The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1869-04-30


aseertaining the nature aud extentsof diff.
ference. In this spirit have spoken to-day
If the case sgainst England is strong, and i
our claims are Unprecedented in magnituds,
it is only because the conduct Of this
Power at trying period was most uniriendly,
and the injurious consequences Of this c)n-
duct we're on scale corresponding to the
theatre Of action. Lds and property were
I both swallowed up, leaving behind deep
seated sense Of enormous wrong, ss yet
unattOned and even unacknowledged, which
! IS one Of the chief factors in the problem now
presented to the statesmen of both countries.
The attempt 10 close this great international
/ debate without a complete settlements is
little short of puerile. With the lapse Of
/ time aud with minuter consideration the
case against England becomes more grave,
not only from the questions of international
responsibility which it involves, but from
better comprehension Of the damages which
are seen now in their true proportions. Dur
/ ing the war and for some time thereafter it
was impossible to state them. The mass of q
mountain connOt' be measured at its base.
The observer must occupy a certain distance,
and this rule Of perspective Is Justly appli-
cable to damages which age vast beyond pre-.
cedent. A few dates win show the progress
ofthe controversy and how the case enlarged.
/ Going as far back as the Goth November,
! 1862 we find our minister in London, Mr..
! Adams, calling for redress from the British
government on account the Alabama. This
was the mild beginning, On the 23d Of
/ October, 1868, in another communication the
same minister suggested to the British gov,
/ eminent "any fair and equitable form Of aroi-
/ trsment or reference" This proposition
/ II. L., E.
nearly two years, during which the Alabama
was pursuing her piratical career, when on
August 30th, 1865, it was awakened by Lord
Russell, only to be knocked down in lhess
words: . EEt E
"In your letter of October %, 1868, you
were pleased to cay that the government of
! the United States is ready 70 sgree to any
form Of arbitration. a" "Her
Maiesty's government must, therefore, de-
cline either TO make reparation and cOmpen-
sation for the captures made by the Ala
bams, or 10 refer the question to any foreign
state"
Such was our repulse from England, hay
ing at least the merit of trankness, ifnothing
else. On the 18th Of October, 1865, our min
lister informed Lord Russell that the United
States had finally resolved to make no effort
AOL dlDllldbluus again t06 NnOl6 QuboILOQ
slumbered until the 9th of August, 1868,
when Mr.. Seward presented list Of iudi-
vidual claims on account Of the pirate Ala.
bama. From that time negotiation has con-
tinued with ups and downs, until at last the
pending treaty was signed Had the early
overtures of our government been promptly
accepted, or had there been at any time a Just
recognition Of the wrong done, I doubt not
that this great question would have been
settled; but the rejection Of our very mod
crate propositions and the prOtracted delay,
which afforded an opportunity to review the
case in its different bearings, have awakened
The people TO the magnitude of the inter-
ess involved. IT our demands are larger
now than at our first call it is not the only
time in history where such z rise has Oc-
Cured. The story Of the Sibly is repeated,
and England is the Roman king. That
these claims be liquidsted and cancelled
promptly, or allowed to slumber until called
into activity by some future exigeney7
There are many among US who, taking
counsel Of a sense of national wrong, would
leave them to rest without settlement, SO as
TO furnish precedent for retaliation in kind,
should England find herself at war There
are many in England who, taking counsel
Of a peryerse political bigotry, have spurned
them absolutely, and there are others who,
invoking the point of honor, assert that En-
gland cannot entertain them without COM
promising her honor, Thus there is peril
from both sides. 1t is not difficult to imag-
ine one Of our cOuntrymen saying with
Shakspesre's Jew. "The villsi1y you teach
me | viii execute, and it shall 60 hard but
l will better the Instruction. nor it is diff
cult to imagine an Englishmen firm in his
conceit that no apology can be made and
nothing said. l cannot sympathiEe with |
either side Be the claims more or less. they |
are honesty presented, with the conviction |
that they are Just, and they should be con-
sidered candidly, so that they shall no longer |
lower like cloud ready to burst upon two |
nations, which, according to their iuclina- |
tions, can do each other such infinite injury /
or such infinite good. / know It is some- |
times said that war between us must come |
sooner or later. / do not believe it. But
if it must come, let it be later, and then am |
sure it will never come Meanwhile good /
men must unite TO make il impossible. |
Again 1 say this debate is not of my seeking. 4
1t is not tempting, for it compels criticism /
OF a foreign power with which l would have /
more than peace, more even than concord.
But 1t cannot be avoided The truth must
be told, not in anger but in sadness. En-
gland has done to the United States an in.
Jury most difficult to measure. Considering
when it was done and in what completely,
it was most unaecOuntable. At a great
epoch of history, not less momentous than
that of the French revolution or that of the
when civilization was fight
ing last battle with slavery, England gave
her name, her influence, her material re-
sources to the wicked cause, and flung
sword into the scale with slavery. Here
was portentOus mistake Strange that the
land of Wilberforce, after spended millions
for emancipation, after proclaiming every
where the truths of liberty, and ascending
to glorious primscy in the sublime move
ment for the universal abolition Of slavery,
could do this thing Like every departure
from the rule of justice and good neighbOr
hood, her conduct was pernicious in proper
ton to the scale Of operations, affecting in
corporations, communities, aud
the nation itself And yet, down to this
day, there is no acknowledgement Of this
wrong; not a single word. Such generous
would be the beginningFf a just
settlement, and the best assurance of that
harmony between two great aud kindred ma
lions which all musf desire