The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-06-03
BRITISH BLUSTER ABOUT THE ALA-
RAMA TREATY.

pointment and race caused in Great Britain by
tbc contemntuous rejection Of the Alabama
treaty and the accompanying speech OF senator
Summer continue to be forwarded, not only by
the cable telegrams which briefly summarize the
news from day to-day, but also by the foreign
mails. which give in detail the speeches and ar
o,,ments of leading British statesmen and jour
nails. This continued excitement can only be
explained by the peculiar interests involved and
the present position of parties in England. One
of the clauses of the Alabama treaty provided
for the adjustment of all outstanding claims be-
tween the two countries and it was distinctly
understood that we were to receive no compen-
saton for the destruction of our vessels unless
we agreed to pay all demands against our own
Government which mixed commission might
pronounce valid. The most imposing British
claim of this character is the Confederate loan
taken by British sympathiZers with the
Rebellion, and no better evidence of the sup
posed effect of the Alabama treaty upon this in
vestment is needed than the fact that it advanced
materially in value at the London Stock Exchange
we believe about ten per cent.-as soon as the
nature of the Johnson Clarendon diplomacy be-
came generally known. The lords and Lairds,
who so foolishly contributed millions of pounds
sterling to the needy treasury of the Confede-
racy, imagined that plan had been devised
whereby the people of the United States would
b. compelled to reimburse their losses. Now,
howeve since this nation respectfully bu
firmly declines to foot the bill run up for its de-
struction great is the confusion, CONSERVATION,
and disappointment of the Confederate bond
holders at finding their desperate financial pros
poets rendered more desperate than ever. Then
the shipping merchants of Great Britain, natu-
rally alarmed at the terrible injuries they would
;,,o Of, , Drit;
rca fitted out Alabamas to preyOn English COM
merce, are disheartened at the failure to cancel
on cheap terms their own precedent, and to hold
us under bonds not to initiate their example.
Aside from these considerations the necessi-
ties of British parusanship have materially in
creased the prevailing agitation. The Tories are
out of power, and, badly whipped by the Wings
on the old issues, they are lndustriously seeking
a new one. Nothing would suit their purpose
better than war with America provided they
could find decent preteXt for such conflict.
When John Bull goes forth to fight his neghbors
he marshals his forces under Tory banner.
When peace prevails, and the people have time
and opportunity to reflect upon their wrongs,
and to calmly review the monstrosities
embodied in the standard British policy.
their sense of justice compls them to make some
advance in the path of progress and to move
forward, even though it be by inches, under
Whig leadership. At this moment the rival
British politicians are cautiously fighting their
own battle over our shoulders. The Wings are
restrained from n manly and straightforward
recognition of our rights by the fear that the
Tories will get up a hue and cry that they are
bartering away the rights and honor of the
nation. The Tories, on the other hand
anxious they may be for war,
ford
and manufacturing interests without giving a
plausible reason for extreme measures. They
content themselves for the present with saying,
"See what quarrelsome and ungracious pack
these Yankees are! We offered them every
thing they could in justice demand when we
were in power. In no event should they receive
a single new concession. Since they are not
satisfied with our magnanimous proffers, all
further demands must be sternly resisted, and, if
need be, we ready to welcome another war"
The Wings adopt more insidious tone. They
deplore the rejection of the treaty. They attack
certain portions of Mr.. Summers speech
and make labored arguments to
prove that some OF its positions are
untenable; they stoutly assert that in no event
will they accede to unreasonable demands; but
they generally unite in the opinion that peaceful
discussion of the question is by no means eX-
hausted; that human wisdom was not all
embodied in the Alabama treaty: and that if war
is TO come, America and not Great Britain must
be the active aggressor.
The feeling last referred to Is we'll dis
played in various articles published in
The TELEGRAPH yesterday. The London
Nea0s, leading Whig journal, in refer
ring to Mr.. Motley's arrival in London, re-
joices that a difficult question will nov be re-
moved "from the region of unofficial debate and
rhetorical exaggeration into that of business
statement and diplomatic negotiations" while
the London Star (John Bright's organ), refer
ring to the same subject, alleges that England
loves peace, and that a determination to do JUS
tice animates the Ministry" Mr.. Forster, who
is connected with the present Cabinet while he
combated in his recent speech many of Mr..
Summers arguments, at the same time expressed
profound conviction that there would be no
war, and that 'if there be danger at all, it is
danger in America"
On the other hand, the Tory disposition to
pick quarrel is displayed in the boast of the
Pail Mall Gazette that ''Amerca has backed
down before British pluck"-an assertion as i'm
sulting as it is untrue; and the labored ATTEMPT
of Sir Francis Head to revive "reminiscences con-
neeted with the Canada rebellion, whatever nav
be the intention, has the same effect of revivlng
old animosties. If the dead past is to be raked
up, we will begin to think of the employment of
saVages to scalp and slaughter white Americans
in the last two wars with Great Britain, and of
the wanton destruction of the Capitol buildings
by British troops.
THE ADOPTION OF THE SPANISH CON-