The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-05-22
ALABAMA CLAIMS.
4 Voice from the West-HOw Indiana Cones
Down on England.

Voice from the Wcst-HOw Indiana CO.Acs
Down ON England.
The Indianapolis journal, first remarking that
Indiana sent 600 soldiers into the field, inti
nation that IN case of an international war she
would ''go her best on it, says in relation to the
Alabama cains:-
The English used our war TO ruin our commerce.
They did II with as well settled purpose as they
ever plundered an Indian prince. They saw their
opportunity and the government at the best winked
at the advantage taken of il. They did IL under
cover, with the disguise of forms and compliances
of the most infamous bad faith ever exhibited in
history. We may safely defy any age or country to
produce case Of greater duplicity and more enOr-
nous injury. They pretended to be at peace, to
cherish kindly relations, and they carried on most
desoatng war against us all the time This Is
lact as gross, palpabe, undenia0le as their own
island Now, is there noImore in this act than the
destruction of the few score vessels which made our
commerce so insecure that we had to give it to
the English? If hundred OF our vessels should be
burned in English harbor by incendiaries, though
the direct pecuniary injury might be as great, would
anybody think it an equal wrong? We should accept
compensation and feel that the affair was settled;
but are we to dismiss as a casualty the systematic
plunder OF our commerce and accept as Compensa-
ton the money value of the property destroyed?
England insists on settling the one as if it
the other on making Offsets against the piraces of
her vessels as II they were innocent accidents She
will not allow that what she did was any more her
the Of Thames river thieves. We have insisted
and ought to insist, that il much more; that it
shall not be settled on the basis of accident, in which
is no national OF moral inculpation We ought to
insist, because we have right to make England un-
derstand how regard her action.
Again, says the Western Journal England has esta-
blished a precedent which must be disavOwed or
maintained. Her refusal to stop the Alabama, be-
cause her judges, guided by her domestic laws upon
evidence OF her own citizens elected after her own
fashion, did not feel perfectly clear that the object OF
the vessel was Illegal amounts simply to legalZa-
ton Of piracy in all cases where she may think it
safe TO permit it. Her neutrality is to be determined
not by her acts or their consequences, but by her
Interpretation Of her own laws her application of
her own forms. She alone decides whether what
she Is doing is piracy honest trading. The
dent she has made Is that, If protected by her own
laws, which are entirely at her own disposal,
she may wage war as neutral against any belge-
rent she chooses. That precedent we, and other
tons too, have right to know something about.
If she insists on such settlement aslthat made with
Reverdy johnson, which sets down the Alabama
might pay for vessel sunk in collision in Chan
mel fog, she af1lrms her precedent. If she admits
the wrong of her act in sending out, or letting go
ont, the Alabama she diSallOws the precedent. We
As the case stands now we don't know Johnson's
treaty lodged this point, and Mr. Sumner
is right in demanding that il shall not be
lodged. The Senate was right IN kicking out a
treaty that should have settled this vital question OF
neutral relations, and never even noticed it. In
what form the settlement should he made may admit
of discussion; but that it has not been made in any
form far, and can never bc made, is very certain.
National apologies may he impossible, and 1t may he
absurd to expect or demand them but it is not inn
possible to make nor absurd TO expect some decara-
ttOn as 10 an act which submits the commerce OF
every belligerent to the piraces Of every neutral
which chooses to mould its domestic laws so as to
allow an easy escape for plunderng expeditions.
Damages do not enter into this question at all. Ii is
above all considerations OF money. Ii is virtually
model its policy after that of the old AlgGrines or
not,