The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-04-29
THE HIGH COMMISSION.
Comments Of the London Press on
Hts Reported Action,

Comments Of the London Press on
Hts Reported Action.
The leading editorials Of the 7f,ne'
and the Daily Neos Of the 18th instant
are on the reported conclusions Of the
Joint High Commission:
The Times accepts what is reported
to have been done by the Joint High
Commission at Washington as evidence
OF a genuine desire 90 the part of the
negotiators and Of the Federal Admin
istration that all differences may be re-
moved. The Times has that degree of
confidence in our own Commissioners
that it doubts not the convention to
which they have been willing to agree
will be ratified by the Crown, and sup
ported by the public sentiment both here
and in Canada. Whether the Ameri-
can Congress will be equally we'll dis
posed to confirm the acts of the Com
missioners representing the States is
point on which it would be dangerous
to hazard an opinion. If the arrange
ment Of the fishery question reported to
have been agreed upon shall be ratified
and confirmed, it will enjoy the distin-
guished merit OF being final in its char
acter. With respect 10 the settlement
OF the Alabama claims, an important
question is whether the definition
Of international neutrality framed
by the Commission is to be re-
Prospective in its operation. lnterna-
tional law is essentially q growth Of
conventions, and the addition to it Of an
agreement making the sailing OF ship
partially prepared for war. but neither
provided with armament nor commits
stoned, an offense against its obligations
may be very desirable, but it cannot be
contendeI that sailing such a vessel
was a breach OF international obliga.
tions, when the Alabama escaped. This
is the first difficulty, and the second,
equally great, must arise in defining neg
Iigence. The measure Of damages to
be awarded raises many other points not
easily settled, and when all these diff
culties Of principle have been set to rest,
there must remain the investigation of
the controverted statement of fact in
The history of the Alabama before the
principles which have been agreed upon
,an be applied to ii. The Times trusts
that this settlement, if ratified by Con-
yress, will remove all cause of quarrel
between the two countries, and it is to
be hoped that in any agreement as to
principles our interests in the future may
De as carefully guarded as those of the
past.
The Daily Nsys observes that il the
definite announcement which the Allan
ic telegraph reports be true, the Joint
High Commission has succeeded beyond
Ill expectation. The conclusion of the
Fisheries dispute is mere matter Of
bargain; the Alabama settlement is Of
wider interest and more permanent i'm
II it be true that the Joint
High Commission has laid down the
principles on which ;~..---.:-
rality is to be based, they may CLAIM
O have done more than get rld OF
Io,.nr The whole Alabama dlfflculty
and the fact that the Com
mission have agreed upon certain prln-
,iples is more important than the prlL-
,iples themselves. Any law is better
han lawlessness, and even if this new
International law is to our disadvantage
n the past, it may be to our advantage
n the future. II a basis Of present and
uture good understanding has been
aid, the past certainly cannot he worth
,uarreling about, and both sides can
.fford to settle it by a compromise, and
ct by.goues be by-gones. 1t can hardly
,e too much to hope that this tardy
agreement may be ratified on both sides.
There is, happily, a growing desire in
10Th countries for more friendly rela-
ions, and even for closer alliance. On
both sides it is felt that the two free
nations of the world should put away
al possibilities OF war. With Germany
,nsiaved, and France in the agonies OF
,ivil war, the eyes Of Europe are more
han ever turned to the West. We have
n charge the worlds hope Of a wei! or
Tered freedom.