New-York tribune., 1867-09-12
THE sEWARD-STANLEY CORRESPONDENCE.


THE SrW1RD- D-STANLEY CORRESPONDENCE.
The first of the batch of official letters on the
subject of the Alabama claims, which we pup
lished yesterday, is cause OF much WEAKNESS
and vexation of spirit, since IN 1t Mr. seward
devotes good many quires OF toolscap 10 the
repetition of arguments which have already
been recited so often that neither the BRUSH
foreign office, nor the public, can derive any
benefit from new exposition OF them
at such inordinate length. He recounts
tho circumstances of the building, or
capture, and Quitting of the Con-
federate cruisers, the Alabama, Florida,
Shenandoah, Nashville, Tuscaloosa, Tacony, &C.,
and shows how the British Government IS re-
sponsble for the damages inflicted by them upon
our commerce. In the first place, several OF
these vessels were built and their almaments
and equipments purchased in British ports, ana
although they left England unarmed and uE-
equipped, this was merely a fraudulent evasion
of the laws since it was arranged that, as soon
as they got into foreign waters, they should be
fully prepared for their predatory career with the
materials shipped for their use from Liverpool
and other English ports. And in reply TO LORD
Stanleys excuse that the United States failed
to present sufficient evidence of the hostile
character of these vessels while they were
still in British ports, Mr. Seward reminds the
Foreign Minister that international as well as
municipal laws depend for their execution IN
Great Britain upon Her Majesty's Government,
and not upon our own; and he makes the re-
markable statement that "at the time when
" the fraudulent building, arming, and equip
"ping of those vessels were going on In En-
gland we were required, ont OF tenderness
to British sensibilities, and with the ap-
"proval Of Her Majesty's Government, TO retor
"rather than increase our rigtdnce, then called
"by the repulSire name Of espionage" This
charge it will be observed, Lord Stanley does
not deny, although he finds nothing to sub
stantiate il in the records OF his department.
lie was not i'll Office at the period to which 1t
relates.
In the second place all the Confederate pri-
vateers were Hospitality entertained and assisted
in British waters, recognized as legitimate YES
sells Of war even though they had never been
within a port claimed by their pretended Gov
ernment, and though none of them, except the
Sumter and Florida, were ever in any place
a belligerent commission could lawfully be
conferred or received. But the gravest wrong
done by Great Britain to our country, and the
greatest assistance given by her to our nemies,
was the Queens hasty proclamation which
recognized the standing of the Rebels as bel
lgerent nation almost before the echoes
of the first gun of the war had ceased
to reverberate For the evils which followed
this ill-considered action, the prolOngation of
the struggle which can be directly traced to IT,
Great Britain is morally responsible, and will
so be held in the eyes of all dislntercsted
NATIONS. And in signifying his readiness to
accept the British proposition to submit the
claims for indemnity to arbitration. Mr. Seward
intimates that he shall require that the con-
duct of Great Britain i'll this last named par
tcular as well as the liabilities arising ont OF
it, be among the points submitted. "Ihe
" United States" he says, would expect TO
4" refer the whole controversy Just as II Is
found in the correspondence which has taken
place between the two Governments with
" such further evidence and arguments as
either partyEmay desire, without imposing
restrictions, conditions or limitations upon
" the umpire, and without waving any prin-
ciple or argument on either side. They can
not consent to waive any question upon the
consideration that il involves point of ma
tional honor; and, on the other hand, they
"wil not require that any question of national
pride or honor shall be expressly ruled and
determined as such.p
| Lord Stanley, with commendabe regard for
the shortness of human life, but with little
touch of impatience which is not altogether un-
natural, declines to follow Mr.. Seward over
ground which has been so often tIaversed be-
fore. He will not consent to any such unlimit-
ed reference as our Secretary asks for, nor will
he submit to the decision of foreign Power
The question whether the policy of recogniz-
ling the Confederate States as a belligerent
"pOwer was or was not suitable TO
"the circumstances of the time when
"the recognition was made y but he is
ready to refer to arbitration what is,
after ALL the real matter at issue whether the
course pursued by the British Government was
such as to involve q moral responsibility on
their part to make good either in whole or in
part the losses suffered by American citizens,
the amount of indemnity should the decision
be in our favor, to be decided 10y a mixed
commission. Lord Stanley makes it con-
dition, however, that all the claims of citizens
of the two countries arising out of the late
war should also be referred to n mixed com
mission.
Mr.. Seward, in his reply to this dispatch, ex-
presses his satisfaction with the terms of the
question proposed for arbitration, deeming
them sufficiently precise to include all the
claims which we advance; but he insists that
we shall hold ourselves at liberty TO bring up