The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-02-16

/ TitoYnaa fEEgslea---A Settlement OH
sssc RnatS Of Mr.. Summers Speech DC.
css-eu s,ns,sasistc---lA Statement o,
tie Negotiations frosn am English
Point Of View.
Mr.. Thomas Hughes, himself amcmber Of
Parliament, in letter from London to tho
New York 7'Tbsne, says:
Within the last few days have conversct
with several Americans Of ability and expc.
ricncc in public ailnirs upon the attitude OF
the British press With reference TO the case
Of the United States" which is to be laid
before the Conrt Of Arbitration at Geneva in
June next. When have assured them chat
so t.r a. can judge Setting aside the bitter
ness OF some Of the writcrs-a bitterness
which En%liShmcn in general do not feel, and
every sensible EnslishlnH rcgretsl, the press
IN this instance fairly represents tue feeling
Of the country, they have expressed surprise.
When have admitted that | myself share
this feeling, they have gone near laughing in
my face: and when they have found that
am serious, have wondered how any one who
knows something Of their country should be
| 80 absurd. Under these circumstances and
| seeing that any miscarriage in this effort ut
arbitration will be no laughing matter, !
| should be glad TO stale shortly In your coli
innS the reasons why our people have been
startled and aStonishcd at the shape your
case hes taken.
l'irc effect Of Mr.. Summers celebrated
speech on this side will lie fresh in the min o
Il ali your readers who are interested in t b
| question. Whether we misunderstood him
or not is another matter, but the fact remains
that any anlc:ihlc settlement on the basis laid
! IOWA hy him was always, and remains to this
day. simply impossible. In the long dis
c'I>sinn which followed. the excitement here
cooled down rs Tie merits Of the question
came oui into clearer light. I believe / am
right IL saying tir,t with one exception every
juriSt OF reputation on your side admitted
hat the claims for constructive damages
raised by him could not bo seriously main
tanned.
By constructive damages mean the ey-
pcnditurc OF the pursuit Of the Alabama and
! o;Acr vessels the loss OF your commercial
marine. the enhanced payment for insurance
during tnc war, and the cost of the alleged
prolon@atom Of the war by our acts. Think
am tl>o right in saying that it was generally
admitted on your side that the question was
not 80 much one OF pccunary damage rs OF
| outraged sentiment. and THAI tn admission OF
rr.,r1t Nv ENGLAND for the escape OF the \ Ia
wards bringing about Il healthier state OF tccl-
iam and al amicIhlc settlement Of all points
ut issue. At the same time you never Tor 4
moment proposed 10 waive and always IN
sisted uron, your claims for losses arising
froIa the actual destruction Of vessels and
and their clrgocS by tic Ahna'na and her
cgi.ay!.rs, for Ill and each Of which YOU
held lis RESPONSIBLE | am not sure HAT l
represent your side fairly iii the above stale
mrnt, hut am perfectly certain aS 10 the Genc-
ri understanding.
This being So. the io:nt commission was
} appointed with the hearty concurrence, be-
l;ryc. OF both nations. We heard nothing of
wi.2i passed ii their conferences but III due
c0ursn lie text Of tic treaty Of Washington
wa: published q tie result, and WAS eagerly
.crti,iui2ct. Il rcy:teu that differences li;:tt
lii:..!t d" growing OGt OF the Acts committed
by the several vessels which have given rise
10 the claims generally known As the Aa-
BAN. Claims" and that - her Majesty had
authorized h"r high commissioners to cX-
press in friendly spirit the regret felt BY
the Government for The escape, under what
ever circumstances, Of Tie Alabama and other
vessels from British p5r:>, and lor the Gcpre-
+ iations committed by those rcssc!s." IcIc
q; i.st ~;~ht was III entire confirmation OF
: or views. England expressed her regret,
and America thcrcupon !it&itcd her claims to
the "&cts committed ly tho several vessels u
which had escaped from our ports. But OF
course r"cit,liS may be modified by the op2-
rufirc part Of any document, 50 we had to
look further to see what was the net result
| a tie treaty.
Then we find in tho c!1ac:ing part that the
hi.rh contracting IaIljcs agree that ali the
out II. !pl il 4
Ill" Aforesaid vessels Sn:il bc referred to 4
Tribunal q arbitration" and there the mat
!"r cnls. There i not. in the whole treaty,
, Il Wg..N 10 show that any other ci.tin!s than
| those Tor direct losses arc TO hc referred to
! ;u" a";yi.ratoiS. IN the contrary, in Article
Nl.. which sets ont what the United States
, will attempt H. establish, after promising THAT
! All historical statement would be made Of the
conduct q; "i,rtioyCrIrlcn;. showing studied
nil'iena!ilIc>-, D:ctiicr with an Indication OF
- VIA: you Gruin nl,r duties 10 have been ''lI
rc.lYccG to liz. ~rrcy:tl cruisers the treaty
: proceeds : They will cndeavor to show tilat
= Great Britain failed to perform these duties,
: both general and specifically rs to each of the
cruisers and that such failure involved the
liability to rc,nunclatc the United States tol
!os>c, thus inflicted" that is to say, by tho
+ cruisers.
= Can Won wonder. under the circumstances
= that We believed you had waived the Claims
= FOR constructive damages mentioned above
4, Gan you suppose that, OH any other t"Itns
i we should have consented to the application
- to this case Of those new rules OF lntcrna
=. tonal law with respect to the duty OF ncu
= t.al~, suggested by yourselves, which are EN-
= boilicd in Article VI. Of the treaty:
What is to lie done, then, in tic absence o
( ASSURANCE from your Government that TN
Y constructive claims will not be opened befor
4. the tribunal: it seems TO me That we nav
. only one course open, and that Is 10 take
II preliminary objection to this part OF Tie CHS"
. We en- say, | think, with clear conscience
t :. NOy. hOpc IN JtpdcrG rcn{1nlS." we neNr
G consented 10 the reference of these issues t.
: the tribunal, and there are the protocol ant
n the treaty 10 show that we did not.
Ii the court should be against lis, can Sc
o. TO alternative hui our withdrawal from I'll
= arbitration, which would be to my mind tn
: mes; dcDlurablc political event Of this Ill
J. toward time. Both nations iEiIc made Sre.'
|. st,.riiac>--cf prejudice on one side and pTlu
h OH the otIcr--to reach this point, and In
] Great result is now 1T hazard, by what car
/. not help c:sllin. tic reckless pleading Oh you
|! side.
! can only hope that time, The great solver
T.. will help boli. nations through this most PFC
yoL;ur difficulty, and that III the mean tim
! neither side may be bounded back by anonJ
+ mous writers ur reckless public men into III
! trcarv swamp and desert from when W
! hayc 50 recently escaped. Cool tclnpcla al
. sound. upright judgment were never lls"E
: needed, and ain sure all your lest citlZen
81,