New-York tribune., 1869-04-15
THE ALABAMA CLAIMS.
SPEECH OF THE HON. CHARLES SUMNER.
IN EXECUTIVE SESSION OF THE SENATE, APRIL
10, lo09, ON THE JoHNs0N-cLARENDoN
TREATY FOR THE SETTLEMENT OF THE ALA

| ,hr. GUNNER (hepr Mass.)-Mr. President,
that the Senate DO not sdyise and
consent 10 treaty with foreign power dulv soned nv
the Plenipotentiary of the nation. "a 40 - .o,r
renee Treaties are often reported witn amend.
menus ana sometimes without any recom,nendsa
tonj bnt do not recall an instance since r cana
ih'o ,ne eenate' where such treaty has been re-
ported with the accommodation which 4. no,- ,,nd.
consideration The character Of the treaty sesred "a
justify the exceptional report The Committee 6a noA
hesitate In the conclusOn that the treaty ought % bs
jected and they have said do disguse the Inn,
portsnce Of this act but believe that the interest OF
peace which every should have heart the treaty
must be rejected treaty which, instead Of removing
an existing grievance, leaves for heartburnng and
rancor, cannot be considered settlement of pending
Questions between two nations It may 10 settle
men, but does not It Is nothing but snare And such
~ the character OF the treaty before The
massive grievance under which country suffered for
years Is left untouched; the painful sense Of wrong
an'eu IN the national heart Is allowed to remain. For
AL taere Is word Of regret Of recogn
tion nor is there any seublance OF IL
cannot DC for the interest Of either pePy that such
treaty SHOULD De ratified caRnot promote the interest
W inc ohled STATES Tor we naturally seek justice as the
oundaon Oh good understanding with Great Britain
NOR can " tpromote tho interest OF Great Britain,
which must also seek real settlement of ali
pending questions Surely do not err v,,en
say, that @ wise rtstatesmanshp, whether an onr
side the other side must apply itself 70 ana the rar
root OF ey and theD with courage tempered by eaudor
and moderation see that 1t Is extpated This is for the
interest Of both parties and anything short of IL Ia
failure It is sufficient to that the present treaty
does such thing and that whatever may have been
the disposition Of the Begotiators the root Of evil re-
mains untouched In all its original strength. / mako
these remarks merely 10 characterize the tresty
and prepare the way for its consideration.
II we look at tho negotiation, which imine.
dately preceded the treaty, find little 10 commend
You have it on your table. think am not mistaken
when cay that 1t shows haste which finds few preee.
dents In diplomacy, but which is explained by the
anxiety reach conclusion before the advent OF
Administration. Mr. Seward and Mr., Reyerdy johnson
both unite IN this unprecedented activity, using the
Atlantic Cable freely. should not object TO
haste or 10 the frsest sse OF the Cable,
IL the result such as could be ap-
proved; but. considering the charac er OF tho .
ton aud how completely the treaty coneeals tho
main cause Of oense IL seems as II che honorable
gotators were engaged in budding something out Of
sight The treaty has for iis model the Claims Conyen-
ton Of 1853. To take such Convention model was
strange mistake This Convention for the setue-
Dept OF outstanding claims Of American citizens
Great Britain, and Of British subjects the Upte6
States which had arisen since the treaty Of Ghent
in 1918. Git concerned individuals only aud not
nor was ito remove any sense OF rational
wrong To take such convention as tho model for Q
trsssenaent Importance ia the relations q two coun
es marked the Threshold an to the true
nature Of the difference TO be settled AT once beited
the work be done An inspection OF the treaty shows
how from Sesnnis 70 end T. perely f0r ,ns SETTLE TUE
batehes on an equaltyE.o shat the sahersrs
s SS s OF Il CSsns
with preamble. which, instead OF announcing the un
refers to Individual claims which hare arisen sSce iss
which was tho last time OF OF Which sre
@ Pse sea
that unsettled EhSa & a has sesay s afssR
ased ocoapy the aitenton Of the civilized gordt
the preamble. as It IS the Keynote 10 tbs treaty
claims pave z. aoa, times n1es -. @ @ 3, s a
Iudo. the sh q fsDrs, lss5 s.ss mad.
~ Gated ss. .aa 'sJ spa S. Unit. ca
ne part .slss: lI DI.asls M.Is.yi .sd .h.,
e; si VIII. &c .. s:: s..: @ !; +:
md ]. 4: sd, q . % :.ss sla .: .sS a..
sss ess sss @sss sss
ais pSeSisons % ihs treaty for the trial Of these
Ts es 81 s not osses ne Tor the
de expressly that shall never hereafter be presented,
etof the Individual clanIs OF England so that in
he end our country may possibly receive nothing is the
erm from an English Statesman on another occasion,
yidual claims we condoue the original farreaching.
md destructive wrong Hero are the plain words by
6sS p.., ecS.t,s, .Ss r.:us Of The
sna h II . Govern .ss .as COS x .ny s.s.seasa Of sss.
do the elehapss osaIo a
,es prs.s1sd to the notice o made preferred
s ] .S % Ss I'D i'f ,.isd s.
All tH. quote directly from the treaty 1t is article
Ave- The national cause handled as nothing more than
s,ednss SSuss under tie proposed treaty an
final settlement" 80 that hereafter all claims snan De
considered and a anoacsion rsaeSa Here
provision Tor the .,gea Fea' or scsr.d TO Ss
Though ,s,l@S us' and according to the terms Of
the treaty, must return TO plague the two countfes.
snt IN fact and until ts Il made there will be
stant menace dscord Nor can 10 be forgotten tnse
re l. mo recognition OF the rule Of International dutY
appcabIe to such Ths, too Is lett unsettled.
sie doing little for us the treaty makes ample sg pIV
these are exclusively "udiyidual they are compieteyt
covered by the text which mas DO nnd ,Sat S sy.n
hose Of confederate bondholders" are included;
have before me sa E on Quantities of cot
TON worth at the tine of their seizure nearly TWO sh
ts ~ tSs bpnihoIders;Y and the authority adds
these claims viii be brought ndlnerenty WIN 9tnefs
From, another quarter ilesrn that these LondhoIdeTs
are very sangnte Of success Wsuer Me uedy us
~ no a. soon as M was asesrtancd that the treaty waE
signed" Doubt u the Amsrca1 people are READY jSss
In the market IL an argument against the treay
Passing from Sa. ys With propr prcon the true soand
cf and here again We snail see the eohstsna
aeqhsey Of the remedy nov % appea asS MA Do IA
Dnly In the discharge OF duty when eanhot pe pos.
poned Close npon tne ~ ror vS s"er wSSn tSe
Rshenn WAS still undeyeloped when the National Goy-
ernnent beginning those gigantic enerts when
eted AZ the country was startled Dy tno
news thnt the British Government had ntervened oy a.
prociarnaon which accorded brlgerent rights 70 .hei
Res Al 1he early date whcni hs done the kebeiS
were as they reuaue the Close Without ships on tho
ocean, without Prize Courts or other ttionals or .n
adminstrution Of Justice the ocean Without any or
i,os, conditions phich Ue essendt prueqnnves "
stck concession; and yet tho concession was soner3
bsino apulcable to the and the lanu, 70
that by Briti.h fiat they became ocean De,nSer1
ants as " ell as land beigorents. In the swthess OF s
there was very little ION anx inSury