The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-03-17
American Feeling towards England.
] khe Londo,a Sl1ectatoy.


abe state of American feeling on the recent
negotatious for q settlement of the Alabama
claims, and his description, which talles pre-
cisely with that of the able orrespoudent Of
the Data Ne,cs, is supported more or less com.
pletely by every Republican journal to which
we have had access According to this view,
which we regret to believe Is perfectly correct,
the American people Is in mood only TO DC
ompared TO that OF an angry woman, who, when
everV possible form OF conciliation consistent
With self-respect has been exhausted, de-
ola,es TO herself that 1.-THE sulks" are
vayv ENJOYABLE luxuries. They do not care
about damages; they are indifferent to repara-
tion; they viii not be bothered with arbitra-
iions; they do not want to fight; they do not
desire amity; one thing, and one thing only,
will content them, that they shall have the last
word and that we snail acknowledge ourselves
m the Wong precisely on the only point where
We we're Enthusiastically in the right. The Gov
ernment of Great Britain has gone, not indeed
furtber than was right, but quite as far as was
possible ou the road OF Conclliation; has agreed
to subni: everything except its right to ackuOW-
ledge a DPllgerent, TO arbitration, ana allows
ewes that TO be advanced as plea IN enhance
ment of damages; and is ready, If judgment goes
against this country, to make the clearest con-
ceiyabIe aekno Wledgment of error. by paying
fine; and the Americans say that is all of no
they won't take the bracelet, SO they won't;
and they were never in tue wrong aud Edwin
shall say so before they'll kiss aud be friends:
and If not theyl wait, they Will, and pay HIM
off some day. They will not be content with
damages even though submission TO the award
is under the circumstal ces, an open ackuow-
ledgment of error; but 1t Will have the British
Government say, III the teeth OF all these facts,
that they had no right to acknowledge the
South, that it was au ''dntrlendy act" though
the North did it drst, though 1t was done to pre-
x,,,V,1 .len hOV E,II
The seizure of our vessels on their way to a
non belligerent port - and though staunch
friends of America like Mr.. Forster pressed for
the recognition in the interest of the Northern
people. Well, the Government cannot, ought
not, and will not do II. Admit that every
threat now addressed to this country is as
serious in meaning as 1t is irritable i'll Tone that
fleets OF Atdbdn1dS VIII one day attack our trade,
that in the consequent war we are defeated, that
all manner OF woes fall upon our people aud
none upon our adyersarles-still even that pros
pect must be faced sooner than the nation
should say that an act clearly right and friendly
was evidently wroug aud hostile, We would not
lie so for any amount of threats. even if we
believed them, which, happily, we do not. That
the people of America are still extremely irri.
tated is doubtless true; but that they will spoil
the worlds future because we prevented all
Europe from declaring war on them at once, by
acknowledging that they had right to block
ade Southern ports-a right wholly dependent
Oh the belligerency Of those pOrts-we entirely
refuse to believe. They will as soon declare war
on US because an old gentleman of Maryland,
who has just seen brothers cutting each others
throats, chooses to keep on saying that cousin
hood is an indissoluble bond of amity
The Spectator, of all journals in Europe, will
scarcely be suspected of hostility to the United
States, and we would just ask our American
friends to consider the position in which they
are urging their Government to place ITSELF Is
II worthy either of their dignity or shreWd
sehseF Even granting teeir own case, is it wise,
A. 4. even pos,,o,e, 10 Import sentiment into
politics in this style? They we're iLsulted, they
say. Well they are now the greatest power in
the whole world, so great that British statesmen
openly ayow that rather than quarrel With them
they will coucede anything snort OF honor,
twice as much as they would cOncede to any
other power on earth. They we're injured, they
say. The lDjurers offer TO submit to any penal
ties a court may award. They were treated,
they say, in an untriendly way. These "un-
friends" are asking through every conceivable
channel, even through Queens Speech for the
honor o. their alliance. Is 1t possible to cou-
ceive fuller qualification to their national pride
than that which events have given them, that
amazing recognition Of their Place in the world
involved IN the French retreat from Mexico and
the British Convention on the Alabama claims
Gan they not see thai they are thro wing a way
magnificent position, something like prmacy
among the great nations OF the world, for no
better end than to make Great Britain declare
that the right thing which she did years ago
was wrong thing? Suppose after years OF
war. after both countries had been ruined by
useless expenditure, after emigration, that I'M
New World and daily relieves the Old, hal
ceased after the two free po wers had neutralized
their beneficial influence with mankind, they
compelled us to submit, and say that we were
wrong, what would they have gained? An en-
forced signature to a falsehood, which the
siguers, as they signed, would know to be false
Is that a prospect for which TO keep open q sore
between England aud America for which tC
ALLEVIATE the friendship maintained throughout
the war unbroken by the electors now ruling
Great Britain for which 10 despise an alliance
that once cemented would give to the English
speaking peoples irresistible influence through
out the world Is it worth while, for such ar
advantage, even to leave Great Britain in hel
present position, that of power which has
exhausted Cancellation, has gone even beyond
the limit dictated by selfrespect in her efforts
to repair wrong, and now waits patiently
satisfied that, judged by her own highes
conscience aud the opinion of statesmen
throughout the world she can do no more
that the responsibility of all the i'll that may
happen does not rest with her? We cauno
believe that a sensible though sensitive people
will when the irritation caused by their Enyoy'
hiadvised speechitying has passed away, judg
So. II they do, there is nothing for it but Il
walt patiently till some event gives us at las
the opportunity OF proving that insult uu
1riendliness, aud hostility were alike eIthe
imaeinary, or the accidental results OF tn
passed away predomln ance Of caste.
For the present, in all the accounts Whic
reach us of American opinion we see bat on
pleasant spot. 1t Us suggested in several ion
mails that the greatest ofiense of England Wf
in coDceding the privileges OF a war ship
tbe Alabama, though she had never been With
They demand, therefore, that Great Brita
shall acknowledge herself wrong in this m atte
and insert clauses IN the treaty preciuding Il
tutuTe recoenition of such vessels. There,
Last, we seem TO touch ground, to get out of Il
region OF sentiment and into that OF sense. I
government is un wiling to refer strictly leg