Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-12-01
our Claims Against Great Britain.

4 ANME =
We devote considerable space, in this
mornings issue of the LEADER, to extracts
from the further correspondence between
Charles F. Adams, ESQ., our Minister to
England, and Earl Russell, the Foreign
Secretary Of the English government.
The correspondence seomparatiyelybrief
and is rather to be regarded as explanatory
of arguments urged and positions taken in
previous letters than as developing any
new facts. 1t the first letter, which bears
date October 18th, Earl Russell confirms
tie suspicion which we have already ex-
pressed that his former proposition for a
commission to decide all claims (which the
two Powers shall agree TO prefer" was an en-
tire evasion of the subject under discussion.
He distinctly declares that, in event such
a commission were appointed, England
would refuse 10 refer the Alabama claim
to it. The subtepfuge here attempted is
80 manifest that Mr.. Adams docs not
stoop to expose it, but informs Earl Rus
sell that IL government will not hence
forward insist on or submit any PROPOSE
ton for the umpirage of u claims This
may mean war or it may mean peace. 1t
may mean that our government considers
the refusal of Great Britain either to set
tie or to arbitrate as final, and that the
claim will be enforced at the lannon's
mouth or it may mean that We will
accept the precedent which England
has set for us as to the attitude
of neutrals, and seek indemnity by
putting it in force against England at the
first convenient opportunity. We think
it means the latter. Our government Is
not now disposed to plunge into i'm
mediate warfare and it pereeives that
our naval interests would be much more
advanced by a policy which, in case Eng
land should be involved in war, would
drive her merchant marine from the seas
and throw the carrying trade into Ameri
can bottoms, than by a war which would
a%nnihilate our own commerce as well a
that of IL antagonist. In either event
however, it would seem that diplomacy
had been exhausted, and that the CORES
pondence on the subject, on the part o
our government, was finally closed
But Mr.. Adams, in terminating the
discussion, cruelty let fly Parthian arrow
at Earl Russell, which strikesa very veal
point in that g~entleman's armor. Hi
question, put very automatically and Pc
litelv, amounts, in substance, to this: 81
Won won't refer the Alabama and simila'
claims to this commission of yours, wha
,riH YOU refer to it ?" This was a 'stump
err to the noble lordl He is obliged t.
beg for time to prepare the required IN
formation, and, in his second letter, writ
ten three weeks after Mr.. Adams cues
ton was put, he remains %obstinately nun
on the subject. He is apparently in al
awkward dilemma. In answer to a de
mand made by our government, he pro
noses A commission. He afterward re
fuses TO refer our demand to the said com
mission, and when he is asked what b
will refer to it, he is unable to answer
The result shows up very p~rettily tn
cheat and delusion ofhis proposition
Earl Russelrs last letter shows that h
pereeives and is alarmed at the probabi
policy Of our government. While he dc
tends the course of Englandin the late wal
he shudders at the possibility of its bein
,-o5 a. a ,-o~-1@ o' N.Y.
lore, while declaring that Great Britai
/ he s4ted in st-ict confnEypj4H Aao +he@~v
the United States nor our own Foreigr
Enlistment act have proved upon trial eff
c%acious, it is worth consideration Yhethe
Improvements might might not be mad
in the statutes of both nations 1t is
little singular that the English government
should only just now perceive the wisdom
andneoessity of these improvements. Sh,
was in no hurry about them during thu
last four years of war. She will have t.
wait awhile, now that her position is, Or il
likely to be, reversed.