New-York tribune., 1867-09-11
THE ALABAMA CLAIMS.
THE OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN THE
UNITED STATES AND GREAT BRITAIN

Stanley the j0th Of November ast mas bech hninl,.u
TO me by Her Maesty's Minister Plenlpotehuary heo,
Sir Frederick W. Bruce. II contains review OF wy
dispatch No s3J aofsed ibs rny
The President appreciates the consideration ana eour %
tesy manifested by Her Malesy GoNerninem sna, ,,
be content on this occasion WIN delendng rnEn ol ny
former statements Lord Stanley has disall0wed.
think il unnecessary 10 discaim purpose OF mpuenms
the motives Of the late, or OF the present hhsIy.
ernmens like individuals, necessarily take ther meas
ures with reference 10 facts and circumstances a ey NJ
tho tme appear The aspect often changes % WIN 1'
Developments OF events IL ls with asccftalhcd itclS,
and not intentions that concerned ana u ~ oi
Great Britain State, and not Of any minister or NH
istTy. that complain. - -,
Lord stanley Justly reminds me that the Sumter was oi
American not Of British origin and that she oegan ner
by escaping from New-Orleans and not RON
British port think, however that the correction docs
not substantially Affect the case Inc sumter pconSs S
to loyal owners, was employed IN trade between SeN-
York and NewOrleans. Insurgents siled ana afeu mr.
there and sent her out through the Dlock.de one Sap &
tured several United States merchant vessels ah htO
tered the British port OF Trinidad in the West indies
ostentatiousy displaying an ims'rgent nag which had
tona ensign either by the United States or by Great
Britain, by any other state Being ehalenged, enc
presented a pretended commission, signed, not ny inc
President OF the United States bnt by Jefferson DAVIS an
nsurgent chief. The Governor OF Trinidad exmDed tnc
British standard compliment TO the nsurGet NlsIo'
The sumter was entertained there six days. and supped
with coal After renewed depredaons enc TOOK s ] T,
on tile 10Th January, lSG2 in the British port OF lp
tar, in Continental Europe Beng eneetag loehou S NJ IL
there for months by United states cruisers, she was
against the protest OF this Government allowed TO be sold
10 British buyers for the account ana Dehen OF te iSu
gents she then hosted the British flag and under ii
Was received at Liverpool within the British realm
indeed true as Lord Stanley has observed that the
Alabama when She left England was wholly unarmed
and not fuy equipped as war vessel IL is also true
that she received armament, tulther equipment,
commander and crew IN Angla Bay, AZoIesa posses
sion of the crown OF PoIiucal-wherc the British Govern
mcut had Jurisdiction, and could exercise no la"luI
control even if they had an opportunity. But. on the
oer band = s to be remembered That, not only was the
vessel built at Liverpool but the armament ana the sup
Elemental equipment built aud provided there also,
simultaneously and by the British hands, and also
that the commander and crew were gatherr' ana organ
ized at the and the same place tie whole yes
sell armament. equipment. commander and crew were
adapted each part to the other and all were prepared
lcntly separated in Liverpool 10 bo put together else
where, and they were frauduenty conveyed heneS 10
Angra Bay and there put fauduIenty t9sSthcr
by Her Maicsty's subjects not les IN violation
ot British tnan OF pSrt1snese oDngnoons o,St TO- gIf
10 Justice by Her Majesys Government, nor companed
Of by that Government 10 The Queen 81 ForuIal Ih1
Alabama, from the laying of hcr tmDcis ~ i4vrpoO'
until her destruction by the Kearsarge, OF CheTeonrs
states. Whaoyevcr pretended commission She ever hd
as ship of must have been acquired either III Great
tcd safcn 81 StnS or o the @ seas Seyerthce he Ala
bama received protected. entertained aud supplied
town and singapore in the East, and when she finally
sunk in the British Channel. her commander ana crew
subjects and ostcntaously entertained aud cresed as
meTitorious but unfortunate heroes az southampton.
where was placed IN the rcprcsc nauon oi MI Adams
Lord Stanley says that the FLORIDA, under the original
be forgotten, however that while i9ildng
she denounced to Her Majestys Governmcnt 10y Sf
Adams Lord stanley also says That the Shenandoah Irlt
England unobseryCd and Therefore uhqucsiloned' ana
for anything that had transprcd on legitimate voyage,
war vessel OF Funchal within Portuguese dominion.
snre that u must be nnneccssa 20 iei, mere 20 ,ho
Shenandoah In British ports, and the armlns and equip
ncnt them outside Of British jurisdiction. Wcfc fiaudn
lent the manner that has been specially described
regard the Alabama. The Shenandoah Was itc'INeu
protected and supplied defiance ~ our protest. al
Melbourne IN Australia Size proceeded thence 10 the
Arctic seas, where she destroyed twenty ulne United
states Merchant vessels and finally after The end Of Tie
Rebel host s here she returned 90 Liverpool The place
from whence she had first gone f0i H. aLo there Sugn
dercd herself to Her Mestys Government rs to al ally
Lord Stanley excuses Her Majesty Government. in
part upon ground that sufficient evidence or notice
was not presented by the United states In part upon ihe
ground OF accidental hindrances OF cmDaIrassinents
while in one place he seems io imply tdl the ohy uo
vastating vessels Of which complain are the sulncr
the Alabama the Florida. and the Shenandoah Ia re
gard 20 the nrs excuse, have 10 sdy thal BRUSH com
plants Of lack Of vigOr Our part, would, under any
circumstances, De unreasonable. International as wen
as municipal laws depend Tor their execution IN Great
Britain upon Her Maicstys Government and not upon
own Again. mink that Lord Stanley wiz md uy
referring TO unpublished records IN the Foreign oice.
what certainly appears IN our confidential archives tai
al the time when the fraudulent building aihlH =, ana
equpplhe OF those vessels were gong on m instsu "o
were required OF Tenderness 10 British schhibues,
and with the approval OF Her Maestys Goyeinment 10
relax rather than increase our vigilance then called by
the repulsiye name oi espionage - ,,,, ,,. Tho 81,
legged nndianccs and enbaIassmenis were noths e.ae
than the skillfn Vaccinations OF the offending parties
themselves In enumeratIng certain vessels IA my Tor
mer communication. OF them not all the YES.
sescompaned Of but by way OF describing the ca,s ot
Nashville stolen from loyal owners at Charleston, after
having eyaded the blockade and after having captured
the Harvey Birch arrived at southampton on the Oih
Of November 1861 She entertained there until Feb
ruary 1862 and then left the harbor protected from
the United states Tuscarora by Her Mestys war
frgate Shannon. SHE was afteTward hospitality enter
taned at the British ports OF Bermuda and Nassau IN
the West Indies The Alabama improved her crafty
experience Having IN one OF her cruises captured tho
merchant M snip Conrad near I1 Spe ID
the Conrad Confederate pirate OH the high seas,
under the name of the Tuscaoosa la like manner the
loridac
ocean, and commissioned her, and gave her an arnla-
men, and two Officers Hfterward the Florida transferred
the same authority armament, aud equipment 10 the
Tacony the high which vessel captured bonded
and destroyed 10 United states merchant vessels on the
Having recalled these facts beg leave
affirm, substantially correct my former stttement-the
to which Lord Stanley has excepted. namely
The SUMTER the Alabama, the Florida tho Shenandoah
and other ships OF built armed equipped aud
fitted out In British ports and dispatched therefromby
through the agency Of British subjects and were har
bored sheltered provided and furnished as occasion re-
qured during their devastating career In ports OF the
realm or In ports OF the British Colonies In nearly all parts
Lord stanley excuses the reception of the
plained Of IN British porte subseguen to Their fraudu
lent escapes and armament on the ground that when the
vessels appeared In these ports they dd 80 IN the charac
ter Of properly cruisers of tho Government
Of the sotyled Confederate States, and that they re-
ceived no more shelter provisions or faculties than was
his ordshp in full view OF the facts that-wh the exceP
ton of the Sumter and the Forda,none OF the vessels
named were found Ia any place where a lawful
belgerent commission could either be conferred or e.
ceved IL would appear therefore, that In the opoh oi
Her Majesys Government, British vessel III order 10
acquire belgercn character against the United states
had only 10 leave the British port where she wng built
candcstinely, and to be frauduenty armed equipped,
and manned any where In Great Britain or In any foreign
country the high and IN some foreign country
or upon high 10 set and assume the title and
privileges of bclligeren without even entering the
called Confederacy, coming within any port OF
the United States. must confess that II lawful bel
gerent character be acquired In such manner then
am unable determine by what different course OF pro-
ceeding vessel become pirate and an enemy to the
peace OF nations
The Secretary here replies to Lord Stanleys citation OF
certain utteraces OF the Courts that civil law existed In
the United States defense for the Queens neutrality
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