New-York tribune., 1869-05-20
TUE ALABAMA CONVENTION.
am pprss ON THE ALABAMA .QUEsTIoN-IhE
'HH IRISH CHURCH
rpRoN OUR OwS CORRESPONDENT


bofore by letter to The Beehiue, advising thaV eli
Grafton from England to America should DC lof Inc
,,rose,,t suspended Oh account OF hr. summers
sneech. That speech writes Mr. Smith, mas nau %
great an effect in Teyiying American nos'iI'ty !"
England. that the continuance OF nlcnuly Ielauois
between the two countries appears TO be IN peril
He does not expect an actual rupture Out at Ihe
same time holds himself prepared tor turn Oh
affairs which would oblige English residents to leave
the United States. AS Mr. Goldwn Smiths sylnpa-
thies with America are well known, his testimony
has special weight and has produced deep i'm,
preston The leading journals copy ms ieJter, anu
Ii gives kind of consistency or sohdlty 10 Warnke
declarations which heretofore, though vehement
eDOugh, have been vague
T5s Spegqtor from whose article of last week Iquo
ted enough to show its violence OF tone, taxes upon
itself to-day the duty OF explaining 70 AiaeTuGS L
what the English friends of America will do II MI,
Summers views be not disavOwed. For It's own palC
though doubts if Parliament would go so far even
should the Government propose lt-IAe SeC4o, oba
be willing express regret for the escape OF ne e
ma, and for languOr OF failure OF legal TIen
anY there were, in not afterward stopping Iel - 4bn
ii would pay for such part of the losses uuJ W
Alabama as could not be ascrbed to our ggf IL
in not catching that ship. 10 su9ton +bo % HIaha
would pay for all depredatlonS O{b her % consorts
Their damages it would submit 70 aIDItfa- fr
ton 1t thinks strong party M@ouiu @ so sroio 90 l o
os this rather than fight. But believes mere is no
nsrtv NOT even the materials for party, prepaTe1
To 90 beyOnd thIs-barely group ol I Ih.l m -
There is not affrms tins ]Ourh, iue patty VI % o
ghost of a party that would so mucn as cOISHo' llo
Question of apooezng for the recognition OF the bel
Cerent rights the South. There Is not asngle man
who wOuld not at once advise war TaIner tnn m W
propositon to pay any part Of the cost OF SnodEng
Ibe Rebellion. Mr. Bright himself, thinks The Spec
fafor would resist Mr. Summers terms with positive
gcOrD For itself, 1t desires TO tell the Americans
emphafcally that no war ever ever entered upon by
England would be more popular than war 10 resist
such demands-demands which 1t would regard as
apiece of pure dctatOral arrogance 10 humlllae Ehg
land OF acquire Canada, or both IN one, ana there
is good deal more Of pretty loud talk Oh the same
kind.
papers; but it happens just that they represent
though inadeQuately, the real feeling OF Jhe hOur.
The Spectator has of late been wrong on American
matters that it is longer entitled TO the same KIND
of attention from us as formerly But IN the present
case its statement of English feeling against America
is rather under than over tho marx. know OF no
body who will 90 so far, make many concessions
as are approved in this article The writer Oh III mas
doubtless found some among his acquaintances who
wonld. and whose views ne expresses. l have not
been so fortunate-perhaps because no En-
giishman cares at this moment to adj
as much as he would admit to one of his own coun-
trymen. might echo the remark of Mr.. GoldWln
Smith that while do not believe IN rupture; the
peril of it is great Not only the party which nave
before described as wanting war with America for
specific reasons but the bulk OF the people are tak
ing freely of the prob?9lltes Oh war GIscusslis
what would happen, which side would suffer most,
and how it would all end. That is a condition OF
things which always precedes. though IT may not
The Pan Mall Gazette organ of the war party is out
this afternoon with still more advanced pro-
gramme II all but proposes that MT: summers
speech should be regarded as cdsu5 bella and that
tbe American Government should be called
upon to dsOwn Mr., Sumner and his doctrines,
or take the consequences His charges, says tins
paper ought not TO be passed over His Oense lacks
no aggraYatiOn that can be gwen to 1t by purpose
and delibeTation t. IL in private life man sits quiet
under such treatment this, we know what to think
of him. and if any other great Power than England
were to show itself equally long suffering, we can
pretty well guess what would be said Of 1t by En-
gish critics." Its silence would be set down 10 fear
and justly so, and Americans will have right says
The Gazette, TO say as mnch of England Hence it
calls upon the Government TO announce to the
United States that the utmost limit of concessions
has already been reached. that it will negotiate
no other basis and that if the American Government
does not at once accept the terms which have Just
been rejected in the Senate 10y "a to !, 1t Will break
off negotiations, and "Cal upon you to withdraw
charges which incompatible with the continuance
nf friendly relations" This is only one more step IN
following up the line which, / before wrote, had
been maturely resolved on oy this paper and the
party for which il speaks.
1t is very improbable that the PRESENT. Ministry can
be driven into any such course. Certainly. 1t Will
not adopt IL at the dictalOn of any faction, no mat
ter how powerful. 1t might be compelled TO- If the
popular excitement went on increasing at the present
rate fed it is far more by journals ike The Spec
tator than by journals like The Pail Mall Gazette
since the former goodwill Of the one relieves 1t from
the suspicion attaching 10 the declarations Of an
ayOwed enemy like the latter. 1t is a misfortune
also shat The Spectator has never been really we'll
informed on American affairs 1t is quite possible il
believes that Mr. Summers speech has provoked
sudden OutburSt OF feeling at nome ignorant that
the resentment against the treaCherOus neutrality OF
England was a feeling which survived the war,
and which has all along been patient in pro-
portion to its depth. The general ignorance
is far more dense, and the impression made here by
Mr. Summers speech is largely due 10 its being about
the first authoritative statement OF American feeling
which has attracted any attention IN England Pe0-
pie have gone in their obstinate way, treating the
American question with fippant stupidity and even
incrcdulity, and they are angry at being compelled
at last recognize the real gravity of the situation
Dir. Garrison Is sort Of oracle over here, among
some well-meaning people. quoted TO one of them
ncrs speech on account of Its moderation aud pacific
tone. The reply was one which do not care TO re-
peat but it showed how hopelessly the minds Of tho
twO peoples, English and American, have DIVIDED on
this question. or two men. one American and the
other English, both devoted advocates OF Peace, one
praises this speech as cOnclatory and the other de-
uounces il as inspired by the Devil, Onwhat ground
can those two men meet and on what can others
mite if they stand 80 far apart? STILL the feeling
in the Cabinet Is said to be far mlder tnan out OF
doors.
There are only too many topics on which ought
10 write, did not this Ouc OF paramount importance,
supersede. all the rest. The Irish Church bill got
through Committee last night, substantially the
Eame bill that went in. Its real peril TO come when
the Lords get hold Of it after the fortnights yaca
tion, which begins next week SUI, IT is thought
the Lords will hear reason and yield to the lneY-
table. Then there is the bill 10 punish the Mayor Of
Cork for presiding at dinner TO Warren and Cos
tellO-a piece of legislation INTO which the Govern
ment were entrapped, and which Liberal journal !
got to approve. Probably we are 10 have q kind Of
State Trial with the accused Mayor at tho bar OF tho
House defended by counsel unless, meantime he
shall be elected he is likely enough to be, member
of the House from Youghal, an Irish borough near
Cork.
Not less noticeable is the recent hint Of Mr. Bright
on the Irish Land question, aud the savage attack |
made on him in consequence. This speech brought |
into relief some qualities Of his mind not always ap-
preciated. What lac did 70 declare his readiness
20 deal with the Irish land on his old scheme. |
Inc press clamOred about it, representing Mr.. |
Bhght as attempting to dictate to the Cabinet. The
fact Is, Dir. Bright, as always, finds the politicians
sOmethlng 70 talk about. and the iOnmallslA sOme-