The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-10-28

Editorial Opinions Of the Leading Journals
Spon Current Topios-compiled Every
DAY for the Evening Telegraph.
THE ALABAMA CLAIMS.

THE ALABAMA CLAIMS.
From the NJ Y. Su1h
England owes various citizens of the United
States about thirteen millions of dollars for
damages caused by the operations of the
Rebel cruiser Alabama. These claims belong
to merchants, to insurance companies, and
to shipowners in various parts of the country.
England is willing to settle them. Nj John
A, Parker, President of the Great Western
Insurance Company, has been informed by
gentlemen who at his request have consulted
Lord Clarendon and other British states
men upon the subject that if
the United States Government will
consent, England will adjust the
amount due in each case aud pay it. Upon
receipt of this information, application was
made at Washington for the consent of our
Government to such settlement of the
controversy. That consent was refused.
Congress was then asked to take means to
have the amount of the claims officially
ascertained and to buy them, so that the
Government, which alone assumes to nego-
tiate upon the subject, might alone be pecu-
niarily interested This, however, was also
refused; and we learn from the J0urhGI Of
Commerce that the owners of the claims are
now about to make new effort 10 obtain
settlement from Great Britain Independently
of the action of our Government.
The proposed proceeding is ill-judged.
The question is political and international as
we'll as pecuniary. No individual or assoca-
ton of individuals can negotiate upon such
q matter with the Government of a foreign
country. Even if these claims were to be
purchased by Englishmen and duly assigned
to them, so that the pecuniary interest would
be exclusively between British subjects and
the British Grown, the Government of the
United States would still have to settle with
the Government of England. No other
agency except the Government of the United
States exists or can exist by which such
negotiation could be conducted, or the prin-
ciples of international right determined,
upon which alone settlement can be based.
The idea of attempting such private arrange
ment as is contemplated by Mr.. Parker's in
quiries in England, or by the movement now
on foot, is entirely fallacious.
The administration of General Grant, weak
and remiss as it has been in almost every
thing, has nowhere been weaker or more
remiss than in its treatment of this subject.
The whole matter might long ago have been
disposed of and the money paid to the claim
ants. if we had had President and Secre-
tary of State adequate to their duties. The
right course for the owners of these claims
to take is to subjec the administration to
such power of public opinion as will COM
pei them to move efficiently in the matter.
The first thing to be done is to secure the
appointment of a suitable Minister to Eng
land. President Grant has dawdled with
this appointment long enough, hawking it
about the country to men who could not or
would not take it. His negotiation with
Senator Morton affords a complete illustra-
tion OF his general method. When he first
asked that Senator to become Minister to
England he received a positive refusal Not
content with this, he insisted upon Mr.. Nor
tons taking the Office; and finally, such was
his pertinacity that he obtained from him a
qualified acceptance. Mr.. Morton was will
ing to take it if the election in Indiana
should turn out favorably for the Republi-
cans. That election has resulted otherwise;
and now Mr.. Morton has renewed his refusal,
and the President, after all his frivolous
efforts, is still without Minister to England.
Let the Alabama claimants insist on his
adopting more sensible course. Let them
urge upon him the example of England in he1
selection of member of the great mercantile
house of Barring Brothers to come to the
United States in 1S41 for the arrangement OF
the northeastern boundary dispute. Let Gene
raj Grant choose some one of our leading
merchants to go to England to settle the Ala
bama question. Let him take such a mar
as Mr.. Marshall o. Roberts, Mr. George
Opdyke, Colonel F. A. Conkling, Mr. William
E. Dodge, or Mr.. Isaac Sherman; and if thai
eminent merchant, Mr.. A. A. Low, were moi
himself one of the largest sufferers by the
depredations of the Alabama, we should ado
his name to our list of those who could bt
selected for this duty with advantage to the
country and with prospect of obtaining JUS
tice for those who have waited SO long. II
the parties interested in the Alabama claims
will urge upon the Administration such
policy as this, they can hardly fail to make i
hearkep and act.