The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-03-10
The Alabama Negotiations and the Bri-
tiSh Press.

mitted.
The Alabama Negotiations and the Bri-
tish Press.
From the ~ Y. Tsmes.
The hopeless tone in which they speak of
the Alabama negotiations indicates that the
British press, for the most part, despair of
their future regarding Brother Jonathan, pos
sibly, as a heady, intractable, and innately
perverse or CONTRARY" young fellow, whose
very waywardness bars the hope of reason
able settlement. Even the London Times
mournfully says, "We have done our best;
we have gone to the very verge--if we have
not trsnsgressed it-of national humiliation"
But is this So Has the British Govern
ment "done its bestY' On the contrary, it
has been in the position for several years of
vexatiously delaying settlement on ten thou
sand pretexts and excuses. We grant that
the British press and the British public, so
far as their voice has been heard in general
meetings or otherwise, have mainly met the
Alabama claims in the right spirit. And it
is on this very ground that it has always
| appeared to us that, with such a national
| spirit manifest, the form of the treaty would
| hardly be likely to bar such settlement as
we desire. But when the British press or
public af6rms that "we have done our best, ~
it is fair to say that ''we" cannot say as much
| of the British Government which is the only
| tions. For over three years that Government
devoted itself, not to the business of paying,
but to that of self.exculpation. -
A man owes his neghbor debt; and, with
perhaps instructive reluctance to pay, begins
to show, instead, how unjust the claim is.
His neighbor resorts to other means, and,
when the debtor is ready to pay, there is an
additional settlement required of legal costs,
or what not. The analogy is not perfect, but
sufficiently so to explain the position of the
British Government. At the close of the war,
Mr.. Seward presented the bill of damages
caused by the Alabama for Great Britain to
pay. The London Times and most other
papers admit that their Government is respon-
sible, and il responsible now it certainly was
then. Yet that Government, instead of pay.
ing, spent several years in showing why i,
should not pay. 1t thereby raised variety O.
exciting questions regarding English recog
milton of the Confederate States," and sc
forth, none of which were necessary to ths
payment of the bill. And when at last i
consented to the arbitration of the whole
matter, it in no terms admitted its responsi
bility for the debt
Now, it is generally understood that the
very submission of the Alabama claims t,
arbitrament is, probably, in effect, an admis
sion of English responsibility for the Ala
, bamas escape, and, on that theory, we ha "
supported the project of a mixed commission
; Nevertheless, when it comes to a question o
! whether the British Government has ''don
its best, i" we must suggest that something
a good deal better for it, for Great Britain AM
for us, would have been to settle these claim
, at once, without raising a question-implet
, all the time we admit-regardipg British
|, responsibility for Confederate recognition
which issue, when raised and urged, ou
, people are quite as sensitive upon as tn
people of Great Britain.
Earl Russell and Lord Stanley took tn
ground that II would be humiliating to maxi
the formal acknowledgment of responsibility
now discussed. But it was they who pu
themselves in that predicament. Surely
would not have been humiliatiDg to pay TO
the damage of cruiser escaping from thei
ports by their own laches, any more than
, we had had to compensate Spain for damage
done by the Peruvian iron-clads which W
, succeeded in stopping. The English press an
, people mainly c0ncede that the Alabama
> damages ought to be paid; 1t could hardly
therefore, have been humliating to pay then
! at the outset, without words, and withou
, committing the nation TO position whic
/ may appear humiliating to withdraw from
/ The English Premier has found no difficult
in amending mistake" in the British vie
regarding the Rebellion, in private letter {
friend in America, nor has Earl Russell, q
public banquet to Minister Adams, nor in
private conversation to Mr.. Johnson-i
which last the sins of the Government for th
: Alabama's escape were laid upon the shou
i ders of sick and insane subordinate. Bu
Q nothing of this concession of responsibility a,
y pears in the diplomatic correspondence
!: official documents; and hence we may insi
u that 1t is the British Ministers, rather tina
= Brother Jonathan, who must be accounted r.
: sponsible for that original delay OF settlemeI
: which, we trust, sooner or later and, at q
events peacefully, will come.
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e The Pardoned Criminals Defrauded |
- Grant.