New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-01-22


LONDON JAN SIT is so long since anything has
been uttered in England about the Alabama ques-
ton which Americans could read with pleasure that
wish to quote the fullest report there is of what
Sir Charles Wentworth Dixie has just said in the
course OF an address Thursday evening.
He said that the present phase OF the Alabama qnes'
tion dated from the month OF April last the tine'
The excitement caused here by the public aiOn not
OF Mr. Summers speech but OF certain comments upon
that speech had much astOnshed llm--not 30 lnuc iH
feared. as it had astonished poor Mt. s mhair %
bear He was, in the fret place, asio'eu y, al Ies
heardof claim, whereas he had only stated me Ameloah
case, and stated Il almost IN the same WouS IN "gH
more astonished and stil more greVed az peihs
s Sne Of the strongest f friends Of EHgahd in all
America. At the time that speech was made me eva
lent feeling the Senate that, not only s"uu we
treaty be rejected as bad one, but that the Whole sub
ec should be LEFT open, on the llncple tnaI ~,
sumner made his speech combat in the interest OF me
Friendship between tho countries ths luca on o
tios should he read ms one Mr.. Summers speech ex-
pressed not Mr. Summers individual opinions merely 4nt
the unanimous feelings OF an AmerlC.nS an" ~ ei1e
opinion OF the Cabinet of Gen Grant NJ lle SUM
time great ignorance existed and still exists as to what
Mr. Sumner really said. He said nothing aDon claiming
hundred millions sterling, ana ne siu HotiH aop.
an Affect apology from England what he SAID was llas
Engldnd's action had III some measure Deeh Wy %
an loss and that there had never Deeh on to
part Of England any expression OF saon" drS' Ci,
don and Mr. Fish, Sir Charles Dixie said that ne cOud
but that 10 should have taken pace IL was
hard to say which made out the strongest case. L9lu
Clarendon upon the point OF law OF MI Ish upon NO
side OF sentiment but II we were to go on wiring as
patches until doomsday should not succeed In con,
vucue the Americans nor they US, lhGar' he.I'I
Atlantic, IL would be strange II this question were hot
settled President, in his recent message had taken
most decided step for he had gone ont OF ms way 10
say that the recognition Of beliigerency was matter
which every nation should consider for Itself ne WOIl
certainly not have made this declaration unless IL were
aid toward settlement OF the Alabama question:
There was no other KIND OF reason l"F lnSItng ne IT,
Hear nea
making an Immediate attempt TO settle the question:
Other things being equal there was always IA probable
y of "a war with America The quiet majority there
always at work restraining the NOISY major
y from fighting "Ono war at time, zen.
tcinen" was all that Lincoln dared TO say TIE
greater portion Of the Irish IN America and the Demo
cratic partyeXcluded at present from power ana nope
fu OF regainDg taTe always ready, ana lhe udh De-
ing laid, we can at any moment light It, Iotne WorkhG-
men Of tins country war with America WOMB Ita!iy pv
that which il was sometimes idly Called-a civil war"
Almost every family that he knew had members or
friends out there and many looked to America as ther
future home. To them II would he ClyH war H. thCn
lac were asked how the matter could be settled ne
thought that the idea OF Arbitration should DC e1re.y
given up and that an English commission should DC APP
pointed to assess The claims IL sbSc envoy Wf nI ~
be sent, even supp0siuS mat MI BfShtlchecIs hLOu
refuse TO Sir Henry BulWer OF the Duke OF AIEye
hear hear-wonid be good men D5s ili I%p r IN
one first class, and that the ebassador snOuIu
place at Washington. inasmuch as the senate was I'D
realty the treaty making power
That is very remarkable speech, and bold speech
-bolder than it seems at first sight. The report /
quote Is from The Telegraph, and it is the only one
which does not suppress the mostsmlhcant sentence
in the speech Sir Charles Dixie had the courage to
say that Mr.. Sumner made demand in his speech
either for two hundred millions sterling or for an
apology from England. The English papers lave so
long gone repeating that he did, that such denial
would have 10 be met if at all, by quoting MI. Sum
ners words and as it happens that there no such
words in Mr.. Summers speech, the denial Is an awk
ward thing to manage Not less startling to En-
glishmen is Sir Charles bikes statement of Mr.
Summers pacific purpose in the speech. In fact, he
traverses the whole set of stock allegations that the
English press for months past have been making
against Mr.. Sumner, and making with impunty
simply because they published his speech, and
never hesitated to put into his mouth words he had
never spoken.
You will not have forgotten what Mr.. Hughes said
in his letter to The TRIBUNE. published Dec. o. and
/ suppose everybody must think the breach appears
hopeless when so good friend Of ours he has ever
been and still is, could take further step than
that toward closing it, No medicine but time is good
for anything while such feeling preyailsor rather
while such a misunderstanding exists for do not
mean that the feeling of men like Mr. Hughes is less
cordial than Of old All the more valuable in such
circumstances is this newer and better declaration.
Coming from Sir Charles Dixie, it is entitled TO much
weight and attracts not little attention. 1heDaHy
Ner8 has twice gently rebuked him for venturng to
be too radical. at any rate too independent, but
meets no point in his speech. The Standard attacks
him in its worst style-a style which ought TO be
studied by those who believe that the worst of New
York journals has not rival in London. Butneither
journal ventures to challenge his denial that Mr..
Summers speech contains those demands which they
have repeatedly said it contained. Some day this
topic thrice smothered by Mr.. Gladstone last session,
must come up in Parliament and when it comes Sir
Charles Dixie will, venture to presume, speak with
as much planness there as be spoke on Thursday
night to his constituents in Chelsea lie Is one of
few members who resisted the immense pressure put
on everybody last session to secure not merely dsci
pine in the Liberal ranks but complete uniformity
on other questions than the Irish Church You know
his admirable book Greater Britain" and that he
has taken charge of The Afhen0um, and you will be
sure to hear of him in Parliament, where he and Mr.
Fawcett seem likely to be almost the only prominent
independent members.
There is, | hear possibility that woman suffrage
will be carried this very next session of Parliament
incredible as such thing may appear at first sight
1t can only be done of course. by party movement
and equally of course, it is the Tories who contem
plate adopting it as party measure Mr.. Disrae's
education process may he tried once more, though
he will scarcely venture to insist that the extension
of the suffrage to women is merely carrying out the
traditions and creed of the only constitutional party
1t is to be put upon the ineligible and inter
esting ground that it will pay One Of the most eau
tous advocates OF the measure in Parliament regards
such step not only possible but probable If taken
the bill will be likely to pass almost unanimously.
since the majority of Liberals quite alive TO the
dangerO of being outbdden their old enemies in such
matter and they certainly will not vote against it