The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-05-12
THE ALABAMA CLAIMS.
RumOred Alliance of European
Powers Against the United
States-The PreteXtS.
England Agitated Over Sum-
ner's Speech-How the
Press and the People
Regard It.


land France, and Spain against the United States
the rejection OF the Alabama treaty the tone OF Mr..
Summers speech, the alleged tlibustering tendencies
of General Grants administration, and the reported
connivance at expeditions from the Unted States
against Cuba, being made the preteXts for neces-
slty for such alliance
Comments of the English Press on the Trouble.
The London Saturday RerieO May /, thus reviews
Mr.. Summers speech -
II IL were Mr.. Summers object to preCipitate a
he could not be more bitter more unjust Accord
ing to his own paradoXcal statement he desires not
TO tnfame angry passions, but to promote peace and
concord by rejecting a treaty which would not
satisfy American demands. He argues that it is use
less to terminate quarrel 10y an arrangement which
would not content the offended party.
Mr.. Sumner may perhaps believe that the recognl-
ings and yet nothing is more certain than that the
English Government issued the proclamation with
American susceptibility. AS the motives OF the act
have been not unnaturally misapprehended, it is
necessary to rely on the undoubted fact that the
English Government was eXercising,an indisputable
right. The blockade which had been previously
proclaimed by the President of the United States
is conclusive evidence OF the existence Of a war,
although Mr.. Sumner msrepresents the argu-
ment OF his opponents when he affects to believe
that their Justification rests exclusively on q single
admission. 1t was, according to Mr.. Sumner a
mere verbal mistake to announce blockade when
ports by executive authority; but decree by which
the ports were closed could have created right TO
capture on the high seas vessels which might be
bringing munitions OF war to the COnfederates. II
was for the purpose of guarding against such diff
Guilty that Mr.. Lincoln and Mr.. Sumner deliberately
cording to subsequent Judgment Of the Supreme
Court from denial that state Of actually exist
ed. AS might have been expected, Mr.. Sumner leaves
unnotced the unanimous assent Of all European Gov
ernments to the neutral policy OF England The French
recognition OF belligerent rights issued on the
same day, in the same words; and within two or
three weeks every maritime power, including Russia
committed In the same form the same wrong which
IS exclusively imputed to England At that time
there was little difference of opinion either side
OF the Atlantic that the dlsruptod of the American
federation was complete and final. 1t is true that
tne conclusion was erroneous; but the Confederacy
held undisputed possession OF its territory and
II was evident that according to the universal
opinion, State ties were more binding than Federal
allegiance. II any kingdom in the civilized world
had been split into two parts in similar circumstances,
the American Government would have recognized
not only its begerent rights but its political inde-
pendence.
The speech itself is from first to last thoroughly
consistent in injustice. The secession was as Mr..
sumner truly says, in the first instance plainly en-
the independence OF the South. In the cant Ameri-
can phrase, cotton was king and England would
prove her loyalty TO her economic sovereign by en-
poying her fleets and armies in aid Of the cotton
growing Confederacy. That the expectation was
from Mr.. Sumner. If man complained that capi-
tast whom he regarded as his friend had advanced
money to start against him a trading competitor, 1t
would be thought sufficient defense that the APP
plication had been urgently made and positively
refused. In controversies with England, american
disputants regard fact and logic with Impartial con-
tempt
stimulates may have partially subsidized or they may
have expanded into declaration Of war and an in
VasiOn OF Canada There is perhaps no example OF
war undertaken solely for purposes OF vengeance
would attempt at territorial conquest be a
dsinterested expression Of sentiment. There is no
other quarter in which England is especially vulne
rable in a contest with America; but the great re-
sources of the United States, unscrupuouSy en-
ployed would undoubtedly cause great injury and
suffering not without heavy cost to the wrongdoer.
II such result is to be produced, either by design
or by the unforeseen operation OF hostile feelings
reasoning would have no effect in averting lament
able crime and misfortune. From the beginning OF
the discussion the only hope Of solution was to be
In an m nf nfnrn rnafi oil
law, in the discretion OF Indifferent arbitrator
Although the arguments which induced Lord Russell
TO decline reference have never been confuted IL is
now generally admitted that the concession which
was afterwards made by Lord Stanley was judicous
@ EVERY ssep ose ~ c
the distance Short OF war it is impossible to go
further than Mr.. Sumner in a hostile direction.
The London Spectator goes elaborately into the
subject and winds up in the following self-compla-
cent manner:-
AS regards Mr.. Summers argument to prove that
we were guilty OF breach of international right,
policy towards the south, we need not say much.
Some things he said which fair arguments to lay
us coloTed by prejudces and prepossessions so eX-
traordnary that we read them twice before we could
credit him with having made any statement SC
monstrOus (such for instance, the assertion that
the fitting out OF the Alabama was as much the fitting
ont of hostile expedition as If she had sailed forth
from her Majestys dockyardO but the great feature
of his speech is that In treating the legal ques
tiOns he does not even cOndescend 10 grapplt
with any one OF the more powerful considerations
which tell against him. He ignores the point tha
the acknowledgment of the fact of belligerency a
sea was essential to give the United States the power
of blockade in the sense in which they wanted anC
used it-namely to stop vessels on the high seai
bound TO any blockade port lie Ignores the fac
that the friends OF the North felt this so strongly tina
some of them urged the recognition or bellgerenc!
and proclamation Of neutrality on the British Gov
ernment in the interests OF the North alone He ig
nOres altogether the question whether the breach o
any municipal law like our Foreign Enlistment ac
can be rightly made matter OF nternational.compain
by q foreign government He Is inconsistent, too
with himself; for while he makes II mot unJusty
as we think) q great charge against us that W.
were so negligent in executing our own municipa
law in the Alabama case, great part OF his accuse
tiOns rest on the assumption that we should hav
nroceeded, in violation OF that municipal law, u
stop vessels accused OF being intended for Southern
priVateers, on wholly inadequate and inadmlsslb
evidence which no Judge or jury would have listene
10 for moment In short, Mr. Summers legal argu
ment is a very poor pdrte statement OF the Unite
States case, without even pretense OF a judicia
discussion. But, be that as it may, it is too obviou
that eS pdrte legal arguments, II they the bes
in the world, are not reasons why Judgment shou
90 for the peader without ever hearing the case Of
which has not been heard hundred times before
though he supposes great deal which has also bee
heard hundred times before and which seems TO u
of much greater weight But what he does say, In
stead of being put forward as proof that there
somethinR to discussion which only it would serv
is unfortunately put forward as proof that there
nothing to discuss-whlch it not only does nc
p00rnV ne whole Mr. Summers speech impresses
verv deeply with the necessity there is for create
csndor on both sides OF the Atlantic: Those VIII
sSai SeenIv as we do the moral strength OF Mr. Sun
ner,s case against England ought 10 favor ever
nnnortnnitv for informally expressing that kee
sense OF regret and mortincauon Whlch we heartl
beeye that the great majority OF tne people Oh drei
Britain ald Ireland entertain Wien leE"la ~ WV "