The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-04-16


note for the Administration.
Senator Sumner has rendered q service to
the country and to the cause of truth and
justice q lnesloulsaele value in bis late clear,
comprehensive and unanswerable exposition
Of our unsettled accounts against England. 1t
is the very exposition desired and hoped for
by the American people, and it is delivered to
the world at the right time and from the right
quarter, in view of q settlement of the stupen-
dous bill OF damages presented. Considering
the temporizing imbecility of the late admins
tration, it is hardly to be regretted that the
degrading treaty contrived by Mr.. Seward,
through Reverdy johnson, was required TO
bring forth this trenchant protest from the
chairman on Foreign Relations as the voice
and the verdict of the American Senate But
this decisive judgment is particularly crafty
ing in view of the impertinent pretcxts and
pretences of England touching her late out
rageous examples of neutrality and belligerent
rights, and in view of the remarkable fact that
down to this day, with all her professions of
justice and liberality, England has made no
acknowledgment of these great wrongs-''not
one word"
Mr. Sumner puts the case of the United
States in the right shape. 1t is the only
official presentment of the case we have had
which meets the public opinion Of the country,
and offers the only basis for settlement
which will be satisfactory to the American
people. The reaction soon to follow in Eng
land the soft decisions and silly fancies
created by the soft and silly Reverdy johnson
will be tremendous. The self-complacency
with which her Majesty Ministry and Parlia-
ment have so far regarded this question of her
portentous concessions to JEFF Davis will be
rudely dispelled; for the startling indemnities
suggested in the almost unanimous support
of Mr.. Summers speech by the American
Senate will have now in England to be Sc
riousy considered. The rebel cotton loan
bonds, which rose from nothing to ten per
cent on the promises of Johnson's treaty, will
henceforth be utterly worthless.
We believe, moreover, that Senator Summers
timely and mastery argument is not only the
voice of the Senate and the American people,
but that it covers the policy of the present
administration, as foreshadowed in General
Grants inaugural As the General-in-Chief of
the Union armies against the late rebellion we
are assured that General Grant holds exactly
the views of Sumner concerning the costs to
the United States of England's unholy
alliance with the enemy. But we apprehend
that the present Secretary of State is too much
| a disciple of Mr.. Seward to grasp the diff
| Guilty. "There is nothing" says Senator
| Sprague, $50 shrinking and conservative as
| half million of dollars, unless it be million
of dollars" and Mr.. Fish belongs to this con-
servative school. In ordinary times, and In
the quiet routine of settled peace establish
ment, Mr. Fish, in the programme of diplo-
matte courtesies, dignity and decorum, would
make model premier But this English diff
| Guilty calls now for different character, and
Charles Sumner is the man to Gil it. His
appointment to the State Department upon the
strength of this speech on the Alabama claims
would be q mastery movement. 1t would at
once bring the British government to face the
main question upon its real merits; it would
be half the battle for a settlement. With Sum-
ner as Secretary of State and Motley as our
representative at London a hint from the
| President would suffice. 1t is said that Gene
raj Grant does not read the newspapers and
is not much reader Of books, pamphlets or
speeches. We are sure, however, that he has
found time to read this powerful and instruc.
tive speech Of the Senates chairman on Foreign
Relations, and will find time to fix in his mind
! its essential facts, testimony and conclusions
in the line Of international law. In any event
we think we may safely assure General Grant
that he could do nothing at this crisis that
would give more general or larger satisfac-
| ton to the people than the appointment of the
author Of this speech to the State Department
1t may be said that Massachusetts, has
already more than her share in her two mem
bers of the Cabinet, and that it would be in
expedient to give her three. But there need
be no difficulty upon this question. Mr.. Bout
well could be very conveniently spared from
the Treasury Department lin fact, he is not
the man for the position), and for the loss of
Mr.. Fish New York could be given the Trea-
sury, the position to which she is best entitled
In Henry G.. Stebbins, William B. Duncan,
Moses Taylor, or some such practical and ca
pable inancier, the right man could readily
be found. We feel perfectly free in throwing
out these suggestions, from the Presidents
assurances that he will not hesitate at any
time to change or reconstruct his Cabinet If
satisfied that he can so improve It. That he
can improve 1t in the changes we have indi-
Gated will hardly admit of doubt. Upon two
or three other points we may speak as de-
cisively. We may say, first, that of all our
public men Charles Sumner has most ably,
thoroughly and to the highest satisfaction pre-