The Sun.
London, England, 1866-08-04 00:00:00

England's Debt to America.

In reply to a letter on the above subject a writer
in a contemporary says
Both your correspondents in reply to Mr. Bawling
take exception to statements in his letter, but leave the
real question untouched. It only shows the tendency to
drift away from the point at issue. Mr. Rawlings wrote
to raise the claim of the United States against England for
damage done against the commerce of the former count/
by certain piratical cruisers built and fitted up in the latter.
From this issue the question has drifted to
"whether
France offered to join England during the war in recog-
nising the South," which both your correspondents jodig-
nantly deny, and further insinuate that it was all the other
way. I must say for Americans that it is impossible fort
England to act so as to satisfy them, and it is alai°
equally impossible for France to offend them. During 01°
civil war we managed to make both North and south
.
equally our enemies. Whatever step this country tong
seemed only to raise a storm of indignation on the ethedr
side. When she took no step at all, but declared she Nv?ul
remain strictly neutral, she was almost equally assailed'
From your correspondent T. S. we have a sample 1:1,,°"
America would receive the concession Mr. Rawlings he
mands, if made by England ; i‘ Though England," uv
says, "has refused to refer the demands, and even
ignores the claim, it will nevertheless be paid. 111
full, and I think without any objection ;being made in
a
hostile way." This result your correspondent evidenti, I
considers will be due to what he calls " a stunner, a
little iron fighting machine which sent wooden walls to a
great discount, and made England cry peace and strict
neutrality. Once let the idea get abroad in England the
America intends to enforce these claims from the turrets
of the Monitors, and the question will very soon be re-
moved from the domain of arbitration to that of force.
Your correspondent T. S. also considers that Canada could
not be held by this Empire for a fortnight against a rowdy
Irish mob. We have had a good many samples of what
Irish mobs aro, and that organisation of the Foliate
the States appears to be no exception to the general rule'
A contemptible gang that cannot hold together with every
advantage of circumstances and position, but plunders 10
members and splits into the fiercest domestic contentions'
is scarcely a community calculated to make war successfully
against a powerful Government. Had England pernlit
such an organisation in its territory against the lita-,
States, this country would be denounced in every journal
in the Union. We have heard a groat deal of the loyalty
of America in partially preventing the inroad of this gear,
of plunderers into a neighbouring country while at pose!'
but we have heard nothing of the dignified silence of thl
nation under a provocation which, had it been directea
against the States, would' have made the Great Republic
wild with indignation. There are two sides, Mr. Editor,
to every question. But no exception can be taken to "
Rawlings' able and temperate lettef, and his proposito
that the question of compensation should be referred t°
arbitration is the honest, straightforward Aolution of 5
difficulty that is as much the interest of England to 1131. c/
thus settled amicably as it is that of the United State'