The New York herald., 1871-10-17
How the United States Are To
BE Cheated.
Who Sunk the Pirate Florida at Fort Mon
roc?-The General Of the James
Was in Command.
Speech of the Essex Statesman
at Philadelphia.
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 10, 1871.

ton, y az the Academy OF Aussc to.nigh't III IuRh
star Course OF Lectures, made an appeal in behalf
Of the wisconsin ana Michigan sufferers by the
great fires now raging in those States. He called
npon the audience for succor, ana donated his fee
Tor the lecture $40o, and requested them 10 send
their donations to the proprletors OF the respective
newspapers. His suggestion was unanimously Ell
dorsed by the audience Of over 1900 people.
GENERAL BuTLER's SPEECH.
He commenced his ad lress by asking how many
OF the audience or the people OF this country h3d
read the Treaty OF Washington, and proceeded TO
give abstracts OF il. 1t would seem, nc said, that
the treaty is as remarkable Tor
WHAT IT DOES NOT DEAL wIrH
at all as for the numoer, Importance and manner
OF It's treatment Of those matters which 1t does
attempt adjust. l. attracts observation tnat the
treaty makes provision Tor the payment or settle
ment Of claims for injuries done by Great Britain
upon american citizens since the last convention or
1859 and prior to Aprn 1901. Second-it makes no
provision for the outrages committed by the British
government upon American citizens since 1865,
although II is well known, 10 speak OF no others,
that for the last four years British ana Canadian
cruisers have been constantly selzing our fishing
vessels along the shores OF Nova Scotia anu New
Brunswick, maltrea,ng their crews, confscating
their properly and running the owners. Third
Again, 1t is too Wei known that numbers or Ameri-
can ciizens--some OF whom bear honorable sears
OF wounds received IN our war-have been since
1868 imprisoned in Eiglish PRISONS as
weiiga this Continent as in the British ISLANDS,
wAj%at due process OF law, ANA against right, and
IN dcrogaton of our natioaal honor and the pro-
teetlon that America owes to each and all of her
sons, whether by birth or adoption; yet the treaty
provides for tie payment to the Englshman for
every bale oi his cotton destroyed by US, even by
accident, IN the war for the Union. II makes no
provision for the redress OF the mpri onment OF the
Ci,izen Is not the liberty OF one American citizen
o! more worth than many bales OF cottcns Fourth
The treaty mas no prohibition Of the payment OF
claims OF British subjects i'll the Confederate debt
claimed TO be due 10 them. and secured by pledge OF
cotton, though that subject was thought important
enough by the people OF this country to cause them
to amend their constitution 10 provide against tho
payment oi that debt 10 their own Citizens We
shall see that the treaty has left the question fairly
open to be determined against us BY the arDI-
traitors. Fsitn-it does not settle. lii terms nor
by implication, III how far the claims of
British subjects shall oc recognized in prop
eriy 10 their slaves freed by the war ana by tne
proclamation OF President Lincoln. sixtli-Tne
treaty has no icle determining Tile position which
shall be deemed 10 nave held Ioward the two coun-
tries, whether as a belgercnt both at sea and on
land, whelner a government de Jocto carving on
determination OF tlis class Of questions by the
treaty woui.i have been oi the highest and gravest
government, ana The citizens thereof. before the
several boards of abtrators provided in the treaty.
questions TOO, which nave Deen debated by puD-
Ecists, both IN thus country and Europe with more
,i,yision or opinion than scarcely any other. sew
enin--While adjusting the controversies relating TO
the isneries on the northeastern coast the treaty
has made no provision about the fisheries claimed
our newly acquired possession OF Alaska and tho
British possessions although questions are now
arising there az important aud Irritating as any
rHE ALABAMA CLAIMS.
What the people Of the United states denominatc
the s.AaDana Claims'' are for payment OF depre-
dations committed by fourteen rebel cruisers.
amounting In the aggregate, as FAR as presented, 10
thirteen ana hall MI lions OF dollars, OF which
mlttcd by iour yesseis-thc Alabama Florida, Shen-
apdoah and Georgia. The case OF the United States,
founded upon the dcpi edat1Ons OF each OF those
four vessels, stands upon different considerations
OF international law aud OF facts applicable to EACH
70 ask why did not the American Commissioners
insist upon the recognition Of the liability bv Great
mean TO insist on This liability, so as to leave no
room rlr dispute before the arbtrators upon
such questions. This, it would seem, should
nave been granted, ana something certain would
have been gained. On the contrary, the British
Commissioners nowhere admit any liability and
the only atonement they give for The substantial
destruction or the entire commerce of America, the
untold losses which never can be put in the form Of
claims OF American merchantmen. tue Insult to ma
tlona honor the violation or national rights, the
anront to the national heart by the lifting out, har
boring, ownership, aiding and abettng the depre-
.'iN A FRIENDLY SPIRIT OF REGREr'
felt by Her Majesiy's government lof the escape,
under whatever circumstances from BRUSH pGrs,
qucnt depredaiions.n But the majority Of the ves-
Eeis dld not, in act, escape from British ports.
and we have no claim npon Great b itain for that
reason. Many Others were harbored, their officers
~ d, Their crews enlisted Their provisions and coal
In several British ports, Notwithstanding the
urgent and frequently repeated iemonstrauce
IA n Of n n a
wise Therefore, our whole case i open before the
Board Of Arbitration precisely as II the treaty had
never been made. Instead OF The recognition oy
Great Britain OF her liability in The Of either
vessel, three rules, 10 be International law In the f-
turc, nave been agreed upon FOR the guidance OF
the arbilrators, bul which tue British Commissioners
required before they would agree to them, "a ap-
pears by the PROTOCOL should be maic rules OF IN
ieratoTal law between tnis country and Great Bri-
tain Tor all future time: and they iuitter demanded
that these should oe Impressed upon every maritime
nation as international law before they would he
bound by them In the arbitration OF the Alabama
claims, they even declaring, az the same time,
that these rules were not the law OF nalions.
Under this rule une thlrd RUE Of national law)
no private OF pubic armed vessel OF nation al war
can get any supplies to aid her In carrying on war.
ike operations In any foreign port Of tile world.
NOW II has, without doubt, come TO be settled law
that coal TO steam vessel-oi-war Is military
supply. Nothing IL more certain than that all at
tacks upon an cncniy's commerce must hereafter ue
made by swift armed steam vessels as was done by
the Shenandoah and Alabama In The Confederate
raid upon our own. But speed In % steam vessel
up coal almost IN an arithmetic ratio o! pro-
gressiOn 10 the amount OF speed attained There-
fore steam vessels pursuing the commerce OF an
enemy must use vast quantities OF coal, requiring
iTc0ucnt vls ations 10 ports and harbors Tor re.
Dewal Now, the United states nave
Nor A SINGLE CoALiEa STATION IN THE WORLD
beside the harbors on her own coasts, other than
hired docks IN neutral ports, from which, under TINS
rule We must he III once smut out In case ol war.
The establishment oil this rule OF law, therefore,
protects British commerce In all time because under
IL no steam vessel Of 0l tine United States, either
private or public can steam more than live days
distance from our own coasts, FOR the reason thai
no one OF them can carry, with lis armament, more
than ten days COAL and 1t IL neither prudeLt nor
sale for war steamer TO be on the ocean without
coal to return 10 port-nve days out and i've days
back.
agree our republic VIII never be great naval
power, because our people VIII never appropriate
ne money IN time Of peace 10 keep up large naval
es'a0lshnent which Is then looked upon as useless,
aMu wars are never long enough 10 enable any cOul-
My .o pulld neets OF ships We are TO look then, Tor
D h.ns OF naval warfare to our private armed ves-
hcs-lne militia OF the aeas-whlch In six months
can sweep from the ocean the enlre commerce OF