The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-11-05
MINISTER MORTON.
EngItsh Opinion of the American Minister n a
Mission TO LOndon-The Alabama Case.


FROM the Pau Mai Gazette, oct. 70.
u One of the most respectable and impartial news.
P7papers in the United States Informs us that Mr..
9Morton, the Senator for Indiana, who has been
or had been selected to succeed Mr. Motley In the
for the post which he is intended to fill, and that
4worse selection could not have been made. Mean
time the journals OF Mr.. Morton's own party state
that Mr. Morton comes prepared TO press the Ala
bama claims on the British Government with the
utmost vieor, and that he has directions to
/ treat certain form OF refusal as o caSus belI.
But from still later intelligence we learn
that the Democrats have carried the State OF
Indiana, and that Mr.. Merton, who must vacate his
seat in the Senate il he comes to England, hesitates
TO accept an appointment which will have the effect
Of giving additional vote TO his political ad-
: persaries. From all of this number OF conclusions
highly hattering TO this country seem to follow in-
been chosen to represent the United States in Eag-
Hand, and his instructions are-hrst, to bully us
and next, In very probable event, to threaten us
with war. But this Incompetent person entrusted
with this formidable mission regards this under
baking with such disdain that he doubts whether it
worth his prosecuting at the cost Of giving petty
advantage to his political opponent war with
England appears to strike him as OF inferior
with the Democrats. We do not propose 10 discuss
the chances OF Mr.. Morton's declaring war against
1the British EMPIRE merely remarkhg, by the way
that the bloody struggle now proceeding in Europe
Is not OF promising omen TO nations or governments
who pick quarrels with their neighbors after this
{fIight.heaIted" fashion. But war or no war, the
new American Minister, whoever he may be, must
De prepared to ind the whole group OF Alabama
at1 probably by the British Government. in some
at different spirit from that which presided over
tt8 original negotiations. The subject has ripened
DWkeepng. We have learned much from the pre-
Haht European war, and have taken the les son TO
HHGArt. The domestic character or the struggle with
E9ne Confederates first blinded the Americans, and
ext IN some degree ourselves to the bearing OF the
tncidents which marked its course and close upon
he public law OF the civilized world. There could
hardly in fact, be greater misfortune for mankind
5han that the whole OF the American claims should
be successful.
The article which concludes the new
number OF the Edinburgh ReUtel0-an article suggest
ing curious speculation as to its authorship-states
the remarkable fact that the prohibition of the eX
port OF arms and ammunition was rst required from
the Belgian Government, not by the Germans, bui
by the French. Thus France actually demanded ths
very measure which, IL it had been adopted little
later she might have denounced, and assuredlJ
would have denounced, as unfriendy. III, in short
I'VE imagine a war between powerful States tC
be continued with various success and II we ina
gine a neutral government to be In constant diplO
matte communication with the belligerents we have
case in hich the criterion Of unfrlendness will
actually vary from month 10 month, and in which
belligerent governments, II entitled to complain
will be perpetually Withdrawing their own most
vehement Temonstrances. One OF the great dangers
of these American novelties consists In their conta
Riousness What Was the origin OF that now famous
doctrine Of benevolent neutrality which, though ex
planned away by its author, was not withdrawn til
d had been h0nored with the astOnishment OF the
xOrld 2 We believe that an American origin may b'
confidently assigned 10 It,