New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-05-11
THE TEXT or TIRE TREATY.


port of the Treaty of Washington, which was
furnished by the Department of State TO
Washington paper and thence telegsaphed
over the country, was lacking, upon seVof"'
essential points, in that fullness of statehio"'
which the public has a right to eHpcc' :"
matter of such supreme Importance
Sovereigns to when was delegated 'hc u"''
of amounting the majority Of the boaru Vi
Arbitration were not indicated in this abstract
ona rrhrc oniuon imperatively demanded 10
be informed whether they were Oh laihineS
.oo.od !, svmpatLies or in dynasty with
+bo rovol family of Great Britain. The cx-
,rossion If regret by the British Government
for the Alabama Outrages was referred TO III
farms TOO vague and general to satisfy the
susccptibilties of tho country, which insisted
unon a frank and positive acknowledgment
We were informed that the Treaty
established special rules OF neutral duty
and obligation in addition to the generally re-
ceived public law, with retroactive application
to the events complained of by the United
States, but we were given no intlmatlon as 10
the exact extent and scope of these special
rules. We could not tell, except by inference
whether by the acceptance of these new inter
prctations of International law we had lost OF
gained in regard to our future freedom and
security in case of foreign wars. The extent
to which the Convention opened path for
the claims of British subjects to offset ours
was also involved in some doubt.
These facts did not prevent us from de-
speaking for the Treaty a calm, dispassionatc,
and favorable consideration. 1t was evidently
a serious and earnest effort made by the High
Commissioners of both parties to come to a
common ground of agreement, and to make a
convention which should dispose of the long
pending questions at issue in sense at once
honorable and advantageous to both parties.
We did not expect nor demand settlement
which should be exclusively in our favor; but
we heartily approved the solutions indicated
in the indefinite form in which they came, re-
serving our maturcr Judgment for fuller de-
tails.
We did not however, rest satisfied with the
outline furnished to the press of the country.
1t is of the utmost Importance to the Admins
tratiOn, as well as to the general welfare, that
these questions shall now be passed upon
finally, with fall knowledge and understanding
of all the circumstances. A failure now, or
any serious mistake made 10y Congress- would
go far to render the adoption of any
honorable settlement impossible. This is
preGminenuy Government of public
opinion, and while in some minor
matters it is well enough to preserve the vail
of secrecy which tradition prescribes for dipo-
matte negotiations. these considerations OF
conventional decOrum must give way in mat
tiers of such vital gravity as the one now be-
fore u.s. 1t is essential, not only that this Treaty
shall be Just and satisfactory one, but that
the country at large shall recognize it as such,
80 that when it comes to be ratified, or re-
| iected, or amended, it shall be done with the
full and cordial assent of the American people.
There must be no possibility of a schlsm be-
tween the country and its representatives, and
to avoid this there are no means save pub
lcity and candid discussion.
With such views, TIE TRIBUNE has spared
neither pains nor expense in the efforts to lay
before its readers, as it does this morning,
the exact text of the treaty. At the hour at
which we write (2;3o a. No. it is
still coming to us in fragments on
four or five separate telegraph lines;
and we can therefore attempt no analysis of
its provisions on the important points to
which we have called attention, much less
discussion of the principles they involve
But within the next twenty-fOur hours the
journals of the country will have
gathered from our columns the precise
terms on which we are asked to rub out the
score against Great Britain and begin afresb.
To the judgment of the People thus evoked
we may safely commit Insecure in the calm
strength of Nation too great for either alarm
for itself or revenge upon others
------
REPUBLICAN, FEUDS.