The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-12-29
COLUMBIA.
Sunday Morning, December %. 1857.
Recognition Of Bolligerents--vAD Dead
Lock.

1t will be remembered that the
recent annual message Of Presiden,
johnson contained the following
paragraph:
mo arrangement has as yet been
reached for the settlement OF oui
claims for British depredations upon
the commerce of the United States.
have felt it my duty to decline the
proposition of arbitration made by
her Majesty's Government, because il
has hitherto been accompanied by
reservations and limitations incom-
patible with the rights, interests and
honor of our country. It is not to
be apprehended that Great Britain
will persist in her refusal to satisfy
these just and reasonable claims,
which involve the sacred principle OF
hon-interVention-a principle hence.
forth not more important to the
United States than to all other com
meroia nations" - Il, 4 ID
1t was stated in the Senate, while
MFR. Chandler's,resolution was under
discussion, that the entire cores
pondence on the subject of our
claims must soon be communicated
to that body. In the meantime,
London papers contain dispatches
from Lord Stanley, in relation to the
subject, to the British Minister lat
Washington. In these, it appears
that Lord Stanley, while consenting
to q restricted arbitration of the
Alabama claims, absolutely refused
to accept the proposal of Mr.. Sc
ward, that, together with that SUBJ
ject, the question should also be
submitted to arbitration, whether the
policy of the British Government, in
recognizing the Confederate States as
belligerent power, was or was not
suitable to the circumstances of the
time when the recognition was made.
On the part of this Government, the
British proposal for restricted arbi-
tration of our claims. moral and
legal, is declined. It seems that Mr..
Seward either considered, or affected
automatically to believe. that the
entire question of the Alabama
claims, the general claims, and the
propriety of the recognition by the
British Government of the belfige-
rent character of the Confederate
States, were all embraced in the offer
of arbitration. This offer of general
arbitration having been declined by
the British Government, all negotia-
tions have ceased, and the two Co.
vernments are now at dead lock in
regard to them.
The policy of the United States in
past times, would seem to be in op-
position to the claim put forward by
Mr. Seward. The recognition by
this country OF the revolted South
American Colonies of Spain, Presi-
dent Madison, at an early period of
the rovolt, issued proclamation or
instructions to the collectors of the
to admit the flag of the
provinces, by which their ships be-
come entitled, in the ports of the
United States, to every privilege
granted to the ships of other foreign
powers, which he followed up by a
declaration that these provinces were
party to n civil war, in which their
rights, as relates to neutrals, were
equal to the rights of Spain. All the
debates on the neutrality law of 1917,
show no doubt about the right of
nation to recognize even the indie
pendenee of revolted colonies, and to
decide for itself whether such an act
is justified by the circumstance of the
time. And this is the true ground,
for in the exercise of the right of
recognizing the belligerent power, or
independence of revolted colonies,
every Government must Judge for it.
self, whether it is making that ac-
acknowledgement to an immature revo-
luton, or whether the revolt has
tn Sc elements of stability which en-