The Montana post., 1869-06-04
HOLD FAST THAT wurcu.s
GOOD.

When Sumner delivered his prea.
speech on the Alabama question. a few
weeks since. the approval of his view,
was almost unanimous, without regard
TO creed or party. 1t was not a quick
lmpulSive response induced by passion
for the causes that induced his views
were old in the memories of the people
But he was the first representative
man who from an American stand
point presented the facts, the arpu.
ment and the conclusion in a system
attic, comprehensive and unequivocal
manner. We had heard the twiddIinp of
diplomacy, the specious pretexts of
England and the after dinner johnson
treaty. with its wanton pruderies and
suspiciously easy surrender to the em>
braces of Johnny Bull Neither had
the ring of American nationality. the
full comprehension of the facts. the
firm dignity of expression. or was a Just
presentation of the case of our Govern
ment, which had been gfievously
wronged by an adversary that wrested
from US our ocean commerce in the
hour of our danger, which we had hon
estly earned in the equal competition
of nations in days of peace. Sumner
did this. The Country had waited
for the man who would give this
expression, and when he did it
they commended. That commendation
was American il was honest, it was
deserved, and il should be stood by in
kexibly to the end, be it what it may
But England has clustered up; almost
every British paper teens with male>
dictions against Sumner, and even the
Liberal press of England has not the
courage 10 present in the emergency the
same facts they did when England
turned loose her pirates in '61-2-3 And
cOtemporaneous with this we see some
American papers disposed to reconsider
their former expressions, weaken under
the pressure of the Buucombe war talk
of England. and mildly damn the senti>
ments of Sumner which a month ago
they were lauding in their highest
style. We think this just the time
to stand by Sumner. When he
laid down the formula of settlement the
nation said good" The facts have not
changed To abandon the position
now would be pusillanimous, cowardlv
and contemplate. There will be no war.
and if there is, England has an hundred
fold more TO lose than we, and she will
lose. Canada wouldn't float a British
flag in six months; Ireland would drop
out of the crown jewels, and the Ameri-
can vessels now lying die at our wharves
while English bottoms carry our CONS
l. Frnn int.
scourge that would hunt the red cross
ing basis again.
But England does not mean fight, |
however much she may buster. The |
hubbub is not as fierce on Summers |
$ peech as il was on the San Juan diff
fculty Just before the war of Rebel |
lion. The London Times, hguratively |
wiped out the United States every |
morning. for months; a squadron of
British vessels lay brOadside to the |
American settlements on the Island, |
and collision of forces was imminent /
for weeks. England declared she would |
fight for every inch of the Island, and
the suggestion that the United States
would defend and protect her rights
and citizens IN that quarter was gneet>
ed with a howl of derisive contempt
by the British lion. Yet after Packing
ham, the British Minister, came over
and had made the treaty granting every
thing the United States had demanded,
he freely stated that he was instructed
by his Government not only to yield
San Juan, but Vancouver Island, the
finest and most valuable British Pos
session on the Pacific slope, rather than
incur the possibility of a war. If any
one believes Summers views unjust, an
expression against them is right, but 1t
would have been better to have taken
exceptions at the outset Weakening
and vascillGting now looks too much
ike partizan malice. or lear. We are
the plaintiffs in the case and il will
not be brought to issue until our Gov
eminent so determines. Till then ana
then, let us be true TO ourselves, jeal-
ous of the rights, the dignity, glory,
mission and destiny of the Republic,
and not treacherously flee, leaving as a
sacrifice. one who has had the ability.
,andor and intrepidity to present to the
world fairly, the American view of the
Alabama question.