Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-10-15

arbitration on our Government, on the plat
form and in the press. But stand here to-
night as an Englishman. say that at this
moment have no cause to be ashamed OF the
attitude of my country. Two Governments
in succession, through Lords Stanley and
Clarendon, have admitted Gas Mr.. Fish him
self states in his last dispatch on the subJect)
the principle of comprehensive arbitration on
all questions between the two Governments.
This Is all that nation can do. England Is
ready to have the case in all its bearings re-
ferred to impartial arbitration. and to pay
whatever damages may be assessed against
her without murmur. She has also agreed
lagain use the language OF Mr.. flsh( TO
discuss the important changes IN the rules OF
public law, the desirableness OF which has
been demonstrated by the incidents OF the last
few years, and which, in view of the maritime
prominence of Great Britain and the United
States, it would befit them to mature and
propose to the other States of Christendom
She has in fact surrendered her old position
as untenable and agrees to the terms proposed
by your own Government. What more can
you ask of nation of your own blood, as
proud and sensitive as yourselves on all points
where national honor is in question! But
here must remind you of one fact which
you seem never to have realized. The Ala
bama was the only one of the rebel cruisers,
of whose character our Government had any
notice, which escaped from our harbors. The
Shenandoah was merchant vessel, employ
ed in the Indian trade as the Sea King. Her
conversion into Rebel cruiser was never
heard of till long after she had left England.
The Georgia was actually reported by the Sur
yeyor of the Board of Trade as a merchant
ship and to be rather crank. She was fitted
out on the French coast, and left the port of
bor haur 20 har firS rruisp The Florida
was fitted out in Mobile She was actually
detained at Nassau on suspicion, and only dis
charged by the Admiralty Court there on fail
ure of evidence. On the other hand, the
Government stopped the Rappahannock, the
Alexandria, and the Pampero, and seized MI
Laird's celebrated rams at Liverpool, and
Capt. Osbornes Chinese fotilla, for which
last exercise of vigilance the nation had to
pay 100000. Such is our case as to the
cruisers which did you so much damage.
believe it to be true. If we are mistaken,
however, you will get such damages for each
and all of these vessels as the arbitrator may
award. We reserve nothing. l, as an Eng
lisman, am deeply grived that any of my
countrymen, for base love of gain, or any
other motive, should have dared to defy the
proclamation of my sovereign, speaking in
the nations name; l earnestly long for the
time when by wise consultation between our
nations and modification of the public law
bearing on such cases, not only such acts as
these, but all war at sea shall be rendered I'M
possible. The United States and England
have only to agree in this matter, and there is
an end to naval war through the whole world
In 1868 the horizon was still dark. Spleen
did as your efforts had been, and magnificent
as was the attitude of your nation tried in the
fire as few nations have been in all history,
those efforts had not yet been crowned with
any marked success. With us it was the dark
est in the whole long agony, for in it came
the crisis of that attempt of the emperor Of
the French to inveigle US in joint recognl-
ton of the Confederacy, on the success of
which his Mexican adventure was supposed to
hang. The details of those negotiations have
never been made public, all we know is that
Mr.. Lindsay and Mr.. Roebuck went to Paris
and had long conferences with Napoleon, the
result of which was the effort of Mr.. Roebuck
(now in turn the representative of the Rebels
in our Parliament) to force or persuade our
Government into this alliance. Then came
the final crisis on the 30th of June, 1868, a
day memorable in our history as in yours.
At the time your army of the Potomac was
hurrying through the streets of Gettysburg to
meet the swoop of those terrible Southern
legions, John Bright stood on the floor OF our
House of Commons, on fire with that right
eous wrath which has so often lifted him
above the heads of other English orators.
He dragged the whole plot to light, quoted
the former attacks of Mr.. Roebuck on his I'm
perial host, and then, turning to the Speaker,
went on: "And, now, Sir, the honorable
and learned gentleman has been to Paris, in
troduced there by the honorable member for
Sutherland, and he has sought to become, as
it were, co-conspirator with him to drag this
country into policy which maintain is as
hostile to his interests as it would be degrad-
ing to its honor" From that moment the
cause of the Rebellion was lost in England,
for by the next mail came the news of the
three days fight, and the melting away of
Longstreets corps in the final and desperate
efforts to break the Federal line on the slopes
of Little Round Top. A few weeks more,
and we heard the surrender of Wick sburg,
and no more was heard in our parliament of
recognition or mediation.