New-York tribune., 1868-03-09

now. The noble Lord then adyerted to the question
OF arbitration, and observed that he could not con-
sent to submit TO the arbitration of any foreign Gov
ernment the two points, whether the British Govern
ment had acted with due diligence in mnntain-
ing the neutrality hey had proclaimed and whether
the law officers Of the Crown had properly inter
pTeted the Foreign Enlistment act neither of which
questions could bs submitted to foreign arbitration
with any regard 10 the dignity of this country With
this the correspondence closed for period but
President Johnson in his message to Congress in 1867
observed that the accordance of beigerent rights to
| the insurgent States was unprecedented, aud ex-
pressed regret that Great Britain had declined arbi
tration on the subject:
"The formal accordance beigorent rights 20 the in
surgent States Unprecedented and has not been jus
sued by the powers which made that concession there
was marked difference: Bri.isn SINUS nahdd l py BIlt
sh subjects, and prepared Tor RECEIVING Hilsh aTlna'
ments sailed from the ports OF Great Britain 10 make
war on the American 9I a eIter @ hoe
escaped from British ports, ever aterward en-
tered them In any part Of the world toreft aud 10 renew
their depredatons The consequences Of this conduct
were most disastrous TO the States then In re-
tho prSlongaton OF civil contest II had, moreover,
the effect 10 great extent, 10 drive the American nag
TO every power whose subjects had created
the necessity Of such change The sincere desire Tor
peace by which am actated, led TO approve the
proposal already made TO submit the question wnel had
thus arisen between the countries TO arbitration 1hese
questions are OF such moment that they must have
mInded the attention OF the Great Powers ana ale 80
interviewer with the peace and Interests OF every one OF
tonformyou that Great Britain declined the arbitrar
ment, Ac."
The United States did not present the subject as IN
impeachment Of the good faith OF power when
was protesting the most friendly disposltons but rs
involving questions Of public law, of which the set
tlement is essential TO the peace Of nations; ana
though pecuniary rcTaration 10 their injured citizens
f,1ln i'm H9pIsl
against Great Britain, such compensation was not
their primary object They had higher motive. 1t
was in the interests of peace aud justice to establish
important principles of international law. The
ground on which the British Minister rests
his Justification is, substantially, that the
municipal laH OF nation and the domestic iDterpreta'
ton Of that law the OF It's duty as neutral
Aud feel bound declare my opinion before you ana
before the world that that justification cannot be tus
talned before the tribunal OF nations Al the same ue
do not advise any person 70 attempt redress by acts OF
legislation In the future friendship between tho two
countries must rest on the basis OF mutual ustre The
papers to which be alluded were laid before the onse In
the Autumn OF lsC5. When Parliament met IN lt0' LORD
Derby stated in another place that he IuAy ap
proved OF tho correspondence OF Lord Russell
and OF the arguments by which he had
snnportcd the cause Of England iu that House
No objection was the taken by their late
Government only one two members having ycntufed
10 express incidentally their regret that arbitration had
not been accepted. lie himself having strong opinion
on that point had framed motion early m the session
OF 1890 after consulting with few who thought as ne
did and having done so he went about TO see how
would be met by other members OF the House lie ound
that IL the discussion came II would elicit so strong an
expression OF disapproyal Of arbitration that
after consultation with his friends, and especially
with the honorable member from Bradford ne thoush
it better not to progress with st. feeling cont
| In frf
time and the mean time II was not wise to commit the
House too strongly against H. II anything Of that time
seemed more Improbable than even household suffrage
coming from a conservative government " vas that
they would Offer arbitration FOR tho settlement OF the
! Alabama Claims "A laugh Their whole attitude IN
theirspcechCs during the seemed to render II I'M
possible But II seemed that office brought with II a
great change aud Of responsibility which
was wanting before. Perhaps also tho two
\ changes win, re.pect 80 reform
mode Of looking American questions were not 80 nn
connected with another might at first sppear The
hostility Of certain parties n tins country to the Federal
cause was due mainly dread Of its Dsttuions 10 al
instinct that in the success Of the North involved the
success Of popular government II vas the homage pad
a. the force of American Institutions on the success Of
the North there followed immediate necessity ior an
advance toward democracy here. and u was only right
that II should DE accompanied by very different tone
toward America He had desire 10 taunt the honor
able members with either one change or the
other lie rtJoced in both. They were Dom equally
beneficial To the country 10 the honorable members
opposte hut it right that IN estimating our present
potion We should bear this change In mind The hrst
syputom OF this change was 10 be- found recorded ~
Mr. Adans's account Of bis first interview with tho new
! Foreign Minister. Mr.. Adams writing to hr seward
July T. 1866 speaking Of this first interrc" with l"td
! Stanley says, " His Lordslp welcoming me- remarked
that he presumed his sentiments toward tho VmedS StaeS
| had been long wen known 70 me"
ef AZ
e epori from beirr .sIrsei esspasi 20 saiar ttl
Lord Stanley then took the floor. lie praised the
! pacific tone of the oIation Of Mr.. Lefeyrc and
warmly compmented Mr.. Adams for the conca-
tory spirit he had displayed III the subject under dis
! cusson He said we could not make indscrimnate
concessions but we could lcam the right OF the case
| There never WAS case where there was more need
| TO understand the points. Much allowance was to
be made for the feelings of the United States. Great
Britain in the same with five hundred millions
Of debt contracted through civil war, in which
million lives had been lost, might appreciate tho
| case better than mere lockers only lie thought
ENGLAND had been entirely neutral But no neutrality
would have pleased America. What lhe United
| States wanted was neutrality coupled win warm
! spmpathy and support The Queen was ready 10
! arbitrate and submit all questions but the great
point Of recognizing the bclligerent rights oil the
| South Nobody contends that ~ 10 time the
! South acquired them III not, why henS INC
right of Great Britain to recognize them at tho time
sbe did, The Confederate ship Alamma did not sail
from England until 1862, and the battle OF Bull Fun
was fought in 1861. Admitting thatit was wrong ior
| Great Britain to recognize the South, would the
United States Government say that ITS ease against
! the Alabama had been altered lad Great Britain
made a declaration of neutrality SIX rather than
eleven months before she sailedi Lord Stanley re-
ferred to the speech Of Daniel Webster III the united
States Senate on the subject oi recognizing hungary