Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-05-17
The sgt.dGIe Thiekening.

1t had been semi-cflicialIy announced
and published by the press on both sides OF
the Atlantic, that the United States govern
1nent had determined to modify the Ameri-
can case, and to withdraw those prepester-
Gus claims which the great majority Of the
American people would pronounce untena-
ble. This withdrawal would have been
made without any sacrifice Of national
honor without even a diminution OF the
national prestige, provided a sElful diplo-
natist had been charged with the direction
of the business But if the American law
yers got the advantage Of the British diplO-
mats in drawing up the Washington
Treaty and the " American Case, " the last
move or the chess-bOard is very decided
check. When it was semi-officially 'an-
nounced. on Thursday morning last, that
should Great Britain Propo7o to stipulote,
in the eynct that the United States as a
neutral should not be liable for remote or
consen,,catiaI injuries or losses resulting
fun failure to observe her dutfns as a
neutral, that an arrangement Of the nature
States, there was every reason for Secre-
tary Fish believing, from the tenor of Gen
eneral Sfhenck's dispatches, that such pro
posal was about to be made, and the state
ment was given to the press to prepare the
country for the solution of the difficulties
anticipated. This record having been
made, it is now impossible to de-
ny. The British Minister, on Thurs
day morning, recognizing the official
tone Of She article IS published here, i'm
mediately Ilegraphed to Earl Granville
what had been done by the State Depart
ment, thus giving the British Ministry the
opportunity to profit by orr Premature eX-
posure of the new position taken lrp, and
from which we could not consistently re-
treat Sagacously pushing this advantage,
the British Ministry advised Earl Gran
vile to maintain the same attitude that had
been assumed before Parliament, and tt
encourage no expectation Of a concession
such as was invited. 1t only remained u
ask us If we waived our pretended CLAIM
under the treaty If so, then Her Majesty
government was willing to admit that sh
would not ask for consequential damage
under circumstances similar to those whlc
the United States claimed had justified he
presentation Of such claim"
This was putting the onus of retreatin
and changing front on the American SID
again, and produced tremendous furry L
Washington. So much 50 that a summo
more properly an ordcr-was Issued b
General BabcoclI the Presidents mllltar
secretary, to the Foreign Committee ofbot
Houses, to meet at the State Departmel
on Saturday at t,co O'Clock IN the mo1nin
to hold consultation on the subject. 81
10 ard behold, the summons was issue
only to the g lOil supporters OF Il
administration, every Democrat on II
Committee being LETT IN ignorance OF II
meeting. General Banks, one of the X
publican members Of the Committee sH
posing naturally that in a matter of toreis
policy, party considerations would be owe
looked as thnv al--r~ TIU been before al
preached one of the Democratic member
Mr.. Wood Of New York, and takiug ft
granted that he was invited to attend ais
let the cat out Of the bag, Wher
fore, Mr.. Wood on Monday took occasie
to administer most scathing caStleEa'0A
A proceeding on the part OF the ENecl "
tive so extraordinary, said hH A'it'"' nav
been prompted by some ~ !, ''-il' :'''1l,
we could have been mere
f, consultation on our present relation
with England. Our advice has never be-
sought Jefore. Some higher object mu
hayeprompted the movement. Can it
tbathe Legislative Department is to
nov Invoked through the action of pa
tsan majority to cover the intended retr0