The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-05-24

~ 500 AcaSOndoie ground 10 DeieVe Is lntenueu
to cause or carry on war against Power
with which it is at peace, and also not to per-
NIT or suffer either of the belligerents to make
use OF its ports or waters as base of opera
tons for the purpose of military supplies or
arms or the recruitment of men. General
Butler, in the letter referred to above, seems
to comprehend the import of this compact. He
SHOWS that while it might be desirable that
these rules should govern the arbitration in
settling the Alabama claims-in what relates
to the past, which the British will not admit,
except by courtesy-the theory cannot be of
advantage to this country in the futare. BY
the non-observance of these rules England
drove our commerce from the seas; and now,
having gained the advantages, she asks US to
bind ourselves for the future. In any coming
war, as General Butler says, we are to lose all
advantage of building and selling ships to
belligerents. England has fully enjoyed her
opportunity. Then, in the event Of the colo
NAL possessions of European Powers in this
hemisphere attempting to throw off their yoke
and to become Independent republics, will not
the hands and sympathies of the American
people be bound up? What equivalent do we
obtain for this compact? May it not prove
troublesome to us? Heretofore we have care
fully avoided making such compact with
European Powers, regarding our own policy
and destiny better promoted without it. The
treaty is, in every way, greatly in favor of
England and British policy. If the
English or the colonsts are not
content with what is much more advan-
tageous to them than to us we can afford
TO wait for settlement of the Alabama claims
and all the other differences between the two
nations till future day. The time is not far
off when we must take the American posses
sions of England and of other European
Powers in this hemisphere, for that is our
destiny, and then we can balance the account
of all outstanding difficulties. There will be
no further difficulty then about the fisheries,
the navigation Of the st. Lawrence or boun-
dairy lines. The people Of this Continent, from
one end to the other, will have a common
interest and common government There is
no necessity for us to be so DESTROYS Of making
the treaty, and, looking to the future, perhaps
we should do better without it. We tell,
therefore, the British statesmen and the
obstreperous colonists who oppose the treaty
that we are conscious of getting the worst of
the bargain, aud that we can very well afford
to wait for settlement till more convenient
season to ourselves.
Tho Final STRUGGLES of ty,e Ccu,r,u.o n 10
Streets of Paris.
The insurrecton is at an end; the power of
the government is supreme within the walls of
Paris. The troops of the Commune, defeated
at every point, have been compelled to sue
cumb to the strength of MacMahons army,
composed of the old and tried soldiers Of
France. Even their stronghold has bsen
wrested from their grasp, the tricolor now
flying over the Notifications of Montmartre,
where they made their last and most desperate
stand. The fighting in Paris, although very
severe, was not of the desperate character we
were led to expect, judging from the deter
mined manner in which the insurgents had
defended other points. The barbados did
not, apparently, offer any very great resist
ance to the onward march of the government
forces after they were once fairly established
within the enceinte. The Nationals did not
hold those positions with the determination we
thought they would. They were, no doubt,
discouraged when they found the tide of war
setting 80 strongly against them. They were
probably DESTROYS of getting out of harms way
and appearing as friends rather than the enc
mics OF the government when the assault was
made. Still there has been some hard fighting.
A few have resisted stubbornly, but their
efforts were Of no avail. They were borne
down by the masses of troops hurled against
them, and they only furnished food for the
bayonets Of the exasperated soldiers who did
not listen to the cry for quarter, and who
were in no mood to grant much mercy. The
massacres in some places, in consequence of
this foolish resistance, have heen terrible. as
we thought they would be, and the streets of
Paris yesterday must have presented har-
rowing sight to those Frenchmen who have
their country's best interests at heart. We
are rejoiced that the instruction is over:
that, great as the loss of life and destruc
ton of property has been, it is no greater.
1t might have been far worse, and the city
might have been almost destroyed had those
miscreants persisted in carrying out the plans
Of their leaders. For the latter we have not
one word to say. No punishment melted out
to them can be too severe. They should be
turned over to the army; their fate should be
decided by the French soldiers. Mercy to
them would be misplaced, and we are satisfied
that clemency shown them would be mistaken
kindness. Now that the war is virtually over
and peace reigns once more, we hope soon 10
see every vestige Of the past wiped out,
order completely restored and France once
more happy and prosperous.