New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-07-10

THE TREATY IN ENGLAND And CANADA
The successive steps in the ratification of the
Treaty of Washington have been accomplished
under particularly happy Omens. 1t was APP
proved by our Senate on the birthday OF the
Queen; the ratiicatiOns were exchanged in Lon
don on the anniversary of the battle of Bunker
Hill and Gen. Grant with a fine regard for the
sentimental aspect of the case, issued his official
proclamation of the fact 'On the Fourth of
July. This is the second time that his good
taste and good fortune have cOnspired TO give
to the country the news of a great and bene
ficent event on our national holiday. 1t is
probable that this achievement of his admin
isratiOn in the interest of the maintenance
of peace will occupy place i'll history beside that
glorious capitulation on the banks of the
Mississippi which proved the beginning of the
end of the war. There has been some
thOughtless criticism of this recent coincidence
of dates on the ground that the 18th of June
and 4th of July are words especially CALLING to
the British Lion. But in truth the battle Of
Bunker Hill was British victory, though we
have since recovered the field, and the Amer-
can Declaration of Independence marks an
epoch which is always remembered with deep
qualification by all English-spealing peoples.
1t is regarded i'll England with little less
respect than in this country, precisely as
Washington is always ranked as among the
first of Englishmen.
The Treaty received much less severe treat
ment in the House Of Lords than was antic-
pated from the first grim showing of teeth by
Lords Russell and Salisbury. The attacks
upon it proceeded principally from persons
who were already committed against any rea-
sonable adjustment of the matter. They had
taken up during the war, and pending the ne
gotiations which Immediately followed it, such
extreme notions of the responsibility of En-
gland for the depredatOns committed by the
Rebel cruisers that it was impossible for them
to approve convention which distinctly
ignored their arguments and placed them
in the wrong They were bound by their
own self-love to object to the work
of the Marquis of Ripon and his associates.
who had made treaty granting to us what
they themselves had strenuously denied to Mr..
| Seward Mr. Adams, and Mr.. johnson. But
the result shows that what they called the
British side of the question is not insisted on
| by the country at large. The people have
| been more ready than the Government to ar
range our long-standng quarrel on a Just
and honorable basis. The preceding
Ministry might have settled the mat
ter as easily as this one, but they
dreaded the loss of popularity. The
frank acquescence of the masses on both sides
of the ocean to an agreement which is
avOwedly the result of mutual concessions, is
one of the most favorable signs of the times.
! 1t gives encouragement to the hope that inter
national disputes may hereafter be settled
without regard to the superficial expressions
of national prejudice and jealousy which ac-
company them in all free countries.
very noticeable change in the attitude of
the Canadian papers has taken place since the
debate in the House of Lords. Up to that
time. they were full of revolt and defiance. bat