The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1869-07-21
The Alabama Claims.

have refused to accept Minister MoTLEY's
terms in regard to the Alabama claims. If
this be true, we hope that the government
of the United States will use no further ef
fort to bring about settlement of the diff
culties arising from the letting loose of the
pirate Alabama. r..f,.
The British government has no ground
upon which it can base defence of its con-
duct in the Alabama matter The rebels
had never been recognized by any power;
they had no port of entry, and consequently
could not have vessel of war; The Ala
bana, therefore, was nothing more nor less
than pirate, and could have been treated
rs such when captured, as could any other
$50 called" Confederate war vessel which
had never entered or left sea port held by
the Confedcrates.
The British government is aw re of these
facts, hence the desire to have final settle
ment or the claims which have arisen from
sells by the pirate. If the claims are
settled it will. in a me sure, bind the UNI
TED STATES to take no advantage OF the
precedent thus set Therefore We do not
think it necessary for the UNITED STATES
to he very tlesirous for the settlement OF the
matter. We can afford to wait much better
than ENGLAND can afford to have us. The
payment of the claims is nothing to US rs n
nation, although the principles involved
are of the greatest Importance. Therefore
we will allow the settlement TO remain In
abeyance until an opportunity offers to take
payment in kind.
The actual damage from ships destroyed
is nothing compared to the almost incon-
cciyahle damage sustained by American
commerce. The once immense carrying
/ trade of the col ntry was completely ruined
and the S lips of other nations now do the
work and reap the profits which formerly
belonged to American ships With all our
increased population, wa alth and power it
will take years of peace to undo the evil
wrought by The pirates which England let
loose upon our commerce. We say years OF
peace, because one year of a general Europe
an war would give US back all that We
have lost aud much more besides. The in
jury that we suffered from our own misfor
tunes wouid be more than repaid by similar
misfortuues suffered by England. ss
Everything goes to prove that general
European war is imminent. No one can
tell what tlay it will break forth. Louis
NAPOLEON may declare that FRANCE and
himself desire peace but his preparations for
war are too plain for his professions to be
believed and his actions give the lie to his
words. Besides, no man knows better than
he the temper and character OF the French
people He knows that the love of national
glory is their ruling passion and can be
made to evershadow all other things. The
recent elections and the demands of the
THEIRS party to have Franco governed
more by the people and less by tae EMPE-
RoR, have shown him how rapidly his oppo:
nents are gaiaing strength and how deeply
his power has been undermined. His ready
acauiescencc to these bold demands Is more
significant of an intention to resist than
would have been II more lingering acceptance
of the tclms proposed. The character OF
NAPoEoN is well enough understood to
make it certain that b. will never consent
to Yield any portion "f his power. Hence
his ready compliance with the demands OF
the TnrEss party is but a proof that he is
following some deep-luid plan peculiar to hi:
crafty brain, by which he intends to seal
himself still tirmcr un be throne of FRANCE
and to hold still more securely the reins ot
government
20 do this with such fickle-minded peo
pie as that over which. he rules, there is but
one way--by plunging FRANCE into wal
which will arous ;the national pride and lovt
of glory, and cause all factions to unite il
support of the government. 1t is from these
reasons, comb ined, with feeling of jealou:
clistrust of the. rapid increase in power made
by Prussia, that NAPOLEON desires war.
Prussia is equally ready and desirous fo
war. She is aware that her recently gained
power will never be permanent until she hal
beaten FRANCE and defeated her pretension
| to a part of the ecently acquired territories o
4 PRUSSIA. The sooner the coming of th'
struggle the better prepared is Prussia t.
| meet it. Indeed, BIsMRAcK, the real ruler o
PRUSSIA, has openly expressed his desire 10
war With FRANCE.
Russia has her own plans to advance ant
is quietly but steadily pursuing her way t
their achievement. These plans will neces
sarily bring her into collision with ENeI.ANl
who will then he fully occupied in fighting
RUSSIA with one han,l and holding dow
rei,cllious IRELAND with the other. The
will be the time for AMERICA to regain al
she has had and to mete to ENGLAND til
same measure which she inetrd to us. Wit
spe thousands OF Fcnians who are eagerl
awaiting an opportunity to strike Tor th
freedom of IRELAND, and the large interes
they WELD in this country, what wonde
would it be if few Fenian AIabamas shoul
T escape " from our ports to sweep Britis
commerce from the seas IF such thin
should occur, and it would he very liable t
in case of war, the UNITED STATES would b
the sole gamer, and our commerce woul
once more b, the largest Of the world
| For these reasons we are not at all slnxiou
for the speedy settlement OF the Alabam
claims, nor tln we think the government j
The course pursued by the government hi
never been such as would conduce to
speedy terminationof the matter, and OF TIL