The Sun.
London, England, 1869-02-24 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 24, 1869,

aurae to woc-iameness, causing salucaung n l tne
pastern joints, and deprives bun of that elasticity
which otherwise he would retain to old age." It is
perhaps worthy of remark that all outside the cir:l:3
known as " frequenters of the turf " are agninst
the present state of things. The turf itself is
divided.

On Thursday the Senate Committee on Foreign
Relations agreed almost unanimously to recommend
the rejection of the Alabama Claims Treaty. This
will surprise no one acquainted with the progres-
sion of events in America. Indeed we announced
it as almost certain, having little doubt that such
would be the result, and that the Senate would act
on the recommendation. The chairman of this
committee is Mr. SUMNER, a learned lawyer, and
the man who has paid most attention to Foreign
Affairs. That Senator, in any debate connected
with England, has always spoken in a calm, digni-
fied, and argumentative manner, often in marked
contrast with the tone of others. The committee
could not have been so nearly unanimous had Mr.
SUMNEP. not concurred in its conclusion, and we are
confident that hedid not concur without some sound,
weighty reason wholly apart from the sentiment
with which the subject is generally throughout the
United States overlaid. In yesterday's article in
the Times, the grave defect which, perhaps, influ-
enced the committee is indicated as the want of a
definite basis for arbitration. The Times agrees
with the first objection made in the petition
Senator SUMMER presented from Mr. GEORGE B.
UPTON, a large shipowner of Boston, for the rejec-
tion of the treaty, 44 that its provisions delay re-
dress for an unnecessary period," while acknowledg-
ing and pointing out also the aforesaid defect. At the
same time, it with justice remarks that these are not
the real objections which have led to its rejection,
but that they are embodied in the second portion of
Mr. UPTON'S petition. In it that gentleman ex-
presses what the Times calls the ultra-American
view of this controversy, and if nations could be
taught to put aside prejudice and strive to view
questions from the ground taken by their opponents
in the dispute, nothing would more tend to teach
them than publishing widely in America the ex-
treme English view of this matter, and in England
the extreme American view. It is more easy glibly
to talk in harmony with one's prejudices than
to search through history and make the necessary
mental effort to see the points which favour the
other side. If individuals cannot do this but with
eyes closely shut, refusing to look, walk into law
courts to their own destruction, it is not likely that
nations can, ea :h one composing which do not at-
tempt to unravel the elaborations and complications
of national disputes. Mr. UPToN undoubtedly thought
evei y word he said true, and four Americans out of
five believe that lie
Is it then snrpri ing that the popular demand should
be for the rejection of a treaty which places British
claims against the United States on the same foot-
ing as American claims against Great Br:tain, while
the former are believed to have been inflicted by the
British Government wilfully and in bad faith, and
the latter by the Washington Government without
malice and in good faith. As descriptive of Mr.
UPTON'S view, this portion of the memorial is
quoted :—‘, Piracies were committed by British-
built, British-manned, and British-armed vessels,
by vessels and armaments which left British ports
under the protection of the British flag, and burnt
American ships, and your memorialists among the
number, upon the high seas, without taking them
into port for condemnation, and without any action
being taken upon the part of the said British Go-
vernment, when these atrocities were laid before it,
to prevent the same ; but, on the contrary, these
pirates were everywhere received with rejoicing
when visiting British ports, and when the notorious
builder of one of them boasted of the same in the
British Parliament, of which he was a member, he
was received with cheers and expressions of satis-
faction." All Englishmen will recognize the unfair
way in which this is represented, while compelled
to acknowledge that it is grounded on truth. It was
precisely by distorting truth in the same way that
Britain so managed to misrepresent the United
States during the war ; and it was the action she
took, deceived by these misrepresentations, which
so annoyed the Northern people. Had the ports of
England been as open as Mr. UPTON repre-
sents, it is not Alabaman that would have gone
to sea, but ironclad men-of-war in the Confede-
rate service which might have engaged in battle
the blockading fleets. The only instance of
such construction was met by an illegal seizure
on the part of the British Government, for which
they were compelled to pay heavily. No armed
vessel left an English port, nor was any Confede-
rate cruiser welcomed in a harbour of Britain.
That they were welcomed in the pestiferous little
island of Nassau, or in such places as Cape Town
or Melbourne, is true, and may be easily explained.
The first coined money by the war, and was the
head-quarters of blockade-breaking schemes ; the
other two would welcome 4, Old NICK," if he came
in the shape of an excitement, to break the tire-
some monotony of a monotonous existence. We
venture to say that not one out of every five of the
colonists who cheered the Confederate commanders
could have named a Southern State, much less have
shown any acquaintance with the causes and ob-
jects of the war. We all know the conversation
between two vociferous navvies, roaring themselves
hoarse in the streets of London in welcome of
GARIBALDI. " I say, BILL, who is this GARIBALDI ?"
44 Don't know, NED ; he is one of them foreign
beggars." The stress laid on the cheers with which
the British Parliament greeted Mr. LAIRD'S declara-
tion ought, if anything can, to teach Americans the
necessity for restraining their own legislative as-
semblies ; for it cannot but be humiliating to make
that a charge against the English people, for oc-
curring in England, which is habitually practised in
the United States. Because some members of the
Tory party indiscreetly cheered the indiscreet
speech of one of their party, Her MAJESTY'S sub-
jects are to be mulcted in damages, as it is held to be
conclusive proof that they all sympathized in such
an expression of fee:ing. Now this is the happiest in-
stance we have been able to get hold of,and we do not
intend soon to let it go, as illustrating the injustice so
generally done to America in England. The Re-
publican institutions of the United States give
undue prominence to rampant demagogues. Abuse
of the British lion is a blazoned banner they are
always flourishing in the face of the people, but
although they represent a noisy section it is in
reality one but of little influence. Yet the English
choose to interpret the sayings of these men as the
expression of national feeling, and to hate America

proportions will be very small after the election. In brief, for the injustice done to their country. It was not
the influence of Russia on the Danube has been greatly the British Parliament that cheered Mr. LAlnt, but
weakened, and the parties who supported Russian designs ,
have lost ground. Unless, therefore, there be something a section of the Tory party in the House of Com-
This is the sort of exaggeration which the . mons
behind these complications, it would appear that in allow- _
Table attempted to correct, pointing out that
ing the quarrel between Turkey and Greece to break out 'wand
without intending to bear it up, the Russian, and perhaps Americans were not dealing with the portion of the
Prussian, diplomatists have suffered a very salutary English Conservative party which disliked America,
defeat. but with the English people through a Government
THE GOVERNMENT AND COMIO directly elected by them on appeal to a very en-
JOURNALISM. larged constituency. It is one people dealing with
another people through their legitimately consti-
A correspondence which ash just been published by Mr
tuted authoriti as marked with the stripe they ies. If America persists in regarding
Hamilton Hume, editor of Will o' the Wisp, a comic E all thenglis
un-
weekly paper which was started in the Conservative interest doubtedly see in a section, and put the rest asidc!
during the elections, throws some light on the relations between haughtily to demand terms from their enemies, and
the late Government and the press. Mr. Corry, it appears, if England follows in the same line, taking GEORGE
endowed the print in question with a subsidy from the FRANCIS TRAIN and Mr. ROBINSON as exponents of
public purse of £l3 6d Bd., the price of 100 copies a week American sentiment, we 'are much more likely to
for circulation among the fleet on foreign stations. About drift into war than anywhere else, and it is easier
the time when a change of Government took place the to
do this than people are willing to confess. I in-
tor of Will o' the Wisp at once assumed that this was order for these copies was countermanded, and the edi-
tend to pursue such and such a course, but I do not
intend to pursue it into war was the idea in the
an act of political spite on the part of the new
Ministry, and attacked them accordingly. It turns out, mind of the Emperor NICIIOLAS when his schemes
however, that the order was cancelled on the 14th of became active against the " Sick Man." We in-
December, and Mr. Childers did not take offi.!o till the tend to resist this, but not unto war was in the
23d of that month, and knew nothing about the mind of Lord ABERDEEN on the other side.
matter except from the articles in IVi// o' the Wisp. We propose to take very strong action, but
Mr. Hamilton Hume himself quotes a passage from we are not going to war, Mr. JEFFERSON DAVIS
a letter written by Mr. Gladstone's secretary explain- would doubtless have said in 1860, and in Mr.
ing that his paper was "discontinued before the pro- LINCOLN'S heart the thought may have been sug-
sent Board of Admiralty came into office, not because it was
a Conservative organ, but on account of its vulgarity and Bested, I must suppress these firebrands, but not
scurrility," and to this statement the writer still adheres. by war. A man in the street sees another approach-
However that may be, Mr. Childers had apparently ing, and in a few minutes more be may be engaged
nothing to do with the matter, and it is certainly not in a fisticuff combat, to both his own and the
difficult to conceive that the late Government may have stranger's intense surprise—they drifted into it ; the
had their own reasons for thinking that the transaction bad one selfishly and insolently taking up the pathway,
better not remain open for the too curious investigation of the other resisting what he thinks rude and impro-
their successors. It is to be hoped that the question, trifling per. From unyielding they arrive at the stage of
as it is in itself, will not be allowed to rest here. A strict
and impartial inquiry into the newspaper patronage of th, pushing, and blows soon follow, or pistols if armed,
late Government would, if all tales be true, produce some as they probably would be in America. Their re-
rather astonishing results.—Pall Mall Gazette. spectable friends and neighbours are astounded to
see the plight in which gentlemen so dignified re-
turn after going out well attired to their ordinary
THE CLARENDO.NIJOHNSON TREATY. business. Many a hasty individual has realized
this to his own intense disgust, and without in-
On Thursday the Senate Committee on Foreign I wardly being able to acquit himself of folly. No ,
Relations agreed almost unanimously to recommend nation ought to take a step in the direction of war
the rejection of the Alabama Claims Treaty. This without intending war and being prepared for war,
will surprise no one acquainted with the progres- i for war then is less likely to result. It is the osten-
BiOn of events in America. Indeed we announced tatious repudiation of a hostile intention, coupled
it as almost certain, having little doubt that such with disarmament and an attitude which rouses
would be the result, and that the Senate would act feelings of indignation in an opponent which so
on the recommendation. The chairman of this ;
often leads almost insensibly into an armed conflict,
committee is Mr. SUMNER, a learned lawyer, and
and those who know this dread the result of the
the man who has paid most attention to Foreign
Senate's decision. We, however, believe that the
Affairs. That Senator, in any debate connected
United States would readily have accepted the
with England, has always spoken in a calm, digni-
fied, and argumentative manner, often in marked terms of the Convention had they been forwarded by
President GRANT, and are -confident that the alte-
contrast with the tone of others. The committee rations the nation will hereafter propose will not
could not have been so nearly unanimous had Mr. extend beyond the avowed expression of condemna-
SUMNEIt not concurred in its conclusion, and we are
confident that hedid not concur without some sound, ! tion of such a mode of warfare as that adopted by
weighty reason wholly apart from the sentiment the Confederate cruisers ; a shorter period for the
payment of adjudicated claims, and a more definite
with which the subject is generally throughout the basis for arbitration, though England seems to think
• United States overlaid. In yesterday's article in she will insist on an acknowledgment of what redly
the Times, the grave defect which, perhaps, ioflu- was an error, the precipitate recognition of belige-
enced the committee is indicated as the want of a rent rights.—:l aglo-American limes.
definite ha czia r,,..

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF LORDS.-LAST EvENI G.

The LORD CIIANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at five o'clock.

Lord KIMBERLEY gave notice that on Friday he
should introduce a bill for the more effectual suppression

of crime.
Iheir lord.,hips then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS—LAST EVENING.
The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.
NEW MEMBER.

Baron ROTHSCHILD took the oath and his seat for the
City of London.
OFFICES AND APPOINTMENTS IN IRELAND.

The O'CONNOR DON gave notice that on an early
day he should move for a list of all the Irish appointments
made during the last ten days of the existence of the late
G overnment.
OPENING MUSEUMS ON SUNDAYS.

Mr. GREGORY said on the 23d of March he should
submit a motion to the house to the effect that it was de-
sirable that all Museums and Galleries of Art be opened
to the public after Divine service on Sundays.

THE INDIAN BUDGET.

In reply to Mr. J. B. Sllllll,

Mr. G. DUFF said it was most desirable that the
Indian financial statement should be made when those
members who took an interest i❑ the matter were pre-
sent. Certain arrangements had been made which would
enable the statement being made a month earlier than
usual if such was the wish of the house.

THE WAR OFFICE AND THE HORSE GUARDS
In reply to Lord ELcllo,

Mr. CARD WELL said that his Royal Highness the
Duke of Cambridge was the Field Marshal Commanding-
in-Chief and the Commander-in-Chief, and ho held office
not by warrant but by a letter from the Crown counter-
signed by the Secretary of War. The Secretary of State
for War was supreme in all that related to the adminis-
tration of the army, and that his influence was brought to
bear upon the minor promotions as well as upon the higher
military appointments, and also upon matters connected
with the discipline of the army. Therefore in principle
there was no dual government in the department,
and when the two departments were associated in
one building a great convenience would be accom-
plish?d. With respect to the other part of the
question as to whether any steps aro being taken with
a view to the more speedy and economical transaction of
business, he mast reserve to himself the right of making
any observation on that matter.

Mr. GLADSTONE also objected to the proposal, and
contended that there was no precedent for inquiring into
the incidence of local taxation by Royal Commission.
The motion was withdrawn.

The SOLICITOR-GENERAL was accorded permission
to bring in a measure to repeal certain tests and alter cer-
tain Etatutes affecting the constitution of the Universities
of Oxford and Cambridge.
The remaining business was rapidly disposed of, and
the house adjourned.