North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1868-12-09
The Alabsma Trca,v

| Ane Alabama Treaty.
! The terms Of the protocol for tha
settlement Of our claims against Great
Britain, which was recently received bv
the State Department at Washin9tot, have
at last transpired with sufficient definite
ness to enable US to understand the char
acter OF the proposed treaty. Il consists
OF three articles, which are in substance
as follows:
Article first provides for the general
settlement Of all claims between tho two
governments which have arisen since the
| Convention Of 1853.
Article second provides especially for
the settlement of the claim against Great
Britain by this Government, known in the
diplomatic correspondents of the last
three years as the alabama claims.''
Article third provides for the appoint.
ment Of Joint Commission Of four
persons, two to be selected by each Gov.
ernment, who shall sit in Washington to
decide upon che validity of these claims,
and 1t also provides that in case tho
Commission does not unanimou agree
on any OF the questions submitted to il.
such questions shall be referred to the ar
blration OF some potentate not specifically
designated, except that he shall be friend
~, or in other words, at peace With boti,
England and the United States.
Those who have watched the progress
OF the negotiations on this subject will be
surprised to observe that this protocol
valves the question Of England's respon-
sibility in recognizing the Southern Con.
federacy as a lawful belligerent. It was
precisely on this point that Mr.. Seward
most insisted during his entire correspon-
dence with Lord Stanly, and it was
because the English Foreign Secretary
refused to submit this question to adiudi-
cation that no settlement was arrived at.
That MIR. Reverdy johnson should now
subscribe to treaty in which this matter
is entirely ignored, is rather remarkable
though that venerable and gastronomic
gentleman has taken the edge off our sur'
prise by many other actions cuits as
unaccountable.
But quite as Objectionable feature in
this protocol is the first article, which
gives the precedence to any claims which
the British Government NAV produce
against this country. The effect of this
would simply be that if an English SUBJ
ject. residing in the South, and engaged,
perhaps, in manufacturing munitions Of
war for the rebels, had his establishment
seized or destroyed by our soldiers, he
could prove his damages, and collect the
same of the Governmcnt-and this before
the Alabama claims were reached at all.
1t is stated that the British Legation has
been engaged for some time past in secur-
ing evidence Of such claims, and has sue
ceeded in making up bill of about fifty
millions Of dollars, an amount which
probably exceeds the aggregate of our
demands for losses inflicted by English
privateers. And to show more clearly
how utterly absurd this would he, while
we were thus reimbursing rebel sympa-
thizers-olr laws forbid the payment Of
the claims of loyal American citizens at
the South for their losses during the war.
In short, this protocol is legitimate
sequence Of Mr.. JohnSons whole course
in England, and shows that he should be
called home at once. before lie has an
opportunity to do further mischief. It is
not to be supposed that the treaty will
even be accepted bv the State Department,
and it certainly will not be ratified BY the
Senate.