The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-04-22
rHr ENeLIsH NEGOTIATIONS.


right. Withal, he is SO good a man, and has
rendered such sturdy service in times past
to good cause which was not then popular,
that we may now regret, but can still forgive
his extreme demonstrations against Great
Britain.
Yet, since Mr.. Chandler has himself chosen
to remind the country of his past course on
the questions that are now resolved into the
Alabama claims controversy, we may recall
the fact that he has never on this subect
represented the position or purposes of the
American people. In 1864 he wanted to de-
clare that the base of the Rebellion was in the
Csnadas, and to act accordingly. AS a mat
ter of fact very few now believe that this was
true, and as matter of policy everybody
sees that its announcement would have been
unwise If not disastrous. He tells us no "
that he did not make his proposition without
consultation with the military authorities,
and calculations as to how soon threats of
this sort would enable us to collect our
claims from Great Britain. But his consults-
tions came to nothing, and his resolution was
never reported, one way or the other from
the committee to which it was referred. In
1866 Mr.. Chandler wanted to have peremptory
demand made for immediate payment of our
claims, and, this failing, wanted an act of
non-intercourse, and the instant withdrawal
OF our Minister. Probably no one but the
earnest and patriotic Senator himself now be-
lieves that non-intercourse was the remedy to
be employed in 1866, or that the withdrawal
of our Minister would have resulted in graver
discomforts to the British empire than it
would have inflicted upon ourselves, There
may be those who think with Mr.. Chandler
that such course would have insured set
tlement of the Alabama claims, but they
cannot be of the number who remember
with US that our cousins across the
water have nearly or quite as much
human nature as ourselves. The Sena-
tors next adventure into this field was
a proposal to repeal our neutrality laws.
Surely there cannot be three members of the
Senate who agree with him in regarding the
suggestion that we do wrong because Great
Britain refuses to do right, as any solution of
onr difficulties. In 1867 Mr.. Chandler wanted
to declare our strict neutrality between the
Governments Of Great Britain and Abyssinia,
ia the war then pending. If any one besides
the Senator now thinks that the moral posi-
tion of the United States before the world
would have beenimproved by such an abandon
ment OF all the principles we professed on the
subject, we should be at loss to know where
to look for him. In all these demonstrations
we believe Mr.. Chandler to have been sincere
and solitary. He occupies very nearly the
same position now.
The Senator proposes that our newly-ap-
pointed Minister should 60 to London with
demand in one hand and threat in the other.
"lf Great Britain should meet us in friendly
spirit, acknowledge her wrong, and cede all
her interests in the Canadas in settlement of
these claims, we will have perpetual peace
with her; but if she does not, we must con-
quer peace. We cannot afford to have an
enemy's base SO near to US. 1t is national
necessity that we should have the British pos
sessions. He hoped such negotiation would
be opened, and that it will be a peaceful
one; but if it should not be, and England
insists on war, then let the war be Short,
sharp, and decisive If war should come,
he would say now that the 10000 veteran
soldiers of Michigan would take the contract
to capture the Canadas in thirty days, with
out a man or gun from any other State"
From the tone and temper of this we hasten
to express our utter dissent. We believe,
with the Senator, that this nation has been
grieveusly wronged. We believe, with him,
that the measure of our redress must be far
more than the mere money value OF the
ships actually destroyed by pirates equipped
in British ports. We believe, with one whose
words, rising from a grave over which
both hemispheres have uttered their
lamentations, that "Great Britain car-
ried on war from thess shores with the
United States, and inflicted an amount OF
damage greater than would be produced by
many ordinary wars" that the capture and
burnipg of American vessels, in itself great,
'has been but small part of the injury
inflicted on the American marine;" and that,
to quote Mr.. Cobden's emphatic conclusion,
eve (the British) have rendered the rest Of
her vast mercantile property useless" We
believe that, when this Just and honorable
basis for estimating the liabilities actually in.
Cured by the unfriendly and most unfortunate
acts of the British Cabinet shall be once
settled, the offer to cede the Csnadas may wei
be made on the one hand, and considered or
the other.
But We do not believe that the proper spirit
in which to conduct this negotiation is one o
buster or threatening. We do not belev,
that it is desirable TO approach an ancien
empire, as proud as she is still powerful, will
, the notice that she must settle promptly, OF
our terms, in thirty days, or fight for her pos
sessions, which we are quite capable o
taking, in thirty more, with the volunteer
from single one of our States. We doubt
indeed, whether We need make haste to settl,
the matter at all. We lose little by delay
she may lose much. The longer the adjust
ment is postponed, the surer we are of recon
pense for our losses. Time is our ally.
Meanwhile We trust and believe that what
! ever negotiations may occur will be conducted
In spirit OF the most perfect courtesy ant
the sincerest desire to promote peaceful ad
! justment. Neither the new administration
nor the new Minister will forget that afte
all, the English are of the same blood will
ourselves, and that because they are, the
must not be bullied Mr.. Summers speech
In this and most regards, represents the set
q t!ed determination of the American people
q Mr: Chandler's only passionate preiudices
n whlch VIII not control our policy. We al
! know that Great Britain is too proud natio
Il 10 DC coerced by unworthy fears. Let US nc
a forget That the United States is too great