The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-11-03
OUR CLAIM UPON ENGLAND.
The following is summary of the di-
plomatic correspondence between Mr..
Adams and Earl Russell: 81. .4-,--.

The following is q summary of the di-
plomatic correspondence between Mr..
Adams and Earl Russell: 4-s-- ..
The correspondence begins with letter from
Minister Adams, dated the 9TH of April last, in
which he calls the attention of Earl Rnssell to
the official reports respecting the ravages of
the Shenandoah, and announces that for the
damages caused by such cruisers his govern
ment cannot avoid entailing the responsibility
upon Great Britain.
The reply of Earl Russell is dated May 4. He
says that the duties Of Great Britain toward the
United States are not measured by the losses
which the commerce of the latter may have
Sustained. The question is simply whether the
Queens government have faithfully and hon.
estly performed the duties which international
laws and their own municipal laws imposed
upon them.
The rejoinder of Mr.. Adams is dated May 4.
He Gays that the insurgents became belligerents
on the ocean solely by reason of the facilities
furnished In her Hsjestys ports for them to do
90. He complains of the secret sympathy of
her Majestys officers in the port of Liverpool,
he supplied respecting the Alabama, it was BY
the fragrant negligence of her Majesty's Board
of Customs that this vessel. admitted to be In
tended for war purposes, was suffered to de-
part from Liverpool.
An interval of three months elapsed between
tu6 6DOSc loLtoE 6uu Earl hus6cllo E0plY 10 IL.
In response Earl Russell proceeds to Justify
the course of her Msjesty's government in re-
cognizing the benigerents. and reasons are
given why there was extreme difficulty In Civ
ing orders to exclude from Bristish ports YES
sells Of war partly fitted up in the United
Kingdom. a3t" ~
A very important point is referred to in this
letter. Earl Russell notices statement in Q
letter from Mr.. Adams, in 1868, 20 the gov.
eminent in Washington being whiing to refer
these disputes to arbitration.
Earl Russell declines this offer, and says II is
q question, In the first place, whether the
Queens government have acted In good faith
in maintaining their neutrality, and In the Sec
ond place, whether the law officers of the
crown have correctly interpreted British
statute.
Earl Russell continues: 1.-The Queens gov
ernment can refer neither of these questions to
arbitration-" -g#
The words used by him are a. follows:
Her Majesty's government are the sole guar
dians of their own honor. They cannot admit
they have acted In bad faith in maintaining
the neutrality they professed. The law OFF,
GERS of the crown must be held to be better in
terpreters of British statute than any foreign
government can be presumed to be. Her
Majestys government must, therefore, decline
to make reparation and compensation for cap
lures made by the Alabama, or to refer the
4uCcuOu w ouy AOEciku ClnSc. u0E mdJcoLyS
government conceive that if they were to act
otherwise they would endanger the position of
neutrals in all foreign wars. Her Majestys
government are, however, ready to consent to
the appointment of a commission, to which
shall be referred all claims arising during the
late civil war, which the two powers shall
agree to refer to the commissioners
The reply of Mr.. Adams is dated Sept 18th,
and Is very serious in its tone. :,
Mr.. Adams considers there is now no dispute
as to the fact that the recognition of the South
as belligerents was such an act as was never
done by one nation toward another in state of
amity. He charges the British government
with having acted without knowledge and on
mere presumption in assuming that the evi
dence of the blockade of the Southern ports
was imperfect. The blockade, he says, was
the consequence, not the cause, of British pol
ICY. He thinks that the only excuse for the
British government is ,hat its conduct was
precipitate. He then intimates that II the
doctrines and practices OF the British govern.
ment are allowed to become the rule, the Uni
ted States will not be the greatest losers
thereby. Mr.. Adams does uot appear to think
that the proposition of Earl Russell to refer
the questions in dispute 10 commission win
be accepted by government of the United States