The Sun.
London, England, 1865-11-22 00:00:00

Cobden's Opinion of American Claims.

While it was generally known that our late statesman,
RICHARD COBDEN, was strongly impressed with the justice
of the claims made by the United States for the damages
suffered at the bands of Confederate cruisers fitted in
English ports, yet the following extracts from letters
written by him to the London correspondent of the
Chicago Tribune cannot fail to be read with great interest,
as affording additional evidence that at least one great
Englishman thought it a proper subject for arbitration.
The correspondent alluded to is an English gentleman, who
has for the past two years interested himself in placing
before the people of this country the question whether a
neutral power was responsible for acts of destruction
caused by vessels of war which were built and manned, if
not partially armed and equipped, in its ports. In January,
1864, Mr. COBDEN wrote to him as follows:

" I entirely agree with you as to the consequences to be
apprehended from the operations of the privateers. But I
do not see how I can interfere now with advantage. I
stated in the House last spring, when it was dWkult to get s
hearmg on that side, what I feared would be the conse-
quences of our lax proceedings at Liverpool, 4c. * * *
But I confess I think the money amount of the cap-
tures the smallest amount of the future penalty we shall
have to pay. It is the loss of productive value inflicted
on the whole of the United States mercantile marine which
is the most pregnant fact, for it shows what half-a-dozen
swift steamers would do to our merchantmen. * *
With such a prospect I hardly see how we can go to war
with even Brazil. I have marvelled at the short-sighted-
ness of so many of our shipowners and merchants, who
ought, the moment there was even the hint of privateers
being fitted out in our ports, to have risen en masse
against it, and to have called on the Government to apply
for fresh powers if they had not sufficient for the purpose.
Instead of this, too many of them have, I fear, chuckled
over the destruction of a rival. For English shipowners
and merchants to be found encouraging such a mode of
warfare upon and through foreign commerce is on a par
with the intelligence which the proprietors of the Crystal
Palace would exhibit if they were to invite a game of
stone-throwing with their neighbours living in stone and
slate houses."

The following is extracted from a second letter, dated
February 24th, 1864, on the same subject
" You aro acting a patriotic part in endeavouring to give
a serious aspect to the operations of British built cruisers
on American commerce. I regard it in every point of view
as the most serious question so affecting our interests which
has arisen out of the war. I do not mean merely the dis-
puted money claim, though that may be serious—but the
lesson we have given and the example we have set to be
applied some day on ourselves I think Lord Russell very
injudicious in refusing the offer of arbitration. We may not
have another President so peaceful as Lincoln, or another
Minister of State so pliant and conciliatory as Seward to
deal with."

BREAKFAST BEVERAGE.—Homceopathic practitioners, and
the medical profession generally, recommend cocoa as being
the most healthful of all beverages. When the doctrine of
homoeopathy was first introduced into this country, there
were to be obtained no preparations of cocoa either attrac-
tive to the taste or acceptat le to the stomach ; the nut was
either supplied in the crude state, or so uuskilfully manu-
factured as to obtain little notice. J. Epps, of London,
homoeopathic chemist, was induced in the year 1839 to turn
his attention to this subje t, and at length sue:ceded, with
the assistance of elaborate machinery, in being the first to
produce an article pure in its composition, and so refined by
the pert et trituration it ie'eives in the process it passes
through, as to be most acceptable to the delicate stomach.
For general use Epps' cocoa is distine.uished as an invigo-
rating, grateful breakfast beverage, with a delicious aroma
Dr. Hassall in his work, "Food and its Adulterations,"
says—" Cocoa contains a great variety of important nutritive
principles ; every ingredient necessary to the growth and
sustenance of the body." Again, "As a nutritive, cocoa
stands very much higher than either coffee or tea." Direc-
tions :—Two teaspoonfuls of the powder in a breakfast cup,
filled up with boiling water or milk. Secured in tin-lined
1-Ib., 4-lb., and 11b. labelled packets, and sold at Is. od. per
lb. by grocers, confectioners, and chemists.