The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-03-20

action OF our own tender reparation. Hear
hear.) But we do not at all wonder that me
government Of the United States should feel that
thew have cause Of complaint In the case OF the
Alabama. On the other hand, / confess 1t appears
to me that VIXEN we go before an arbitrator, II we
do 20 before him, We may do 90 with perfectly
good and clear conscience, prepared to demand
that II any failure or miscarriage has occurred,
and no doubt some failure did occur, 1t was fall
ure or miscarriage OF such nature as IL neces-
sarly incidental TO all administrations OF laws By
human hands. and that We may very fairly, and
with perfect honor, abide the issue, whatever Il
may be. (Hear, hear.) I confess, also, that an
afraid, II ] rightly understand my honorable
friend, that he was rather sangune In his assump-
ton that by admitting the claim OF the United
s a'es 70 compensation for damages inflicted By
tie Alabama, welsiouId. tpso Jacfo, secure the set.
tement of these difficult and controvsrted
questions of international law for the future,
(Hesr, hears ! own 1t seems that II any
such general settlement Is to be had, 10
the fret place It cannot be had through the
mere reference Of any disputed question arising
between England and the United States. and con-
finedfo them alone. Hear, hear) lnsgreatques
ton Of international law no authority can suffice
to rule without the concurrence Of the powers, or
at any rate all the principal. and, especially, all
the important maratime powers. tHear, hesr.)
Therefore think we must be careful that we
should assume that the matter which Is In the
hands Of the noble lord may admit Of an easier
settlement; that il viii really be found to be-
what in truth is the construction to be put upon
these letters-a matter which we could not now
critically pursue, even had we lost more conf
depce in the Judgment and the intentions Of the
noble lord, which am happy 70 admit IL not the
case. (Hear, hear.) This at least, think am
perfectly safe in saying. We were oil glad to
hear the closing sentences Of the noble lords
speech. (Hear, hear.) From these closing SEN
fences, infer that although the correspondence
may have been dropped IN the special and par
ticular forms in which IL appears before
Us, the friendly and amicable prosecution Of the
question has not dropped, and that there Is now
in the hands Of her majesty's government COM
municetion from the government OF the
United States, which communication is likely to
pass into further stages, and which will be, or
may be- effectual as far as we can judge from
the manner in which il has begun, for the settle
ment Of this question. (Hear, hear.) Sir, If that
is so, can only say think that while on the one
hand we have every reason to believe that the
honor an6 interest of this country will be safe in
the keeping Of the noble lord, the noble lord, on
his part. may rest perfectly assured that there
viii be in every part OF this house, as well as
among every class Of people, disposition TO
strengthen his hands az far as may be in our
rover, and TO encourage him in the prosecution
of difficult and arduous and Inosthonorable task
viz: That Of bringing to an amicable conclusion
controversy which, If unfortunately II took an un-
favorable turn, would lead TO consequences too
disastrous 70 be dwelt upon for moment. (Hear,
hesrO / can, therefore, with satisfaction, only
repeat the acknowledgment OF THE noble lord
personally for the fair manner In which he treated
the question with respect to his predecessors, as
well as to those with whom he Is in communica-
ton with which / commenced the few remarks
that have made. (Hear, hesr.)
The motion was then Withdrawn.