Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-05-08
The Alabama Claims.
Tone of the English Press on the Rejection
OF the Alabama Treaty by the United
States Before the Reception OF Senator
Summers Speech.

The London Daily Ne,cs Of the 10Th ult.
speaks in the following manner:
The Alabama treaty, SO laboriously ne
gotiated by Lord Stanley and Mr.. Rever-
dy johnson, may now be considered as
done with It's rejection by the Senate of
the United States has been almost con-
temptuous; but we fear that the single
Senator who voted in its favor is type of
all its friends in American society. The
Americans who are for an immediate and
friendly settlement with us are only to be
counted by units; but We believe we may
add that if those who are for clustering
demands may be counted by tens; those
who are for doing nothing at present may
be counted by hundreds. It is more and
more evident that to the bulk of the
American people this Alabama matter is
in no way money claim; but it is a griev-
ance of sentiment-the worst kind of
grievance to bear. and the hardest to re-
move. Our cousins are offended; and a
money settlement will not appease them.
The very fuss we made with their Minister
has rather irritated than soothed them
Our cousin may be assured that their re-
lection of the treaty will neither diminish
our desire to act honorably by them nor
our readiness to treat on the bases of con-
cessions already made when they shall be
in the mood to negotiate a final settle
ment.
The London Telegraph of the same date
renews the subjects as follows
The rejection OF the Alabama convention
when it should come formally before the
United States Senate was an event for
which we had been prepared through many
indications, both of popular temper and of
official purpose. But the majority by which
IL a., 1oc% 10
ify the treaty was scarcely anticipated,
even by those who took the most serious
view of the matter. Only a single Sena-
tor voted in favor of ratification fifty
four voted against and thus the rejection
may be considered virtually unanimous
Such q decided resolution as the Senate
has just taken does seem at first sight to
augment the difficulty of regaining the po-
sition in which Mr. Johnson's labors had
placed us. The Americans inexorably re.
pudidate the very possibility of a
doubt that the claims they make on us are
valid, whether in themselves or in the
grounds on which they are based. All
that we fancied to have been accom-
plished, in the anxious months preceding
November last, will now require to be done
over again, with most material difference.
The only terms which two successive gov
ernments have regarded as compatible
with the national honor Of England have
been peremptorily declared inadmissible
by the other party to the controversy
And the declaration assumes all the more
significance when we consider the impor-
tant political change which has occurred
within the United States between the
signature and the rejection of the
treaty. The new Minister will reach our
shores armed with sufficient warning to
avoid two things-glowing and reckless af-
ter dinner speeches, and concessions that
waive the main point for which the Ameri-
cans contend but it is scarcely to BIO ex-
pected that the representations of Mr. Mot
lev will bring about any such result. Never
theless, the essential friendliness and the
intimately associated interests of the two
countries combine to counsel some honor
able middle term of settlement and we
may at the very least be sure that Mr.. Mot
ley will do nothing to make matters more
difficult by permitting his we'll known per-
sonal predictions to influence his public
action. He stands pledged through his
own high reputation to pursue the path as
signed him by his government with mod
GRAFTON, calmness, and an honest desire for
an honorable arrangement and we feel
confident that he will not be found want
ing to himself.
Inc LOnQOn Otanudfu Oh INC 1IGQ ulC.
also contains an article on the same sub
ject, which it sums up thus -
We have spoken of Mr.. Reverdy John
son as an envoy from the American people
to the people of England. This is, in fact,
the true light in which to regard him, and
both he aud we can view with unalloyed
satisfaction the result of his labors in this
capacity. In saying this we do not wish to
derogate from his abilities as diploma
fist. The proposed convention between
the United States and England, popularity
called the Alabama Claims Convention"
the articles of which were agreed to be-
tween Mr.. johnson and Lord Stanley,
seemed to us admirably adapted to the
settlement on an equitable basis, of
the pending difficulties between the
two countries If it had any fault
it was the comparatively venial one
of conceding rather more to America than
she was asked to concede to US. The
United States Senate in rejecting it have
acted with singular disregard for the
interests of their government, and would
appear, indeed, to have sacrificed them to
q blind feeling of political luminosity to-
d. l.