The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1869-06-09
THE ALABAMA TREATY.
speech of Charles sumner against It's
Ratification.
REPlhArIoN rRoN nNeLANn.

L
British supplies had done their work, but
they failed. And now the DAY of reckoning
had come, but with little apparent sense OF
what Is due on the part OF England. With
out one soothing word for friendly Power
deeply aggrieved-wiihout 4 single regret
for what Golden, in the House OF Commons,
called :" the cruel issues" inflicted upon Us,
or for what Bright called " aid and comfort
for the fOulesI of crimes, OF for what gen
erous voice from Oxford University denOun-
eed as tAgrant and maddening wrong
England simply proposes 10 submit the ques-
ton for liability for individual losses y TO
an anomalous tribunal, where chance PLAYS
its part. That is all Nothing Is admitted
even on this question; no rule ior the future
IS established; while nothing is said on the
indignity to the nation. On an earlier oeca-
. sion il WAS otherwise. Tkere is an unhappy
incident in our relations with Great Britain,
which aitests how in other days individual
losses We're only 4 minor element in repa
ration for 4 wrong received by a nation.
1ou all know how in time Of profound peace,
and only few miles outside the Virginia
capes, the British frigate Leopard fired into
the national frigate ChsggDeGks, pouring
brOadside upon brOadside, killing three per-
sons and wuunding eighteen, some severely,
and then bearded her, carried of four Others
as British subjects. This WAS in the sum
mer Of 1897. The brilliant Canning, the
British Minister OF Foreign Affairs, prompt
ly volunteered overtures for an accOmoda-
tiou, by declaring His Majesty's readiness 10
take the whole of the case into cousiderl-
alton and ito make reparatiOu for any al
legged injury 10 the sovereignty of the United
States, whenever II should be clearly shown
that such injury had been actually sustained,
aud that such reparation is really due"
Here was good beginning There was to be
reparation for an injury TO the national SOW
ereignty. Alter years OF painful negotiation,
the British Minister at Washington, under
date OF November l, 1871, offered to the
United States three propositions: first, the
disavOwal OF the unauthorized act; second
ly, the immediate restoration, so far as cir
eumst3nces would permit, Of the men iorci.
bly, taken from the Chesapeake and thirdly,
suitable pecunisry provision Tor the suffer,
ers IN consequence of the attack on the ChsS-
dpeGke; concluded with these words.
These honorable propositions are made
with the sincere desire that they may prove
satisfactory TO the Government Of the United
States, and trust they will meet with that
amieable reception which their cOnciliatory
nature entities them to. | need scarcely
add how cordially | join with you in the
wish that they may prove Introductory to
removal of all the differences depending be-
tween our two countries. ."-iHdte RaperS,
Foreign i1diFS, Fol, 3, D. 500
l adduce this historic instance to illustrate
partly the different forms of reparation.
Here, OF course, was rep4ration to individu-
ais; but there was also reparation to the na-
ton, whose sovereignty had been outraged
There Is another instance, which is not with
out authority. In 1851 an armed force from
Upper Canada crossed the river Just above
the Niagara Fails and burnt an American YES
sci, the Caroline, while moOred TO the shores
Of the United States Webster, in his nego-
tiatiOn with Lord Ashburton, characterized
this act "as Of itself 4 wrong and Offense
TO the dignity OF the United States, for which
to this day no atonement, or even apology,
has been made by Her Majesty's Govern
ment;" all these words being strictly ap-
plicable to the present case Lord Ashbur-
ton, in reply, after reeapitulating some miti-
eating circumstances and expressing Il re-
gret that some explanation and apology for
this occurrence was not immediately made"
proceeds to say:
:" Her Majesty's Government earnestly de-
sire that reciprocal respect for the indepen-
dent jurisdiction and authority of neighbor-
ing States may be considered the first duty
of all Governments; and l have to repeat
the assurance of regret they feel that the
event of which | am treating should have
disturbed the harmony that they so anxiously
wish to maintain with the American people
and Government NV Works, vol
6, P. 5000.
Here, again, was reparation for wrong
done TO the nation. Looking at what is due
to Us on the present occasion, We are
brought again to the conclusion that the sat
isfaetion of individuals whose ships have
been burned or sunk is only small part of
what We may expect As in the earlier cases
where tue national sovereignty was insulted
there should be an acknowledgment of
wrong, or at least OF liability, leaving TO the
Commissioners the assessment of damages
only. The blow inflicted by that fatal proc
lamatiOn, which insulted our national sover-
eighty and struck at our unity as q nation,
followed by broadside upon broadside, driv-
ing our commerce from the ocean, was kin
dred in character TO those earlier blows and
when We consider that it was in aid of sla-
very, it was a blow at civilization itself
Besides degrading US and running our com
merce, its direct and constant influence was
to encourage the rebellion, and TO prOlong
the war wsged by slave masters at such cost
Of treasure and blood. II was a terrible
mistake, which l cannot doubt that good
Englishmen must regret. And now, in the
interest of peace, it is the duty Of both sides
TO find remedy, complete, just and eoncili-
atOry, so that the deep sense of wrong and
the detriment of the republic may be forgot
ten, is that proper satisfaction which nation,
loving justice, cannot hesitate to offer.
TIE EXTENT OF OUR LOSSES.
Individual losses may be estimated with
reasonable accuracy. Ships burned or sunk
with their cargOes may be counted and the
value determined; but this leaves without
recognition the vaster damage to commerce
driven from the ocean, and that other dam
age, immense and infinite, caused by the pro-
longatiOn of war, all of which may be called
national in contradisfinction TO individual
Our national losses have been frankly conce-
ded By eminent Englishmeu. have already
quoted Golden, who did not hesitate to call
them "cruel losses" During the same de-
bate in which he let drop this testimony, he
used other words, Which show how Justly he
cOmprehended the case. You have been"
said he, a carrying on war from these shores
with the United States, and have been infie-
ting an amount Of damage on that country
greater than would be Produced by many or
dinary wars. 1t is estimated that the loss
sustained by the capture and burning of
American vessels has been about SIS, 900 900
or nearly z. 900. But this is a small part
of the injury which has been inflicted upon
the American marine. We have rendered
the rest of her vast mercantile property use
less.r Thus, by the testimony OF Golden,
were those individual losses, which are alone
recognized BY the pending treaty, only "a
small part Of the injury inflicted" After
coufessing his fears with regard to 1.-The heap
ing up Of gigantic material grievance such
as was then rearing" he adds in memora-
BILE words:
/" You have already done your worst to-
ward the American mercantile marine
What with the high nate Of insurance, and
with those captures, and what with the
amount Of damage you have done to that
which is left, you have virtually made value
- . Il
gone and helped the Confederates BY bonn
harding all the Accessible seannrf fnuns Of