn,
case of the United States steamer Mon
| tito, for the seizure and detention O
which the Government of the United
States of Columbia was held account
able, has decided in favor of the claim
This decision has settled a question which
has been pending for several years apd
which, while it continued open, might
more or less disturb the good under
standing which it is desirable should he
maintained between the Republics. A
reciprocity treaty with the King of the
Hawaiian Islands was concluded some
months ago. AS it contains stipulation
that it shall not 60 into effect until Con.
gress shall enact the proper legislation
for the purpose, copies of the instrument
are herewith submitted in order that il
such should be the pleasure of Congress,
the necessary legislation upon the sub
ject may be adopted.


In March last an arrangement was
made through Mr.. Gushing, our Minister
in Madrid, with the Spanish Govern
ment for the payment by the latter to
the United States of the sum of eighty
thousand dollars in coin tor the purpose
of the relief of the families and persons
of the ships company, and certain pas
sengers of the Virginius. This 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 payments were fully and speed
lily anticipated by that Government, and
that the whole amount was paid within
but q few days more than two months
from the date of agreement, copy of
which is herewith transmitted. In pur-
suance of the terms of adjustment, /
have directed the distribution of the
amount among the parties entitled there
to, including the ships company, and
such of the passengers as were American
citizens. Payments are made accord
ingly on application of the parties en-
titled thereto.


No evidence is furnished of an ap-
preaching end of the ruinous conflict
which has been raging for seven years in
the neighboring island of Cuba. The
same disregard of the laws of civilized
warfare and of the just demands of hu-
manity which have heretofore called
forth expressions of condemnation from
the nations of Christendom have con-
tinued TO blacken the sad scene. Desc
lation, ruin and pillage are pervading
the rich fields of one of the most fertile
and productive regions Of the earth; and
the incendiary's torch, firing plantations
and valuable factories and buildings, is
the agent marking alternate advance or
retreat of contending parties The pro-
tracted continuance of the strife seri-
ously affects the interests of all COM
mercial nations, but those of the United
States more than others by reason of
close proximity, its larger trade and in
tercourse with Cuba, and frequent and
intimate personal and social relations
which have grown up between its citi-
zeps and those of the island; and, more
over, the property of our citizens in Cuba
is large, and is rendered insecure and de-
preciated in value and in capacity of pro-
duction by the continuance of the strife
and the unnatural mode of its conduct.
The same is true, differing only in de-
gree, with respect to the interest and
people of the other nations, and the alb
sence of any reasonable assurance OF a
near termination of the conflict must, OF
ne cessity, soon compel the States thus
suffering to consider what the interests
of their people, and their duty toward
themselves, may demand.


had hoped that Spain would be en-
abled to establish peace in ber colony, to
afford security to the property and the
interests of our citizens, and to allow a
legitimate hope to trade and commerce,
and the natural productions of the ISL
and. Because of this hope, and Of an
extreme reluctance to interfere in the
most remote manner in the affairs of an
other and friendly nation, especially OF
one whose sympathy and friendship in
the struggling infancy of our own exist
ence must ever be remembered with
gratitude, have patiently and anxious
ly waited the progress OF events. Our
own civil conflict is too recent for us not
to consider the difficulties which sur
round government distracted by a dy-
nastic 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 80 grievously affects our
interests with all its attendant evils OPP
Grating directly upon this conntry and
its people, thus far all the resorts of
Spain have proved abortive, and time
has marked no improvement in the stu.
alton. The armed bands of either side
now occupy nearly the same ground as
in the past, with the difference, from
time to time, of more lives sacrificed,
property destroyed, wider extents Of fer
tile and productive fields, and more val
liable property constantly and wantonly
sacrificed to the incendiaries of each.


1t consists of this nature, where con-
siderable body of people who have at
tempted TO free themselves of the control
of the superior government, have reached
such a point in the occupation of terri
tory, in power, and in general organiza-
tion, as to constitute In fact a body
polite having government in substance
as well as in name, possessed of the ele-
ments of stability and equipped with
the machinery for the administration of
internal policy and the execution of its
laws, and prepared and able to admins
ter justice at home as well as in its deal
ings with other powers, 1t is within the
province of those other powers to recog-
nize its existence, as new and independ.
ent nation, and in such cases other
nations simply deal with an actually ex-