The Yazoo City weekly Whig. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 18??-1855, 1854-07-07

w have received rom Wash aglon City
oopiss ofths report ii sas ii lie d. s. Senate
from tie committee Oh foreign affairs, 81
lr. slidelL and ii tie House, ifom she
same committee. 81 III. Perkins. IL favor
Of paying Indemnity q Tie claimant ii tie
osse q tie priyalssr brig Gen. Arm.
strong
Our readers are familiar, We believe with
The leading points 81 this famous case,
which asoccupiea she diplomatists of The
country, and now and then It's Legislators,
tor nearly forty years. The defence Of the
Gen Armstrong q the harbor 81 FayaI, ID
september. 1914. against az overwhelming
British force assailing her il neutral port
was one Of the most gallant feats Of the
last war with Great Baitain and the una
yailing attempts q The owners to obtain in.
Identification for their wrongs. is 8 sad
history Of the neglect Of just rights and
meritorious services.
The real criminal Was great Britain,
which had committed an outrage upon q
neutral port, violating its neutrality in at
lacking and destroying. while under its pro-
teetion. the ship Of power 81 peace With
The neutral sovereign. The prima .facis
ibality wasin the Portuguese Government
(which did not extend the protection which
It owed under the Law Of nations. The
unlawfullness Of the act was admitted By
The British Government which apologized
to thatof Portugal, and made PREPARATION
70 the individuals in che port who we're dam
aged BY the British force The Portuguese
Government admitted their own liability,
and ithas been insisted upon by every Ad-
ministration to this date.
Il seems 10 us that the first error Of our
Government, was in not taking the affair
into its own hands. and dealing directly
With Great Britain as real perpetrator Of
the offence, requiring specific arrange
meni for the satisfaction Of the sufferers
in the treaty oi 1915. It did not but left
It for these long and fruitless negotiations
which in 1850 nearly led to breaking OF
of amicable relations between the two Gov
ernments: The then Secretary Of State. Mr..
Clayton, made ,Deremptory demand for the
payment ofthese 'incontroYertable claims,
with the announcement, thatif it were not
done the President would submit the sub
ject to the discussion OfCongress for inaI
determination.
The death Of Gen. Taylor changed this
course. The succeeding administration re-
versed the decision Of Gen. Taylor, and
without the knowledge or consent Of the
claimants accepted proposition to refer the
case to arbitration. accompanied By the un-
dertaking Of the Portuguese Government TO
pay allother claims Of american citizens
The then President now Emperor Of
France MAS selected arbitrator; but it ap.
pears that the claimants we're not permitted
to be heard at all and that neither the
American Minister at Paris. or any Ameri-
can authority whatever Vas consulted, adj
vised with, or was permitted TO make any
statement or explanation, OF know anything
ofthe deliberations Of the arbitrator. About
one year afterwards, say in December 1859
be sent his decision to the American lega-
ton at Paris. which vas altogether in favor
Of Portugal.
Both cf the Congressional reports treat
the reopening Of the case. after the FINAL
Judgement Of the Taylor Administration, as
Of doubtful prOprety. and at all events, an
injury to The claimants. They do not think
che decision Of The arbitrator conclusive
against the claimants although it may be
against the right ofeKacting PREPARATION from
Portugal, and The Senate report shows some
very conspicuous evidence Of mistakes in
point Of fact. and erroneous conclusions in
he French decision. They agree that it is
j meritorious case, inWhich the government
0ughttO interfere, and assume and pay
what has been thus far kept from them By
he injustice Of foreign Governments and the
negligence Of their own.
We have not seen The bin reported, nor
he amount proposed 70 be paid, but clear-
y q fair compensation IS due.
ClnADrAn GoLD.-A correspondent Of