The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-05-12
THE NEW TREATY.

HE new treaty with Great Britain, which HE
EVENING TELEGRAPH published yesterday in ad-
vance of all it's contemporaries, has met with
a decidedly favorable reception from the
press and the public. In view of the compli-
Gated and irritating questions at issue, the
huge volumes Of correspondence which have
been filled by efforts to explain them, and
the repeated failures to peacefully adjust
them; it cannot be questioned that the High
Commission has performed a very diff
fcult and creditable task in devising a
mutually satisfactory solution for all old
complications. 1t is neither the desire nor
the interest of this country to rush speedily
into another war. The greatest boon gained
by final victory in the late contest was the
assurance that hereafter the nation might
live in external as well as internal peace; and
as this assurance would be rendered doubly
sure by q harmonious settlement with the
only foreign nation with whom
dangerous conflict could easily arise,
the final ratification of a satisfactory
treaty with Great Britain would be
the most important and benefcent triumph
of American diplomacy. The triumph is,
substantially, embodied in the text of the
new compact. In its general character, as
we'll as in the details of its provisions, it is
dignifed and apparently just 1t furnishes
as complete recognition of the high rank of
this country in the scale of nations, and of
the correctness of the principles of interna-
tional law for which American statesmen have
hitherto contended, as could be desired.
There is something grateful to our wounded
pride in its very tone. 1t alleges
that ''her Britannia Majesty has authorizedher
High Commissioners and Plenipotentiaries to
express, in a friendly spirit, the regret felt by
her Maiesty's Government for the escape,
under whatever circumstances, of the Ala
bama and other vessels from British ports,
and for the depredatiohs committed by these
vessels" 1t provides for the creation of
tribunal to decide upon the claims founded
on these depredations, which will not only be
of dignifed character, but which will be
chosen by powers likely to be friendly to us,
the President of the Swiss Confederation
and the Emperor of Brazil being two
of the appointees. 1t comedies the
vital point that the rules applied to the assess
ment of damages shall be based on the ex-
alted standard of the obligations of neutrality
for which our Government has hitherto
vainly contended. And it appoints Geneva,
city located in European republic, as the
place where the arbitrators of the Alabama
claims are to meet. Although Great Britain
has Rrievously wronged us, she makes in
these provisions the best atonement that we
could reasonably anticipate, and our national
reputation would justly suffer if we were to
wantonly reject them
The other subj ects embraced in the treaty,
although important in themselves, are of
minor consequence. If we honestly owe
money to British subjects, it ought to be
! paid, and the commission seems to have been
as careful as possible in restricting the num-
ber and character of permissible claims
against this country. As the bulk of the
treaty is conceived in lofty and magnani-
nous spirit, we can scarcely believe that it was
the intention ef either party to weaken its
soothing moral effect by interjecting any de-
ceptive clause designed to create new diff
culties and dissensions hereafter.
We trust no loopholes have been left for
the benefit of the Confederate bondholders of
England; that the fishermen of the United
! States and the New Dominion will be enabled
to peacefully and proftsbly ply their useful
vocation; and that the Emperor of Germany
will be enabled to arrive at a satisfactory con-
olusion on the vexed point whether the ex-
treme Northwestern boundary line should be
run through the Rosario Straits or the Canal
de Haro
General Grants motto, when he was can
didate for the Presidency, was ''Let us have
peace, and the new treaty indicates that he
has assured long peace with our only dan
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