The Portland daily press., 1869-05-03
Reception of MIR. Summers Speech i'm
ENGLAND.

The explosion which it was anticipated the
reception of Mr. Summers speech on the Ala
bama claims has come. Even the Star, Mr..
Brght's organ, says the Senator'S demahus
are utterly beyond reason, complains oi
Grants warlike spirit and says tnac II eue
ideas of Summers speech are emDodieu IN MI.
Motley's instructions the latter's mission VIII
he useless. The following is an abstract OF
the editorial in the Times on the same subject:
The Times desgnates the estimate of dam
ao,ls made by Mr.. Sumner as porteDtous. 1t
already reaches G42O00,O 900 and may in the fu-
ture be made to embrace the possible earnings
of all the soldiers Withdrawn from prod uctive
labor during the war OF rebellion. The speech
is worthy of Mr. Summers ability and de-
serves impartial consideration. He wants
something more than reparaton, he wants
contrition and public humiliation. Assn ming
chat England has cruelty wronged American
no good object would be served by any express
sion OF regret and penitence in treaty.
Treaties OF peace dictated by conquerors at
che head OF armies are unincumbered with
such expressions To require an acknowl-
edgcment of moral liability beforehand would
be to prejudice controversy and stultify the
proposed settlement. In the event OF decls-
ion by arbitration declaring England not III ma-
BILE would the apology, be taken Dack? Ine
view taken by Mr.. Sumner is feminine, uh-
reasonable and unstatesmanly
The prevailing tone OF the speech is ore VI
passionate remonstrance ana menace. II pe
travs one-sided partizanship, lamentaole IN
the representative of great country Mr.
simmer makes no complaint OF France al
thouqh the Emperor was desirous of rec0gniZ-
inc the Independence of the Confederacy. The
Times argues that although, according to Mr..
Sumner, England was the only f,reign power
in the world implacably hostile to America, it
is not too much to say that at one moment the
fate of the American Union depended ON the
voice Of England, whose sword, thrown into
the scale, would have decided the contest, and
shows the unfairness, bordering on infatua-
ton, which leaves this consideration out of the
account, 1t is the common practice of Amer
lean journalists aud politicians to villify Eng
land. The protective tariff system is strong il
the United States only because it works injury
to Great Britain.
AT Cabinet meeting held Friday the sub
| ject of the speech was inform lily discussed
| Mr.. Bright declared that this embarrassment
| served England right but he agreed that h'
would not consent TO entertain terms TO
| bloodshed in Mr.. Summers speech. Lore
| Clarendon expressed his belief that the actua
| negotiations ON the part of the American gov
| ernment would be far less extreme in charac
| in the press. He hoped to find Mr.. Motley a!
| courteous as Mr.. johnson. The present adj
| minstration, he said, is eager as the least fol
for the continuance of friendly relations. Mr.
Gladstone proposed to have good assurances
from reliable qu arters that the rejection of th,
| Alabama convention was purely a political
| stroke The present administration will en-
| deavor to settle the question on liberal and
honorable terms. The popular feeling here j:
anti-American and it has increased since the
| publication of parts of Mr.. Summers argu
ment.