The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-09-13
THE ALABAMA CLAIMS.
DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENCE.

| The Rochester Express has several columns
from advance copies" Of the correspondence be-
tween this Government and that Of Great Britain
! in regard to the settlement OF the Aln6antd and
other claims ltsays:
| II is known that Mr. Seward and Lord Stanley
differed IN regard to the method OF adJudlcatlon
upon the settlement, and that our Government
declined to accept all offer to refer to an arblter
simply the claims arising from the depredatons OF
| the piraical craft Alabama and to make other
claims arising from losses and damages during the
war by citizens of both countries, the subject OF
investigation by mixed commission. LORD Stan
ley adhered 70 this proposition, and there the cor
respondence, which had been conducted with
marked ability closed
The correspondence was reopened in August
1866, when Mr.. Seward sent very long and elabo
rate PAPER to orG Stanley, and in his letter OF IN
structions to Mr.. Adams, requested him to inform
Lord Stanley that, in the judgment of the Presl-
dent, settlement of these claims 'had become
urgently necessary to q re-establishment OF en-
tnelv friendly relations between the United States
and Great Britain" We have no room for the
vCluminous correspondence which is published;
but We give single letter of Mr. Seward, which
afirms the position taken by him in the outset
MIR. SEWARD TO MIR. ADAMS.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE, WASHINGTON Aug. 12, 1867.
ST:-l have now TO recur to Lord Stanley's dis
patch to Sir Frederick Wright Bruce Of the oath OF
May, concerning the so-called Alabama claims
copy OF which paper he placed In my hands during
our recent visit to Auburn.
You are authorized to inform his Lordship that
| did not understand his previous offer OF arbtre
tion to apply alone to the claims arising out OF the
deprcdations of the Alabama TO the exclusion OF
those arising out of tho depredaions of the Florida,
the Shenandoah. the Georgia. and other vessels OF
that description and. that, the contrary, Lord
Stanley's offer of limited arbitration was under
stood to apply equally to those claims arising out
OF the depredations of the several vessels last
named as to those arising out OF the depredatlons
of the Alabama
His I.ordship now observes that the British
Government is ready to go to arbitration upon the
question whether, in the matters connected with
all those vessels out of whose depredations the
claims OF American citizens have arisen, the course
pursued by the British Government, and those
who acted upon its authority, was such as would
involve moral responsibility on the part of the
British Government to make good, either In whole
or In part, the losses of the American citizens.
The President considers these terms to be at
once comprehensive and sufficiently precise to i'll
clude all the claims Of American citizens for dep
rotations upon their commerce during the late
rebellion which have been the subject of complaint
upon the part OF this Government. But the Unit
ed States Government, in this view, would deem
itself at liberty TO insist before the arbiter that the
actual proceedings and relations OF tho British
Government, its officers agents and subjects, to-
ward the United States in regard to the rebellion
and the rebels as they occurred during the rebel
with the vessels whose deprcdations are complain
ed of, just in the of general claims alluded
10 by Lord Stanley, tho actual proceedings and re-
ations of her Majestys Government, it's officers,
agents and subjects, in regard to the United States
and i'll regard to the rebellion ana the rebels. are
necessarily connected with the transactions out OF
which these general claims arose.
Lord Stanlcys plan seems to be to constitute
two descriptions of tribunals-one an arblter to
determine the question of the moral responsibility
of the British Government in respect OF the Ala
bama, Florida, Georgia, and other vessels OF that
class; ana the other mixed commissions to adjudi-
cato the so-callcd general claims on both sides;
and contingent reference to the same or other
mixed commission, to ascertain and determine the
amount of damages for III njemnity, 10 be awarded
in the cases examined by the first tribunal in the
event Of decision, upon the question of moral re-
sponsibility, III favor Of the United States.
No distinction, as 10 principle, between the tri-
and IN every case the United States agree only to
unrestricted arbitration. Convenience may re-
ouire that the claims should be distributed be-
tween two tribunals, both of which, however, In
the opinion of the United States, should proceed
upon the same principles and be clothed with the
same powers.
The President will be gratifed if this explana-
ton shall conduce to remove any OF the dlfhcultles
which have heretofore prevented the two Govern
mcnts from coming to the amlcable and friendly
understanding and arrangement which is so sin
cerely desired by both.
am sir, your obedient servant,
WILLIAM II. SEWARD.
CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS, Esq, &C., &C., &c.
The Express closes its review OF The correspon-
dence by saving "We understand the negotiation
for an arbitration to be al end for the present.
and all that has been said about cession of Bri-
tish Columbia had no other basis than loose talk
and speculation"