The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-04-16
LITER ATUR E

IL ~ dluusiIp w TtdU MI. bcantuS upOiNSt III HIS
preface for what he fears may seem the crudeness
OF his arrangement Of the material ne has now
given TO the public Would that all bookmakers
labored under the like conscientious fear OF being
obscure But never was an apology less necessary,
for this Is a work-we speak rom large expert
encc OF "bue booksr and Congressional reports
which ought 10 lie held up model Of coherent
arrangement, OF exact and vigorous English and OF
fair controversial statement IL bears the impress
alike as q whole ana in each Individual page Of %
clear orderly end impartial intellect.
This book aims, though the author IL too modest
to say so, ut being complete review OF the origin,
extent, nature and history OF the Alabama claims,
together with a fun presentation OF the national
attitude taken By the two countries ar the various
epoch5 OF its diplomatic discussion IL therefore
consists largely Of extracts from the publisher cor
resDondcnce, but these are neatly and altstically
nttea in with each other by process Of literary mo-
saIc and are converted into digestibe reading. The
amount OF labor in doing ths--and In doing this
| well--musr have been prodgious. The prospect,
which the author must have chcerfnlly embraced or
| solid two or three months work over Mr. Sewarl's
hundred and ode volumes Of dispatches would have
| driven man OF ordinary industry to suicide
| Mr.. Beaman has had exceptional advantages for
| making his book really valuable lie was for sew
| era years clerk OF the COMMITTEE on Foreign Rela-
tons, anG was also believed to have acted as sort
| OF volunteer secretary to Senator Sumner. Owing
| to these affiliations. perhaps. his book is here and
| there family tinged with extreme views. But these
| places lew ana far between, ana the main argu.
ment Is almost judicial IN Its lmparualty.
| Having shown that by mutual consent the Ala
! bama claims-which now also, b7 consent, include
all depredations by Confederate vessels in which
| British subjects have been implicated-are to be
settled upon the basis of the moral responsibility
| OF Great britain lor the losses Incurred and not
upon prccedentS, Mr.. Beanan proves that the recog
ninon CT the rebels as Delligerents was shameluly
| precpi.ate. When this was proclaimed the war
! had not seriously begun between the government
| and the contederacy there had not been single
| battle nor even combat, save the Isolated attack
| on Fort Sumter. Lord Russell hlmself admitted
this in letter OF the 1st Juaeseventeen days after
\ the proclamatIon-n when he says that ''her Ma
| jesty's government DESTROYS OF preserving the
stricest neutrality In the contest which appears to
be lmmlnent between the United States and the So
| styled confederate States" Indeed, this IS beyond
dispute just 1t Is also beyond dispute that Great
I Britain was tempted to issue the proclamation
by the bait held out by the rebel commissioners that
| Southern independence would throw their whole
import trade the hands OF Great Britain. Mr..
Beaman shows at length that the effect OF the pro-
clamaion was to legaiZe privatsering by British
Confederate cruisers, ana supports this position by
| irrefragabe and numerous testimony.
The circumstances attending the issue ana the
| fruitful results OF the proclamation OF the 18th
| May thus disposed OF, the cook gives all the facts
touching the buildlnet elupping, escape, arming
ana reception In British ports OF the Florida the
| Alabama, til Georgia and the Shenandoah
! all OF which built ana equipped in
| British ports. There is II certain difference in
case, but such difference never Affects the one
common mark OF au-that Great Britain Is aole for
| what they have DONE aud it Is also clear that this
liability extends to the work or cruisers escap-
Ing from ports OF the insurgents, but received and
narbored IN the ports or Great Britain IL must be
l constantly borne In mind that the whole question
by the consent boh parties Is TO he discussed and
| settled on the basis OF moral responsibility and So
If the queens proclamation OF the 18th OF May was
precipitate and unfriendly, and If the anlmus IN
! spring 1t Is proven, then we shall get compensa-
| tion for every loss al we have ever SUFFERED.
| The claims are next treated on the lower ground
that II Great Britain were morally JUSTIFIED in
recognizing the rebels as beiigerents before ta war
began still It's government aed TO fulfil It's promise
| to preserve strict aud impartial neutrality. Even
according to the British neutrality law the govern
/, ment was sadly dercct This part OF the question
is very fully and particularly discussed as wen as
The history OF the negotiations entered into Tor the
settlement OF the claims from the time of Mr. Adams
down to the appointment of the High Commission
now sitting ia Washington.
And at this point Mr.. Beamans book becomes
specially interesting. Remembering that, as has
constantly been pointed out, the Commission Is pow
erless to do more than propose final settlement, it
Is well to what Kind OF settlement VIII be sat
isfactoIy to the American people. The claims OF
two UNCONSTITUTIONAL ami private. a. to the last,
Great Britain has already offered 10 pay them, If an
aroitcr, III tie shape OF some foreign Power should
decide that she ought TO do Eut tnis arrange
ment has been refused by the United States, unless
the national claims also submitted az the same
time to arbItrauon-a suggestion which has
been Indignantly declined. second arrangement
Is now suggested that the claims should be finally
ana amicably settled by an absolute payment oil q
liked sum IN settlement OF The private claims. or an
absolute agreement that the two governments
should appoint joint commission 20 determine the
actual amount OF these claims with agreement
ON the part OF Great Britain that she should then
pay the private claimants to the full amount at
which their damages should be fixed by such COM
mis- sion. The United States would In this last case
probably be satisfied 10 waive their right
for satisfaction Of the national injury done
them, and to bury II IN mignanifnous
oblivion, on the grounds that England had already
been sufficiently Inundated, that she had been
/ forced to acknowledge by her deeds that she bad
sinned against the comfy of nations, ana, further
and mere comes IN the most Important considefa-
ion--that both nations would az once arrange upon
some International, or perhaps some simply munict
pal law, which would prevent tho escape OF these
pirate vessels In the OF the future. II Is posi-
BILE however that the United states may deem 1t
lust TO insist upon more than this and TO demand
"a corollary OF the settlement what our govern
ment has labored so long and so CALAMITY from
the very beginning OF its TO have established
as principle OF International aw-that the com
mcrcal marine OF all nations In all national con
nicts OF every Kind and character shall pe exempt
from liability 10 seizure or capture. This would
indeed be a glorious consummatlon OF our struggles
Tor justice.
But, a. Mr.. Beaman next points out the settle
ment OF the Alabama claims by simple money IN
demnlty for all private losses, be satisfactory.