New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-03-20
ENGLAND AND AMERICA.

The English papers by the last steamer snow
that the paragraph in the Presidents Inaugural
Address in which, in allusiOn to his foreign
policy, after declaring that he would respect
the rights of all nations, and demand equal re-
spect for our own, he added, "If others depart
from this rule in dealing with us, We may De
"cOmpeIled TO follow their precedent" has not
fallen upon Indifferent or inattentive ears
The fact declared by The Daily Necs,-"it
is entirely clear that the new President is
L" a man 30 intensely representative OF the
American people . . that any course which
a. he takes on foreign questions will be secure
of the national approval" has given to that
terse remark significance which neither the
statesmen nor the merchants of England are at
all likely to overlook. They recognize its occur
renee in his Inaugural, delivered after taking
the oath of Office, as an indication that, what
ever question of policy might be reserved for
further consideration, he intended his views
upon this point to be distinctly understood
from the beginning.
The tone of the English press in commenting
upon the Inaugural Of Grant exhibits pleas
ing improvement upon their editorials during
the early days of Lincoln. The Times. which
so often announced the bankruptcy and demise
of the Great Republic, has now a kindly word
for American credit and the "new period Of
prosperity" opening before us; and The Morn
ina Post which, with solemn thankfulness, de-
clared that in our extremity we had no mans
good word, and that our national dissolution
was q "blessing and boom" verifying the
olden maxim that "times change. and men
change with them" extends TO the President
of the extinct Republic its gracious commenda-
ton. What precisely the President means by
his alusion to the precedent" which we may be
compelled TO follow, is matter on which they
are not quite clear. The Post is unwilling to
believe that this can have any reference to
the unfortunate disputep about the Alabama
claims, "and to convey an intimatiOn that, I'M
LESS the claims advanced by the American
Government are satisfied, American fitted
"privateers WILL in the event of Great Britain
being engaged in war with any European
State, commit acts which would be in the
"nature of reprisals.r The Pail Mall Gazette,
on the other hand, declares that, il the Presi-
dent does really refer to the Alabama claims
Great Britain will have no cause for alarm,
provided that the reprlsals limited at are
strictly limited to the reproduction of the
wrongs from which the United States have
really suffered. British merchants will have
no right to complain if an enemy's cruiser
" should hereafter escape from an American
+" port merely through the accidental illness of
A" one of the United States law officers, or
" through misconception on the part of the
" weight of the evidence submitted to them
" by the President" A safer ground of conf
dence is found by The Morning Star, in the fact
that the language of the President "involves
no actual menace, and we must be content
" to accept the rebuke if we feel, as we must
do, that it is not wholly undeserved.
His programme is an eminently pacific one.
" The warlille spirit has no place in it. 1t
breathes the purpose of q man who will up
hold the greatness Of Ills country by reunit-
" ing divided people. by ecOnomizng and
y wisely employing the national resources, and
) by cultivating peace abroad and at home the
" civic virtues
The Saturday Repietv, in another elaborate
and able article on American feeling toward
England" discusses the supposed desire of the
American people to humlliate England, quotes
numerous facts in attempted justification of the
course she pursued in recognizing the Rebels as |
and as many more from our own |
history to show that our House of Represent
ltives has constantly given expression to SEN
;iments offensive to other nations, for which
our Government are not responsible, and
closes with the expression of hope that at a |
future time some American writer, after dis
passionate inquiry into the merits of the case.
will have the courage to rebuke the obstinate
injustice of popular opinion. Such discussions
If the question by the press of both countries
viii prepare the way for settlement by dis
covering and defining tho real points ut issue,
which ore evidently misunderstood in England, |
and bringing out in clear relief whatever OK