The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1869-05-20


ceded by eminent Englishmen. have
already quoted Mr.. Golden, who did moi
hesitate to call them cruel losses" During
the same debate when he let drop this
testimony, he used other words, which
showed how justly he comprehended the
case. "You have been," said he, Tcarrying
on war from these shores with the United
States, aud have been inhicting an amount
of damage on that country greater than
would be produced by many ordinary
wars. It is estimated that the losses sus-
tanned by the capture and burning Of
American vessels has been about $40, 0OO-
900, or nearly e3,000,000 sterling. But
this is small part of the injury which
has been inflicted upon the American
marine. We have rendered the rest OF
her vast mercantile property useless
Thus. by the testimony of Mr. Golden,
were those individual losses, which alone
are recognized by the pending treaty,
only, ga small part of the injury inflicted"
After confessing his fears with regard to
the heaping up of a. gigantic material
grievance such as was then rearing, he
adds in memorable words:
You have already done your worst toward the
American mercantile marine. What with the high
rate of insurance. what with these captures, and
what with the amount Of damage you have done to
that which Is left yo have virtually made valueless
that vast property. Why, If you had gone and
helped the C0nfederaes by bombarding all the &C
eesslbe seaport towns of America, few lives
might have been lost which, az it is, have not been
sacrificed, but you could hardly have done more In
jury in the way of destroying property than you
have done by these few cruisers. Hear hear.
With that clearness of vision, which he
possessed IN such IA rare degree, this states
man saw hat England had = virtually made
Valueless vast property" as much as II TINS
Power had bombarded "all the accessible sea
port towns of America" So strong and
complete is this statement that any further
citation seems superhuous but cannot Ior-
bear adducing q pointed remark IN the same
debate, by that able gentleman, Mr.. Wlilam
E. Forster :aaFs There could not, !" sald he; De
A. stronger illustration of the damage that
has been done to the American trade by these
cruisers than the fact that SO completely was
the American flag driven from the ocean, that
the Georgia, on her second cruise, did not
meet single American vessel IN SIX weeks,
though she saw no less than seventy vessels
in every few days" This is most suggestive
SO entirely was our commerce driven from
the ocean that for six weeks not a single
American vessel was seen! Another En-
glshman, IN an elaborate pamphlet, bears
similar testimony. / refer to the pamphlet
of Mr.. Edge, published in London, by Ridg.
way, in 1864, entitled "The Destruction OF
the American Carrying Trade" After set
ting forth at length the destruction of our
commerce by British pirates, this writer thus
foreshadows the damages. i"Were We, 'says
he, "the sufferers, we should certainly de-
mand compensation for the loss of property
captured or destroyed--ior the interest of the
capital invested in the vessels and their carr
goes, and, may be, fair compensation in ad-
dition for all and any injury aceruing to our
business interests from the depfedations upon
our shipping. The remuneration may reach
iuh fiorI1r
would be simple act of justice, and might
prevent an incomparably greater loss in the
future" Here We have the, damages as as
sessed by an Englishman, who, while con-
templating remuneration at high figure,
recognizes it as a simple act of Justice.
Such is the candid and explicit testimony of
Englishmen, pointing the way to the proper
rule of damages. How to authenticate the
extent of national loss with reasonable GER
taintv is not without difficulty; but it can
not be doubted that such loss occurred
1t is folly TO question it, The loss may be
seen in various circumstances, as in the rise
of insurance on all American vessels; the
fate of the carrying trade, which was one
of the great resources OF our country; the
diminution of our tonnage. with the cor
responding increase of British tonnage; the
falling Off in our exports and imports, with
due allowance for our abnormal currency and
the diversion of war. These are some of the
elements; and here again we have British
already quoted announces that the carry.
Ing trade Of the United States was trans
ferrcd to British merchants" and Mr. Cob
den, with his characteristic mastery OF de-
tails, shows that, according to an official doc
ument laid on the table of Parliament,
American shipping had been transferred'to
English capitalists as follows aFa 81
In 1858, SO vessels 1858 tons; 1859. 80
vessels, 2t,673 tons; 1860, Al vessels, 13,63S
tons; 1861, 126 vessels, 7l,673 tons; 1862,
1876 vessels. 81 .573 tons and in 1853
~ am told that this operationis now going
on as FAST as ever = and this circumstance
he declares TO be "the grayest part Of the
question of our relations with America
But this "gravest part is left untouched by
the pending treaty. Our own official docu
ments are in harmony with these. English au
shorities. For instance, ! have before m,
now the report of the Secretary of the Treas
ury for 1863, with an appendix by Mr. NimmC
On Shipbuilding In our country. From this
report it appears that in the New England
states, during the year 1856, the most pros
porous year of American shipbuilding, 30I
ships and barks and 173 schooners were built
With an aggregate tonnage of 326, 420 tons
while during the last year only SIS slips ane
parks and 213 schooners We're built, with al
aggregate tonnage OF 98, 697 tons. ] add
urther statement from the same report: sf.
During the ten years from 1852 to 1862
he aggregate tonnage OF American vessel
entered at sea. ports OF the United States from
oreign countries was 80, g25, rs TONS and th
aggregate tonnageof eignsvessels enteres
vas IA, 500, 1872 tons, while during the fy
7ears from 1868 to 1868, the aggregate ton
age of american vessels entered was 1899,
M, and the aggregate tonnage of forcigI
Jessels entered was l4.l16, 427 tons-showin
hat American tonnage in our foreign trad
lad fallen from FOG to, OF per cent, Of fereigl
onnage in the same trade. Stated in othe
erms, during the decade from 1882 to 1867
Il per cent. of the total tonnage entered fror
oreign countries was m American vessels
nd during the five years from 1868 to 1851
Inferred from foreign vessels was in America
essels, relative falling of Of nearly on
alf.''-Ftsaancs Report for 1868, page 496. s
It is not easy to say how much Of TIL
hange, which has become chronic, may B
ainrred "a British nirafhs.e but Ii canrlnt 3