The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-05-10
AFRAID OF THE FACTS.

From the Missouri Democrat.
1t is strange that the English leaders and pa
pers persist in shutting their eyes to the real
opinion of this country In regard to the Alabama
difficulty. The papers, for example, do not
print Mr.. Summers speech. Can anybody ina
gine speech so affecting our affairs which
American papers would hesitate to copy? If it
assails us, so much the more we want to see it.
If it combats our most cherished opinions, so
much the more do we long to see what possible
reason it can give for doing If it looks like
war, we want to face the facts at once. John
Bull has had some reputation for courage in
former years But this suppression of Mr.. Sum-
ners argument is thing so cowardly that it
forces one to remember NapOleons saying, ''the
British have become a nation of shOp-keepers"
In the very same spirit of abiect cowardice
the Government refuses to believe that the
speech of Mr.. Sumner represents the Senate, or
that the vote of the Senate represents the Ameri-
can people. The Foreign Secretary declares
that he is informed that the vote means nothing,
for it was dictated by political complications in
this country 1t is impossible to suppose that
the man is ordinarily so ignorant of American
affairs. Nothing but an overpowering dread of
facing the fact rs it really is could have blinded
him TO the meaning of that vote. To the most
ignorant foreigner, it must seem miraculous that
any political complication drive both politi-
cal parties to vote as one mani To person as
well informed as q British foreign minister ne
cessarily is, it must be perfectly well known that
nothing less than perfectly Overwhelming and
! Irresistible public sentiment could have forced
| every Democratic Senator save one to support
| the speech and motion of Charles Sumner
! The man who is blind to the meaning
| of such vote must be crazy with fear. Scarcely
less significant is the unanimity of the Republi-
| can members. As other debates show there
| were Senators upon the floor who were aching
for a chance to pitch into the new administra-
| tOn and its policy. There were Senators who
| came from States in which not a single per-
son cared one straw for the Alabama claims. or
| Tor American commerce either, except in the
| brOadest and most patriotic sense-States which
1 lost nothing by the war would gain nothing bv
the settlement of these claims upon any basis
| whatever, have no direct interest in our COM
merce, and can only be Injured and retarded in
| growth by difficulty with England. But of all
| these Senators, from all these States not one
ventured TO raise a word of remonstrance against
| the speech or theaction of the Senate. Nothing
| less than absolute unanimity of opinion among
the people can account for such united action of
! the Republican Senators, on question not in
| volying party issues.
1t is not only cOwardly, but it is in the last de-
gree silly and suicidal, for Great Britain to shut
its eyes TO the real feelings of this country. So
| doing, it renders any amicable settlement OF
| this difficulty impossible. The time is coming
| when England viii wish it had been settled on
| any terms. The plain fact is that the people OF
this country fully realize that they have suffered
at the hands of Great Britain, the last nation OF
| the earth that should be unfriendly to us, iniu.
rles greater than have ever yet been endured
by any power capable of defending itself Iuu
rles lntlcted at time when we were engaged in
a struggle so desperate and bitter that we coulC
not resent any insult. Injuries prompted by the
meanest OF all mean motives, the desire to stea
our trade and destroy our commerce, under the
coWardly gulse OF neutrality! That is the plain
ana unVanlshed statement of the feeling whicl
now ranlles IN the hearts of Americans in ever,
part OF this nation. If Great Britain thinks /
can afford TO ignore that state of FEELING il il
most sadly mistaken.
Sooner or later, England will find Frame,
striking TO aVenge Waterloo. When that do,
comes the sea will swarm with cruisers no
built in France. We shall be neutral as Emo
land was. But no administration that thi
country Will ever see can prevent thousand
upon thousands of Americans while the nre
sent feeling exists, slipping off to sea in swif
ships TO pay that debt. The time will com
when England will have to submit to insult from
all Europe, because II does not dare to set loos
Yankee pryatcers. The time will come whe
not Canada only but other British possession
will drop away, and there will be no attempt I
stop them. We measure English courage b
the suppression of Mr.. Summers speech
nation which dares not face arguments does nc
dare to face monitors. We need have no wal
If England is afraid to look at facts they are
we can do just, what we please without tn
slightest danger of rousing the lion from hi
long sumber. Mr. Motley will go out soon, an
will do his best, we trust, to convince the BIRTHS
people that America not only sustains Mr. Sun
ner. but goes still farther. Possibly a fran
understanding of the real facts may lead to sci
tement. But If it does not, the day VIII com