The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1865-12-23
PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
The British Press OH the al
ALBANIA DiIiiCUIty.r

Nece-.itv OF Some Sort Of Settlement
,Frua tie L9aI5u Serz. O-tlbeE 49,
II the refusal Of the British Government to
accept some form Of arbitration, and u abide
th- result Of a friendly argument, would put an
end - the discu-,iOn-If the American Govern
ment would b. satisfied with this peremptOTy 81
hutton # th=-s dificuiiie-. the frmness VI Lord
fu-selI- answer would deserve every commenda-
fiJn. Bur. unfortunately. there = no reason %
anticipate - agreeable . result. Mr.. Adams IN
t.mates ia no obscure terms that the claims iJr
cJmpeusatiJ1 srtH stIH be pressed and the latest
iu-e!ligt nee from Washington proves that MI
>-Tart J. Collecting and arranging the various
claims which have arisen out ~ the depT-datIJnS
of the ALgtaUa and her cOnsJrts. II can scarcely
- expected that American citizens VIII permit
the American Government % est aside those
claims TOR c5IupensatiOn which they have never
cea--i = urge HpOn them, OF - abandon those
principle 81 international law which, during
four years. Mr. Adams his LOST no opportunity
IF forcing upon the attention Of the British
Cabinet. Nor should it be forgotten that the
claims made by Spain against the American
Government under similar circumstances were
only s-ttlel by treaty, and that those made by
Portugal furnished material for argument which
lasted LaJTe than thirty years. IL Powers such
AZ Spain and Portugal, IN ike circumstances,
felr themselye- b)uld in honor y I-rp=tuate dis
eusi0n until they obtained some sort Of settle
ment, IS n Dr7t,b5e M0t me LHdfsd States If
4aer.oa ,rfH tOH1UC a different c1urs@? We
flank Hgg- Assureiiy Lord Rus-ells refusal TO
refer the matters now il dispute Will not settle
Them.
Minister Adams Has The Be-r Of the Argu-
menf.
rFr.m Wllz-r & smiths Eur5p=an Tlne.-l
However much We may admire the verbal
smartne=s and the close reasoning Of our Foreign
Secretary. II would Dc useless 70 deny that, IN &
literary sense. ~ least, h mas t0UHd az the reSi-
dent 4HerzcGu Minister = n fyeHdGH trgTfhy gf his
steeL.' To talk about : the honor and dignity
II the British Government and the British PeO-
pie ~ Lord Russell does when he meets the
claims Of the Americans by a simple negative, :
m appeal 10 what i called buncOnbe, which
viii - taken for what IL Is worth. Nations,
ike individuals. are liable 70 error. and no ma
ton and no man ever stood higher than when
honestly acknowledging = mistake. But there Is
one thing IN this controversy. which must be
seriously guarded against. Lord Russell, 10
avoid this particular claim. has put the British
view Of the case clearly and ably. The question
IL, how far lie has put it di-creetly. There -
such . thing as y penny wise and pound foolish
economy even in craftsmanship, and n as gust
possible that IL Groid The payment ot a far hun
dred thousands or a mihr0H 0f money, IRE may
base mr. opposition on a priuoipie 50 UnfenaJLe as
10 CGuSe as. trhen he cases are rereSed-JrheH
americans are Heufr0ks and ire 0re JeAi11eHts-
10 suffer terribly az peFssH and Pockn. lt must
be borne IN mind that there j. such q thing q an
argument cutting both WAYS. and b~ungling
lawyers aue sometimes said u be in the habit Of
proving too much. We must avoid this error.
The claims of the Americans relative u the
dOings of the alabama and her sister Confederate
craft are a mere bagatelie compared with the
punishment which Is in store for the maritime
commerce Of Great Britain unless this dispute is
brought 70 an end in harmony with international
justice. We do not appTehend war, for war IN
these days could not arise out Of this business
but something nearly as bad might arise in the
future. when the example We have set and the
practice we have defended may be turned against
us IN Il way that i hiGeOus even TO surmise.
The Claims irre-i-tibIc.
tFroln ths Liverpool Post, Oct ~
The manner in which the London press have
reviewed the Adams-RUSscIl dispatches d0ns mt
promise success 10 the English rie1r Of the Alabama
question. The Times thinks that Earl Russell's
proposal for a commission will ultimately be ac-
cepteI, bat Is careful not TO pronounce too
strongly against Mr.. Adams reasoning, while
the Morning Post only manages u take Il more
governmental view Of the matter by quoting
Lord Russeli's apt Portugal precedent. and add
iug. o To this precedent. 80 appropriately cited
~ Earl Russell, the American Minister can find
no better response than that the wrOng-dOing Of
oae party cannot b. cited in justification Of a
repetition OF the act bv the other. We cannot
assume, however, that the American Government
were wrong-doers in refusing the indemnity de-
mauded by the Portuguese Government" Now,
in The first place, Mr.. Adams did find n much
- better response" than that which the Noraing
Post attributes To him and in the second, rs
Lord Russell did not appear TO be aware that the
United States had retreated from the position
taken mp by Mr.. Quincy Adams in the Portugal
business, it Is possible that ne may vet be brought
70 admit that the alterations made in the Amer
lean laws in consequence Of the discussion with
Portugal arc cpns)nant 70 justice, and that, be-
ing behind the Americans in this matter, are
mDsl take tie consequences.
- ~ 4 "