The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-04-23

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ti0ns
The danger with the present discussions of
the Alabama case is that our people may be
disposed to drift away from the real issues.
There is strong effort to create false issues,
which should be promptly met and avoided.
Thus many of our prominent journals and
publicists pretend to regard the whole matter
as an effort on the part of our government to
obtain an undue advantage over England, or
to hold Her Majesty to an Interpretation of the
treaty altogether foreign to the purposes of
those who signed it. In Washington this
sentiment seems to have risen to the magni-
tude of lobby, and the unholy and desperate
influences which we have been accustomed to
meet in railway charters and land grants and
which have shed so pernicious an influence
upon Legislation and public morals, are striv-
ing to determine question of interna-
tional honor and national peace. The
champion of this sentiment is no less man
than our distinguished fellow citizen, Cyrus
w. Field. Mr.. Fields enterprises and asso-
Citations have thrown him so much into the So
ciety of Englishmen that he has become, in o
peculiar way, representative type of English
feeling And, having recently returned from
Europe, his mind is naturally quickened and
colored by the emotions that would arise from
dition of ignorant anger towards America. 1t
is unfortunate, also that many of our Ameri-
can journalists are subjects of the British
monarchy, and discuss this case as though the
United States were on English colony and
under allegiance to the Grown. They write as
though this treaty affected us as ministerial
measure would affect Canada or Aus
trala; and their eagerness to con-
denim America and to make it appear that
we, in some way, took an advantage Of Eng
land and induced Her Majesty Commission
ers to sign treaty which we construe far diff
ferently from what was intended-that, in
palmer phrase, we deceived the Queens Am
bassadors. Their efforts could not be greater
were they really in the secret service of the
British Foreign Office
And yet, when we read closely the record,
we find nothing that does not show on the
honorable and frank diplomacy. There are GER
tain landmarks in this discussion that cannot be
overlooked, and when we review them we see
at once the timidity, the pusillanimity- do
not want to say the disloyalty and perfdy-of
those who discuss the Alabama case in the
spirit of Englishmen. This treaty is more
of an English than On American act.
We conceded it in the spirit of
friendliness It is of no practical value
to us while to England, and especially
the supremacy of the English naval power, it
is everything The English did all possible
injury to the United States when it was felt
that the rebellion would destroy or divide our
ascendancy upon this Continent. They are
naturally anxious to condone those acts, and
escape from their consequences, now that it is
seen that the war has strengthened us and
lifted us from a position among the minor
kingdoms and nations to be one of the
great Powers Of the earth. In any
treaty England would have oil to gain
and America nothing to lose. We can
gain nothing and we have lost everything.
Once great maritime Power, with our COM
merce upon every sea- we have practically
been driven from the ocean. This was done
by English ships and guns and mainly by
Englishmen. The painted rag which covered
the deed and represented the con-
federacy was an emblem only. The
fact behind the emblem constitutes our
grievance. The injury inflicted upon us by
tn Nd hon, a hall; oh
q neutral Power, would be retaliated upon her
should she ever become belligerent and we
neutral Power. To avoid this to terminate a
condition Of affairs which virtually put Eng
land under bonds to America to keep the
peace at all times and with all nations, was
the sole purpose Of the treaty. In consenting
to the negotiation we did an act Of kindness
to England And yet it is now contended that
England in some way made an extraordinary
concession to America when she agreed to the
treaty. What did she concede? What had
we to gain by any negotiations? When we
had everything to gain, when England, by
simply executing her laws and observing her
obligations as a neutral Power, would have
done us an incalculable service, she was our
enemy. The moment we were powerful
enough to defend ourselves and resent
any injustice she became our friend, and
yearned for a treaty which would save her COM
MERGE from the injury she inflicted upon the
commerce of the United States
This is the first landmark in the discussion
The second is in the presentation of the case
for consequential damages by Mr.. Fish. This
was done in the sittings of the Joint High
Commission, and not for the first time in our
case. as is generally believed. 1t is matter of
record that Mr.. Fish, when the Alabama ques-
ton was reached in the discussions Of the
Joint Hinh Commission read n carefully nra.