New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-12-24
TIL PRESIDENTS MESSAGE ~ ENGLAND.
COMMENTS OF THE ENGLISH JOURNALS on EX
ECUTIvE REFERENCES TO THE ALABAMA
CLAIMS,

| COMMENTS OF THE ENGLISH JOURNALS on Elk
! ECUTIvE REFERENCES TO TIE ALABAMA
CLAIMS.
The portions of the Presidents message re-
ferrng to the Alabama claims and Canadian relations
were published in London the morning OF Dec. G..
Little was said in relation the policy therein cnunci
ated until the following morning. when all the daily
| papers ndnlged In Leading articles on tho subject.
The Times calls the language OF the President menc-
ing and looks upon the position assumed by him rs
bid for domestic support by mcnacins foreign Powers
! Ii says:
We deepyrcgret that Cen Grant should have assumed
the attitude his message appears to reveal II seems to
he thought In republics well in Emnires that the
most promising means of cOunteractih. feeling OF
dissatisfaction home H. Ia be found in divertng the at
tenion of The people by discussions with foreign Powers
ss been S f f Ss ' has mot
corrcsponded to the hopes when ne entered
term the time comes, and his message. the single
authoritative uttcrancc which IS allowed hun for whole
twelytmonth shows him gravtating to the position OF
Gen. Butler and bidding for domestic support by
| acng foreign Powers. The language OF fresi-
dent Grant does not eren carrdptdny hope Of their set
| HeucnL He proposes that the United states
should ascertain and settle the claims oil lhdYduai
claimants and should then Keep an account open until
! the British Government desired To make nun ana
friendly adjustment" OF themunfii III Oiher words We
should be inclined to pay in full OF all demands iCQn-
gro = should accept tits proposition cannot resent
strictly domestic act, but IL Is impossible not to See how
Thoroughly uipr0nsing II IS " gyrteadiy settlement
Element can bc arrived at on the Presidents plan IL
| says:
or course the Alabama claims come into the Message
Bu the President makes no suggestion whatever a. 20
their settlement between his Government aud orr
own. to forget that the Senate dd with the
| treaty which negotiated JUST what II did WIN the
PRESIDENTS own san Domingo Treaty, and that we can
not to it he does and ask 10 reconsider us de-
we are not u, the position 70 make another The Pres
clearly thinks that the British Govern
Government. and thinks It quite sufficient TO de-
he duly considered The two Governments Therefore
stand simply at deadlock Each is waiting for the other
!. one Of business and the United states having by their
plenipotcntiarS, made ,s an 0ner which we accepted
aud then after its acceptance having rejected it, ought
a least Ia tell us why the rejection took place. Perhaps
ton and suggestion may he made for wing the
negotiations Bat those negotiations must begin ar the
begnS Gem Grant Ppas,s5 SP hr TO send sen Nun
the claim against us Isl TO give promise to pay and lee
meaning he oH hare to e0ve the question 10 his
The telegraph thinks there ought he difficulty
| coming to a settlement !" and adds
We are sincerely and honestly anxious for such
settlement upon the discussion with any other
wish than that Of meeting IN ta spirit any reasonable
demand; and, long this sentiment prevails hotn
sides the Atlantic. We cannot believe that any cause Of
quarrel can arise from the matters in dispute.
The Pail Man Gazette considers the tone of the Message
belligeren and that the policy suggested by
Gen. Butler.
II would DO foolish to deny tina, the Message OF Pes
dent Grant to Congress reported by telegraph bOdss
disturbed relations bereen this eouy and ne United
states The first and the most uncomfortable reflection
suggested by the great space given in the Message
grievances against Great Britain h. that there IL truth in
the rnor which attributes 10 the President sort OF
understanding with the unscrupnlous Gen. Butler
The weekly journals of the 10th, taking their from
daily papers already quoted, treat the Message IL
intended for political effect at home The Spectator OF
the 10TH In long review, the following interesting
| language:
Presidents for finite terms with renewable aSes of
power certainly not liable political institutions.
They good deal like Emperors of uncertain dynas
tie prospects, and with hersappaent whose hopes Of the
imperial reversi0n Insurance Office would yale at any
respectable figure They get fdgety their period OF
power it, middle point without their having done
anything To entie them To the sastc gratitude of
their countrymen and begin speculative reconnaissance
difficult aud delicate international questions President
Grant IL no exception to this rule He will have been
two In power next March. and 1t il already two
years he elected In the mean time he has been
arespectahe medlocrity, with somewhat declining rep
utatiOn. His administration has accomplished real
reforms Ia finance, aud paid off good deal OF debt. But
he has not yet persuaded Congress to rid OF the ncOn
yertbe currency and return to cash psyments He has
not yet succeeded in doing anything at all toward the
most needfu OF American refOrms-the reform OF the
settlement OF the Alabama dispute He has per-
uaded the senate TO give its 10 the San Domingo
s the in what
Looked IKE some sort OF Responsibility for very u
seemingly changeabe with regard to his best diplomatic
representatives aud not fortunate In others of them
On the whole. when hs tive years Of office at end
he VIII have done nothing to sustain In the field OF poll
tues the reputation he had gained on the field OF
4
discovered to be strong only on ono side. his popu
| larity Is on the wane. And he appears to bo
| taking the old way often tried never. far
We remember successful OF recovering it-tryng to
STIR the phlogmutic American people who by
means liable to such STRINGS, with the recital Of
What artificial grievances, Will not In the hope OF
war; hut certainly In the hope that public feeling may
warrant him In assuming attitude gratifying TO the
pride and stimulating TO the ambition of the nation the
result whereof might be war, In which his services
might again be Of the first Importance or IL IL
war; might he at least misunderstanding with some
foreign nation In view Of which the people would find t
desirable TO strengthen the hands Of their Chief Mags
Lincoln In the Autumn before his assassination Presl-
dent Grants Message insists somewhat ostenta-
uOusly, IL we may trust the telegraphc
ports OF II, three delicate points Suggesting
dlstint foreign nations, Spain and England.
On the question Of the rgbtuness of the claims them
President Grant does not give the slightest HUT that he
VIII even permit the reference Of that question to
partial authority. For parts we have always
held 80 strong view that Britain did not xercise
proper care In allowing the escapo OF the Alabama that
We shold with reference 10 the losses suffered through
the depredatons OF that individual vessel-be quite
willing aud even anricus, 20 pay hitting compensation
yor mem, and 10 waive the formal question of 10
pnify, though we believe this 10 be very doubtful
qhenton, which might well DO decided In our favor.
but looking tn the tone and spirit OF the Message,
wo doubt whether the President would accept
oner To pay for the Losses by the Alabama and
refer 10 arbitration tho qncstion whether the Losses
caused by other vessels could fairly he attributed
dsdsfrous, peace ami friendshlp with America would be
W. inestlrnabe blessing that heartily Wish our Gov
eihnent would have Tho strength Of mind to waive ia
shrrable number even OF Engishmen are dsposed 10
agree With the United States that were cupaby neg.
ngont hut wo must admit that President Grant giyss
u" sgl that this would o enough, aud that ho does give
SOME very Distinct signs that he IL dispose, 10 be glo,
nh keep all caues NJ quarrel ~ long IA he can
Wa hope tatm will fail pii rsel but sure that
"A lA .a.lIl 49, ... l