Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1869-04-28

10 duIulilSu even Ou lllls QucSllOut no
rule for the future is established; while
nothing is said of the indignity to the
nation, nor of the damages to the ma
ton.
On an earlier occasion it was other
wise. There is an unhappy incident
in our relation with Great Britain
which attests how in other days Sin
dividual losses" were only a minor
element in reparatiOn for a wrong re-
ceived by the nation. You all know
from history how in time of profound
peace, and only a few miles outside
the Virginia eapes, the British frioate
Leopard fired into the national frigate
Chesapeake, pouring brOadside upon
broadside, killing three persons and
wOunding eighteen, some severely.
and then boarding her carried off four
others as British subjects. This was
in the summer of 1907. The brilliant
Mr.. Canning, British Minister of for
eign affairs, promptly volunteered
Overtures for an accommodation, by
declaring His Majesty's readiness to
take the whole of the circumstances of
the case into consideration, and ''to
make reparatiOn for any aleQed injury
to the sovereignty of the United States,
whenever it should be clearly shown
that such injury has been actually
sustained and that such reparatiOn Is
really due. Here was a good begin
ming. There was to be reparation for
an injury to the national sovereignty.
After years of painful negotiation, the
British Minister at Washington, un-
der date of November l, 1SlI, offered
to the United States three PROPOSE
tiOns: first, the disavowal of the un-
authorized act; secondly, the immedi-
ate restoration, so far as circumstan-
ees would permit, of the men forcibly
taken from the Chesapeake; and.
thirdly, a suitable pecuniary provision
for the sufferers in consequence of the
attack on the Chesapeake; concluding
with these words:
These honorable propositions are made
with the sincere desire that thew NAV prove
satisfactory TO the government Of the United
States, and trust they viii meet with that
amicable reception which their cSncIliatory
nature entities them to. I need scarcely add
now cordially join with you In the wish
that they may prove Introductory TO a re-
moVal OF all the differences depending be-
tween our two countries.-Hdte PdpeTs FIR
efGn AgdtS, Vol. III, p 500.
/ adduee this historic instance to
illustrate partly the different forms of
reparation. Here, of course, was rep
aration to individuals; but there was
also reparation to the nation, whose
sovereignty had been outraged. There
is another instance, which Is not with
out authority. In 1897 an armed force
from Upper Canada crossed the river
just above the Falls of Niagara and
burnt an American vessel, the Caro-
line, while moOred TO the shores of
the United States. Mr.. Webster, in
his negotiation with Lord Ashburtof.
characterized this act as "of itself a
wrong and Offense to the sovereignty
and the dignity of the United States,
for which, to this day, no atonement,
or even apology, has been made by
her Majesty's government" all these
words being strictly applicable to the
present case. Lord AshburtOn, in re-
ply, after recapitulating some mitiga-
ting circumstances and expressing a
regret "that some explanation and
apology for this occurrence was not
Immediately made" (" proceeds to say:
"Her Majesty's government earnestly de-
sire that a reciprocal respect for the indie
pendent jurisdiction and authority OF neigh
boring States may be considered among the
first duties Of all governments; and have
TO repeat the assurance Of regret they feel
that the event Of which I am treating should
have disturbed the harmony they 50 anx-
iously Eish 10 maintain with the American
people and government, "-WeoSteT'S Works,
vol. vi, p 500.
Here again was the reparation for
wrong done to the nation.
Looking at what is due to US on the
present occasion, we are brought again
- h. . l.
Of individuals whose ships have been.
burned or sunk is only a small part of
what we may justly expect As in
the earlier cases where the national
sovereignty was insulted, there should
be an acknowledgment Of wrong, or
at least of liability, leaving to the
commissioners the assessment of dam
ages only. The blow inflicted by that
fatal proclamation, which insulted our
national sovereignty and struck at
our unity as a nation, followed by
br0adside upon brOadside, driving our
commerce from the ocean, was kim
dred in character to those earlier blows;
and when we consider that it was in
aid of slavery, it was blow at civili-
zation ITSELF Besides degrading US
and running our commerce, its direct
and constant influence was to eneOur-
age the rebellion, and TO prolOng the
war waged by slaye-masters at such
cost of treasure and blood. 1t was a
terrible mistake, which / cannot doubt
that good Englishmen must regret
And now, in the interest of peace, il
is the duty of both sides to find REM
edy, complete, just, and cOnciliatOTy,
so that the deep sense of wrong and
the detriment to the republic may be
forgotten in that proper satisfaction
which a nation loving justice cannot
hesitate to offer. Individual losses
may be estimated with reasonable ac-
curaey. Ships burned or sunk with
their cargOes may be counted, and
their value determined; but this
leaves without recognition the vaster
damage to commerce driven from the
ocean, and that other damage, inn
mense and infinite, caused by the pro-
lmgatiOn of the war, all of which may
be called national in cOntradistinetiOn
to individual. Our national losses
have been frankly conceded by emf
nent Englishmen. / have already
quoted Mr.. Golden, who did not hesi-
tate to call them "cTuel losses. ~
During the same debate in which he
let drop this testimony, he used other
words, which show how justly he
cOmprehended the case. You hare
been,n said he "cdrryiaQ on JOdr from
these shores tGith the United States, and
have been infiicting an amount of
damage on that country greater than
would be produced by many ordinary
wars. 1t is estimated that the loss
sustained by the capture and burning
of American vessels has been about |
SI5, ,0O0, 600, or nearly e3, 900, 900. But
this is a small part Of the injury Which
has been inflicted on the american
marine. We have rendered the rest
of her vast mercantile property use
less.h Thus, by the testimony Of Mr..
Golden, were those individual losses
which are alone recognized by the !
pending treaty, only ia small part of
the injury inflicted" After confess
ing his fears with regard to "the heap |
ing up of a gigdutic material grievance |
such as was then rearing" he adds, in |
memorable words:
sYou have already done your worst tow
ard the American mercantile marine. what |
with the high rate OF insurance, what with |
these captures, and what with the amount OF
damage you have done TO that which Is LEFT, |
YOU have virtually made Valueless tnat vast /
property. Why, II you had gone and helped l
the Confederates by bombarding All the ae- |
eegsible seaport towns Of America, few /
lives might have been lost which. as 1t Is, /
have not been sacrificed, but you could hard /
ly have done more injury In the way OF de- 1
stroying property than you have done by 1
these few cruisers. Hear, hear.T
With that clearness of vision, which |
4, hi