The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-07-03

cipal laws OF the kingdom, and by 50 doing had put
Ii out OF power Of the government 10 fnll their
obligations Of neutrality TO the United States; ana
yet the vessel was Afterwards permitted 10 ehter
other colonial ports and coal and obtain PROVISIONS,
and thus continue her piraticai enterprise. II Tue
government was bound, ~ the orders just referred
to concede To SEIZE ths vessel II she entered either
OF the three ports named why were they NOT D0nnd
to seize her when she entered any other
be met by the sblection mat her COM
nander there had c,nmIssion purporting 10 be
from the lnsIirgentsY II such an o0lecaon as that
would have been projection 1t would equally nave
been so at the desgmtod ports or N the port OF
Liverpool If she had returned there in admitted Vio-
mtion OF her Majesty's laws and III II matter watch
involved the duty Of her government She conld al
forwards by force Of such commission, ride IA
safety IN any OF the por OF ner Majesty even ~ 'is
fraud and COLLISION. This Is proposition too absurd
to be seriously reasoned about. 49,,
have thus, at more length than you may deem
necessary, considered the Alabama claims, the areu-
ment upon them having been exhausted IN your
dispatches TO Mr.. Adams and his despat mes TO her
Majesty's government; but have deemed IL due to
myself and to you that should place upon record
my views relating 10 each OF the subjects OF the
several treaties have negotiated. l nave nave
justification FOR this is to be found in your instruc.
tions all OF which have followed, as am glad 10
know to the satisfaction OF the President ana your
SELF. l hear that in some quarters objections are
made to the Claims Convention, for which was
not prepared. FIRST u Is SAID, am told tnat I!ae
claims 70 be submitted should not be all tliat nave
arisen subsequent TO July, 1853. Second that no
provision is made for the submission OF any losses
which our government as such, may have sustained
py the recognition of the Insurgents as belligerents
and the depredatiOns upon our commerce % lie
Alabama and other vessels. In regard to the nfst.
do not see upon what ground OF JuBuce we shouiu
deny to our citizens the opportunity OF having
their claims upon this government adJlsted Dy
means OF the commission, Whatever may ,. po se
dates OF their origin when they have not previously
had that opportunity. l understand that there are
many such claims, ana some of them OF great al
legged hardship; and beside the justice due to thls
n desirable tlut Ill Claims,
without regard to their date, should DC settIeu "
means Of the Convention, rs otherWise tney may oe
the subjects OF controversy hereafter As Regards ING
second objection / am ~ q loss 10 imagine Wnat
would be the measure OF the damage wnlcn u sup
poses our government should De lndemnilei ior.
How is it to be ascertainedy BY WnaC rue IL IL 10
be measured2 nations honor can nave no
compensation In money, ana the depreoations
OF the Alabama were OF property In wnch
our nation had no direct pecunlary interest.
II 1t be SAID that those depredatons prevented the
sending forth OF other commercial enterprises the
answer Is twOfOd:Fllst that II they had been sent
forth the nation would have no direct interest In
them; ana second, that 1t could not be known that
any sucn would have been undertaken. upon nat
ground, therefore, couid the nation demand com
pensatiOn in money on either account, and ii IL was
received is 1t to 20 into the Treasury for The use OF
the government or TO be distributed among those
who may have engaged Ill such ehterpriS4 %, and
now many Of them are there, anu now
are they to be ascertained9 France recognized the
insurgents as beligerents, and this may have tended
to proionY the War. This too, 1t may DC SAD, wa,
a violation OF her duty and affected our honor. If
recognition by England we can equally claim it OF
France and who has suggested SUCH caiul
as thats But the nnal and CONCLUSIVE answer
TO these objections Is this:-Ftrsr, that at
no time during the war, while the Alabama and her
sister ships were engaged IN giving our marine To
the hames, or since, no branch of the government
proposed to hold her Majestys government RESPONSE
De except to the value of the properly destroyed,
and that which would have resulted from the COM
pletion Of the voyages In which they were engaged
The government never eXacted anythng on ITS own
account IL acted only as the guardian and protec,
tor OF lts own citizens and therefore only required
that the government should pay their losse. or agree
submit the question OF its liability TO friendly arbi.
trament. To demand more now, and particularly 10
make demand to which no limit can well be as
signed would be entire departure from our pre-
yi0us course, and would, am sure, not be listened
to by this government or coanIenanced Dy other
nations We have obtained, by the convention IN
question: all that we have ever asked and with perfect
opportunity Of knowing what the sentiment Of this
nothing more can be accomplished and am equally
satisfied that II the convention goes into operation
every dollar due on what are known as the Alabama
claims Will be recovered.
l cannot conclude this communication without
bearing testimony to the frank and friendly manner
In which have been met by Lords STANLEY and
Clarendon, and to the very sincere desire winch the
exhibited throughout our negotiations TO settle every
dispute between the two nations upon terms just and
honorable to each. have the honor to remain, with
As' 's' 'NN' N REvERDY JOHNSON.
To Hon. WILLIAM Il. SEWARD, Secretary OF State.
Mr.. SEWARD TO NH. JOHNSON.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
WASHINGTON, March 3, 1862.
SIR-Your despatch (No. l12) OF the nth ut, rela
tive to the protocol and conventions recently signed
by you on behalf OF this government has TINS day
been received and submitted to the President ii d..
reefs say in reply that Is regarded as an aDie
and elaborate paper, and would have been comma.
nicated to the Senate had it not reached here
close Of the present Session ana that OF his admins-
tratlon. 1t il presumed that the atentioa OF thai
body win be called TO 1t early in its pext session.
am, SIR your obedient servant,
VI - = WILLIAM H. SEWARD.
To HEyEepy JOHNSON Esq, &c., &C.