The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-04-17
THE UNITED STATES AND GREAT BRITAIN.

Senator Sumner evidently knows, from long expo
Renee, the exact amount OF "bunkum" and " dap
doodle" which his countrymen can swallow with
mpunlty and presumed upon 1t In the speech on the
Alabama claims treaty. which he made with grea'
success in the United States Senate on Tuesday
The rather rough and brief synopsis OF his remarks
which leaked out through the closed doors OF the
Senate chamber, do not define the stand he has
taken In very satisfactory manner; but from the
| general tenor OF what was communicated to the
press In order fire the Northern heart It Is easy
to discover that he endorsed the furious, uncOnl-
| promising absurd policy advocated by such reck-
| q COMPROMISE is ever brought about through the
| ofnces Of any American or other statesman. the
chairman Of the senate Committee on Foreign Rela-
lations although usually, and az he should be,
| Elective and cooheaded, wilt not be party
| thereto. "
Some OF the charges in his long indictment are so
| absurd that they would never he preferred in any
state paper from the hand Of any statesman who has
the remotest conception OF the duties Of interna.
but he none the less presumed upon the ignorance
of his auditors and the gross gullibiity Of nation
throws the duty and profitable labor upon the Will
ing shoulders OF professional politicians" like Mr.
the synopsis now before us contains anything like
a correct version OF his Views but on one or two
| points Mr. Sumner Is only consistent: Several
years ago. at popular meetings. not In his place In
the Senate, he denounced England for issuing pro-
| clamatOn OF neutrality and concedng beigerent
blockade running proclivties OF some OF her daring
hardy adventurers but no sensible man, no one at
all acquainted with the views Of even the American
publIcists on these branches OF International law,
ever supposed that they would be seriously pro-
pounded BY Mr. sumner me- II MS present capacity as
the standard American authority, directly opposed
to Mr.. Sumner on both OF these grounds, holding
by the risk which the parties to it incur; holding
further that no State has right to institute block
point raised by Mr.. Sumner that State has an In
herent right to define Its relations towards another
and decide whether 1t shall remain neutral or other
wise In any contest between any two Powers or
parts Of Q Power. The United States government
has frequently acted upon these well known
universally recognized doctrines and even now
| is about TO issue q proclamation warning its
| constituents not to violate the neutrality Of
the State by taking part in the x contest now
the South was in state Of rebellion against SOW
ereign Power, with which you were on friendly
as belligerenIs. and thereby give them status
which they could not otherwise have acqulred-a
the IN S as
belonging 70 an Independent Power, 10 the destruc-
tion and ruin Of our vast and widely extended com;
English offending the United States govern
ment was Just as great sinner. And why Let
rent rights to the South what would have been che
consequence according to ali the writers on nterna
the Nashville and the other earlier Confederate
cruzers arrived IN England after burning the Bril-
liant and other Northern merchant vessels their
Officers and crews, having no recognized status,
would have been subject to the law and amen
able to trial and execution as pirates, although,
nized 6elgerent right to make reprisals.
England very properly refused to act as
the same question came up for trial and disposal
in the United States courts In the memorable
case Of the confederate crew seized, almost red
handed, or Charleston harbor, that government
abated Its previous pretensiOns and ended by adopt
ing similar course. In other words the crew in
question tried and sentenced TO death for piracy
but little reflection showed government that 1t
would be unwise and unnatural to carry out the
tence, and in the end the pirates were exchanged
by both governmentss England called and
went still further and by exchanging prisoners gave
them the legal status and the position Of
standing the representations Of France-an indie
pendent Power. And yet Mr.. Sumner and the other
sympasnlzsrs WITH every rebellion on he face Of the
law and common sense by the stand which he Is re-
ported to have taken on such well understood and
clearly defined international question 1t would,
in fact. appear from his utterances and those Of
many other Northern writers and politicians, that
they event in for the war; with the Impression and
their side and wrong. hideous SINFUL for the South
to strike back, no matter how pundered downtrod-
den and agRreved IL that was the case they should
have counted the cost before they began. IL Is now
rather late in the day TO and whine about II,
pecially when the reparation so arr0ganty insisted
upon will probably have TO be purchased. II England
only possesses portion OF her former spirit, ut
cost OF ana treasure that poured
out IN the last American war.
The View From, nm American Source.
From the Boston Daily NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. sum-
ner's OrGan-Apf1l 10.
For undertaking what must be deemed under the
clrcu instances an almost Official exposition of the
reasons for which tue Alabama convention Is re
jected MI Sumner frankly says that he does not dis
guse the importance OF the act. Nobody can doubt
that the step Is the grayest that has been
taken for years in our foreign relations. 1t is the
rejection OF what IL proposed as settlement of out
standing questions OF the most Irritating kind, be-
tween two Powers which are both as jealous OF
honor a. they are desirous OF peace and under
cumstances which seem 10 make the present re-
newal OF negotiations hopeless, while the Differ
ences left open are to the last degree dangerous No
man can say 10 what the rejection of a proposed
settlement In such case may not lead, and we can
well understand therefore the painful anxiety VITA
which a thoughtful statesman must approach the
duty OF advising such step.
AS we took occasion, however, to declare when
the convention was first made public, the proposed
settlement Offers choice OF evils which leaves no
doubt as 10 the expedlency OF rejecting It, English
writer's and speakers assure Us that the temper OF
America TINS may well be, and IL IT, on the other
hand, absolutely certain that the temper Of the
American people Is not understood by them. Indeed
Il IL probably less understood now Than ever, since
the exuberant follies OF the minister whom we un
fortunately charged with the negotiation OF this
very treaty. ON both Sides then, the negotiation
has proceeded In ignorance OF the true character OF
the grievances between the two nations and OF the
remedies necessary for their thorough removal
Can 1t be doubted that q settlement OF this Sort
which simply assumes to enforce silence hereafter
and yet leaves the root Of bitterness untouched,
Its purposef The convention as negotiated
might have ended formal applications for re-
dress for the time; but on this side at least II
would have marked the beginning OF concentra-
uon OF wounded pride and unsatisned sense OF injury
which would have sought and at last found, beyond
all peradyenture, the occasion for full satisfaction.
Diplomatists may have thought the claims for dam
ages ready for examination aud llquidation; but so
long as the two nations failed TO comprehend each
others feelings and at any rate so long the wrongs
under which one OF them burns are not understood
and hence are ignored by the other the internation
al controversy " not ripe for adjustment, whatever
the state OF tile individual claims.
Mr.. Summers purposes In undertaking the thor.
ough explanation OF the wrongs under which thi,
nation smarts Will no doubt be misconccved Of first
lie Will perhaps he charged with desire TO hold the
English precedent IN teTOren over the head OF Eng
land herself and TO keep alive grievance
even II he Is not credited with some scheme
for extorting great cession OF territory from
the mother country. But at the risk OF ten.
pOrary misconceptions OF this sort, extending
bpyOnd tile views q A