New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-01-08
THE PENDING NEGOTIATIONS WITH EN-

much interesting comment on both sides OF
the water, while by the American press gene
rally the negotiations in which he is engaged
as affecting the rights and honor of the conn
try have hardly been discussed at all. From
Mr. Johnson's disclosures of the points he had
agreed upon with Lord Stanley before the ac-
cession of the new Government, and the COM
ment of The London Times, we understand
that the Convention embraced these two points:
1. That the question of the liability of En-
gland for any damage whatever arising from
the English irOn-clads should be referred to the
decision of the King of Prussia, and that, If
that sovereign should decide that England was
not responsible, it would end the matter
9. That if the King of Prussia should hold
that England was liable, then Joint Commits
sion should be appointed equally by the Uni
ted States and England to consider the claims
of American citizens for damage done by the
Alabama and other English vessels, and also
the counter-clams of English subjects against
the American Government for losses accrulng
TO them in consequence of the war.
At this point in the negotiation, Mr.. Seward
intervenes, asserting to the proposition that the
liability Of England should be matter OF
reference, but asking that this question may be
decided by the five Joint Commissioners, and
not by the King of Prussia; and also that the
Commission shall sit in Washington, instead of in
London. TO this latter proposition, Lord Stan
lev, it is said, assented. Whether he assented
also to the substitution of the Commissioners
as referees, is not so clear. But the negotiation
has been broken off by the change of Ministry,
and we have no advice of its progress with the
new Secretary, Lord Clarendon. The point to
which we wish TO direct attention, ard about
which there seems to be no doubt whatever, is
that Mr.. Reverdy johnson and Mr. Seward
have both agreed that the question Of En-
glands liability shall be matter of reference.
Now let us glance for n moment at the posi-
ton of the question in Parliament and before
the English people ut the time when Mr..
Reverdy johnson, having been appointed to
protect the rights and interests of his country
men at the Court of st. james, commenced his
diplomatic duties 10y fratcrnizing with tie most
prominent and pronounced of our enemies dur
ing the Rebellion, such as, Roebuck Wharn-
cliile. and Laird. The part which these men
had taken in the war had made them odious
to the American people. The sheer of RoebuclI
at the Union army as composed Of "the scum
"of Europe" the oiliciousness of Lord Wharn-
clifle, the late President of the Southern Asso-
citation, to aid in Pro-Slavery rebellion against
free Republic with which England was at
peace, and whose offer of British gold to be
distributed by an agent among the insurgents
in our military prisons had been properly
rebuked by Mr.. Seward, and the conduct of
Laird in building and sending forth an iron
clad pirate, in violation of international law
and to the great scandal of England, to burn
and destroy the ships of friendly people who
in the midst of their struggle for national
existence were sending cargoes of bread to
feed his own starving c0untrymen-thesc
things are all fresh in the memory of the
American people At the time they were COM
mitted English opinion gave to their authors n
certain countenancc.
Lord Campbell declared in the House of
Lords that 10 class or party in that country
any longer desired to see the rcconquest of
the South and the reconstruction of the
Union. The House of Commons cheered
Justify when they heard of the escape of the
Alabama to prey upon our commerce. The
Edinburgh, North British, and other Reviews
proclaimed our dissolution "an accomplished
land reversible fact" The Morning Post, tha
organ of Lord Palmerston, declared that the
overthrow of the Republic would be "a bless
cling and boon )" and the commercial classes
openly rejoiced in the ravages of pirate sup
posed to be invincible, which would drive their
American rivals from the sea and transfer their
carrying trade to English vessels The surren-
der at Appomattox, the abolition Of Slavery,
the quiet dispersion of the army to their homes,
and the reconstruction of the Republic with
tenfold it's former prestige threw a new light
upon the questions involved in the neutrality
of England and the escape of the Alabama
and although it had accomplished the transfer
to their marine of the commerce of America,
the cautious statesmen OF England ceased to
contemplate those questions with their former
complacency.
Memoranda Of the losses by the English iron
clads had been regularly filed by Mr.. Adams,
and Mr. Stewards original proposition to submit
them to arbitration was summarly rejected
by the Government of Lord Russell.
When Lord Stanley came TO the
Foreign Office, the policy of England
had undergone change. A British rebellion
or foreign war would render announcement
the precedents she had set in our domestic
troubles from her il-advised recognition Of
the Rebels as belligerents at sea, when they
had neither q fleet nor port. And, when the
proclamation was signed and published,
without the courtesy of comforting with Mr.
Adams, who had arrived at Liverpool, and
without the apology sometimes attempted for
it, on the ground that it was rendered neces-
sary by the Presidents proclamation of block
ade, of which the English Cabinet had no no
tee until the day after their own proclamation
wac issued The oroupd assumed nv their