The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-04-15

trntiOn Rcc~de from ih s-o"As'v"'
The Indications from Washington are that
n strong pressure il to be made upon the
administration for the withdrawal OF the case
as submitted to Geneva. That particular
newspaper which is regarded ~ 'the organ of
the administration" discusses the whole sub
iect as though wa had in some way been
euilty of fraud upon the English, and had
taken advantage OF the Commissioners to give
the treaty construction that was never in
tended Speaking with Washington insplra-
ton this newspaper admits that there was
some mistake, some advantage pressed
upon the English which was not in
tended by either party, and that naturally
nothing remains for America but to withdraw
from her position, consent that England was
right and that we were wrong in the construc-
ton OF the treaty, and meet the arbitration
III compliment and satisfactory frame of
mind. BY such course the treaty will be
saved, the administration of General Grant
will have won one conspicuous foreign achieve
ment, and we shall feel that peace has been
established between the two great English
speaking Powers.
Nothing would afford us more genuine salts
faction than the achievement of this result.
We desire peace with England complete
settlement of all the questions now at issue be-
tween the two countries We looked upon
the anger excited in the English mind by the
publication of our case with deep concern.
We trusted that careful survey of the whole
ground would show that there really was some
point which would enable America to say to
England that we had acted upon misappre-
hension, and with the frankness Of honest men
retire from our position. We cared nothing
Tor our case. After ALL it was but rhetorical
composition, and would not be considered for
a moment when the peace OF the nation
was Mt stake. If our case had been
blunder the very worst result
would have been the retirement Of Mr.. Fish
from the State Department. However this
might be regretted, it would be sacrifice in
the interests Of peace which the honorable
Secretary would be glad enough to make. We
felt, as we feel now, that this continued appre-
hension, this strain upon the commercial
nerves of the two countries, this uncertainty as
to our relations have injured and continue
still to injure the business interests which the
two nations have in common more than we
should gain in money value by any possible
award ut the Geneva tribunal IF there could
be an end Of this unhappy abnormal condi-
ton and the return Of perfect peace and cor
daily we should welcome it as blessing to
civilization. Therefore, if it can be shown
that we wrong in our case, our duty is to
abandon it ut whatever sacrifice of national
pride.
We have, unfortunately, seen no argument
that leads to this conclusion On the con-
trary, the evidence is overwhelmingly the
other way. There was no surprise in our
presentation of the claim for consequential
damages. 1t was not held in allegiance during
the negotiations Of the Joint High Commits
sion to be sprung rs an afterthought at
Geneva. Remember always that the strong
emphatic point Of the English in their discus
sions is that if we had minated an intention
\ to demand consequential damages, or mt least
that claim for them would be presented at
Geneva their Ministers would have retired at
once from the negotiations. Now, the truth il
that this demand was clearly expressed by Mr.
Fish on behalf of the American government
and no dissent made by the English Commits
siones The point that rested in the mind of
Mr.. Fish, and, no doubt, of Lord Ripon and
his colleagues, was that, as there were
such claims in existence, they should |
be considered and determined forever:
that there should be no remaining tissues or
question:" to come to life in new genera
ton, like Frederick the Greats claim upon
Silesia or Napoleon's demand for Malta, and
be used as means Of disturbing the worlds
peace. If this was their reasoning it was
sound and statesmanlike; for this treaty would
have been nothing had it been incomplete or
wanting in comprehensiveness, or with any
reserved or neglected issues There could be
no better way Of ending the discussions upon
these claims than by referring them to the
Geneva tribunal, and we have no doubt the
decision was reached as happy way of bury
ing the whole business in the interest of last
ing peace
We know that these claims were presented
by Mr.. Fish in his protocols, because the evil
dence is written on the record We are led to
believe that an estimate of the manner in
which Lord Rlpon and his colleagues received
this presentation is the true one, from other
circumstances 1t will be remembered that
while America had claim for consequent
tial damages, England also had such a
claim. We insisted that we should be paid for
the losses incurred by the prolongaton of the
war after Gettysburg, holding, as we did, that
this was the result of the unfriendly course OF
England. England insisted that she should
be paid for the investments of her people in
Confederate bonds. No Englishman ever felt
that these bonds would be paid; their learned
men knew that we had forbidden it by an
amendment to the constitution they |