Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1864-03-13
Earl BasssII sad tAe AIabama-Yankee

| GlhAIstH ger ELf fiaEEtkHH kter1GEhkcos
! In the British House Of Lords, On the 10Th Of
Februsry, Lord CarnMvon asked for farther In
formation as to claims made by tho United
Slsles Government on the Government Of Great
Bris.iB for damages 30 American ships by the
Alabsus sna other Confederate cruisers. He
censured sn admission made by Lord Russell 70
Mr.. Adams, that Her Msjssty's Government
msy well be content to await the time when =
calm and candid examination Of the facts and
| principles Involved in tho case Of tie Alabama
msy, in tsa opinion of tbs Government Of the
United States, usefully be undertaken" The
effect Ct this admission, ho argued, was 10 en-
coursge ;be Federal Government to press the
claims fer damsgss-astimEted to amount TO
| GO 500 000, He thought It most important
that H.r Majasty's Government should bring
this matter to settlement one way or the other
Earl Russsll, in reply, expressed his indebted
ness to the noEie Earl for ensbling him 50 clear
MP . nisconcppHcn, which, as il had sfectsd
his Carl CaTDvon's) mind, msy also have af-
fzcsed others in tho sSme way. He then pro-
cosdod to Say:
wsys maintained that they were in no way 70.
spoasble for the hcstli,es agaiust the msrch hSas
ships Of the United States committed by the
| Alabama [HesT, hear. We have msintsined
that position fTCm the beginning; We shall
maintain it to the ED The noble Esrl seems
70 suppose thst in q letter of mine Of tho 26ih
Of October, ] admitted that theEe questions
would s.terwsrd be referred to q commission
Ny lords / admitted nothing of tho kind
1 Lee ! 7 b.,T Ill l.
stated, that her Msjssty's Government VAS not
responsible for the ects CT tho Alabama TIE
/ United States minister may hsve in view scme
/ kind of commission or arbitration; bus her
Maiosty's Government have never consented,
I and never would consent, 10 = commission or
aTbitrsiion THesE, hear.l According TO all
tho principles Of International law, her &sjssy's
Government are in no way responsible for tie
doins8 OF the vessel referred TO
There has been c question OF eCDmi ssion,
but we have slRsys thought that . commission
! would be Of no gss, because the United States
| G9vsTE!Eent would be sure to propose that the
! case Of the AlsbEnRshoUld Be TefsTTed TO the
commission, and It is quito impossible shat We
/ could consent 20 that. Therefore We have never
proposed Whist uuder ordinary circumstances
| would be g proper coUrse-yya have never pro
! posed a commission 10 consider the respective
/ claims Of the subjects of each country, and
!hsy were ready 70 agree to, becauss We knew
that !, would be proposed to include the case Of
/ the Ascama, which We were de.sTmined not TO
! consent 70. (lssr, hear) say, therefore, the
! Government may well await the tScle when 3
calm coEsideTLiion Of the pEicciplss involved in
the ease Of the Alabama can Re given.
Every one is aware that for d long time there
has been gIest excitement il Americs upon the
sutiec; oi the Alabama; that she las been
! aaFi = FsH Ea tho 4
! has been reused to anger against this country
foI the doings Of the Alabama l say thatwhen
| TIE United States Government say they do rot
wish to press that question iurthsr now, it is
] fair 10 believe shat time may come When he
! United States Government, considering all tie
| presidents laid down by their own judges, IS
well ss by British judges, will be ssiis6sd that
/ they have no claim against this country on &C
| count OF tie Alabama. Ny expression was not
ia,Cndet to convey the notion that tbs British
! Government would change their minda, but tha.
/ the Unitgd Ssstes Government would chsnge
/ theirs when Inc excIteneHs of the moment had
| passed away. Therefore 20 On TO say:
| 1he British Government must decline 10 Be
responsible for the acts Of parties who lit out
| seeming merchant ship, send her to . port er to
WATERS fsr from the jurisdiction Of British
courts, AID ihere commission, equip and man
her as = vessel of war.
EAt0 l4E ltttA say tlfhk II Al NlHll&LGQ D[Lu-
| eiple wss thus made sllstic to meet particular
| case, the trade of sbiPbnlldinE in this country
would be seriously embarrassed" The noble
| Earl IN : manner Ungcc0Untebls TO me-foT it
never isCm the tiEla I wrote ;hzt letter until
now, occuyred 30 uGs that such a meaning could
| be applied 10 it, ard that j: could Be understood
/ es sdEitIisE = future examination cf the case
tao noble Earl ssys isis dssiTable that these
cases should not bs kep. open, bUt thst tbey
-aas sHsa#. Ia lad At L
/ hin il there IS any amics5s way 10 which they
can be settled
Tie American Government says: eve have
q clear and Und0ubted case OF repsrstion On
! account Of tho Alabama" We cay: We
have q clear and uudoubted case for refusing
! rspaTstIon in the cEse Of The Alabama" :" Who
is 10 be the arbitrator, unlcss we resort to shat
method Of sTbiIetiOn which the E0bls car!
thinks I agree 80 In no way can this qaes-
! ton be settled unlors the United States should
| push US 10 the verge OF war fer tie purpose Of
/ getting the question settled The United Sta es
! Government says "We have GOOD case; bRt
we are ready to kssp il ia absys1ce, and to
! continue on terms of amitY aud friendly rels-
tons with Great Britain, if Great Britain viii
| consent to DO so" Am to say. we will not
agree to anything of the sorli Why DO you not
make war upon US Why not uush yonr
claims % tho utmost extremity 2" That l. the
to hsve thesa questions settled ard not to hsts
them hanging over as. Il is desirable, indeed :;
but hoU is Is TO be done while The positions Of
the two countries are SO entirely opposed
The noble Earl seems TO be much checked
because l said that the case of the Alsbams
was e scsrdsi and in some degree s reproach
upon British law. I say that heIe, IS | said in
That dispatch, [hesT, hear, l do not consider
thai, having passed a law % prevent the enlist
0fh har fvr'g cf
8 foreign Power, to prevent the fitting out or
equippiDg, within her Msjeslys deminioDs Of
vessels for wsIlike purposes without her Msj.
esiy's sauction-I ssv that, having passed such
law 10 the yesr 1919 /; is scandal and q re.
prcsch that one os the belligersnts ia this
American contest has been enabled, st the order
of the Confederate G0yeTnmsut, to ht a vesse.
at Liverpool in suca q way that she was cspa-
be Of being made q vessel of WRI; that, alter
going to another port in ksr Mpjssiy's denim
ions 10 chip portion Of her crew, she prccsed-
ed 20 port in neutral teTitory, AID their com
plsted her crew aud equipments IS a vessel Of
, | var, 80 tbateao hiss since been sbls TO capture
and destroy innocent merchant vessels hsonE.
ieg 70 the other bellgefent. Hear Having
been thus equipped by al evasion OF the law
, / say !: IS tcAndsl 10 cor law that We should
nos be able to prevent such bsligerent opera
items. Hesr, hear [ venture 70 say as much
because at the Foreign Office feel this to be
very ineonvcnisnt.
r ltyOu choose to ssy, ss you nigh! have said
IN former timss, 81 Les vessels b. tilted ont and
Solt let vessel 60 to CHARLESTON, end there be
sold to any agent OF the ConiedeTsts Govern
y meEt," / could understand such G state q
3 | taipgs. But Il We have law 70 prevent tbs
fitting Of war-hke vessels without the license o.
Y her Msjasty, do say this case of she Alabsms
IS = scandal and reproach. a very learned
judge has said thst We might 1rivs, not coAci
and six, but a whole feet of ships, through
that act OF Parliament. Ii that bs a eorfec
description Of cur Law, then I ssy we ought &
have the Low made more cleer ard inteliiriblc
icis law was said to be passed 20 securo tn
Feseo aud welfiFe CT this ration, and trust i
a h.. Gnr,- ffa lha ,5--.e -.