New-York tribune., 1872-05-23
AN AMERICAN VIEW OF THE PRESENT
STATE OF THE CASE.

hshes the following letter from Mr. George w. smaey:
SIR: should have thought last years opinions about
the Indirect Claims OF less consequence than those OF to-
day. and recur TO them aud TO my letters about
| them, will add a word of explanation which hope may
that testimony in respect to the state Of opinion in
at the @ the saes %skqs he a
to me very daring statement My letters were not
but Of the opinion Of persons whom had met some of
them among the most distinguished IN America by their
abilities and official position and all having some special
connection with this question. gave by their pernis
sion, and dates and particulars of conversations
said that all these understood the Indirect Claims
to be covered by the Treaty. and added that found
contrary opinion II any OF dfe persons % linus Td OF
to him, his disclaimer has not been communicated to Inc
If, however, you mean TO say that the views I ex
pressed in those letters have been contradeed by Others
copied and commented on by a great many papers in
America. They were republished In THE NBW-IoRK
TRIBUNE with unqualified approval. Their testimony
was accepted as accurate by most OF the journals which
1t would he strange II there were not some exceD
paper undoubtedly Of great influence, from which
you quoted paragraph OF rather personal criticism. In
evidence to prove that the view opposed to mine
held at that time by any considerable number Of per
accuracy Of what then wrote 1t does not follow that
the same opinion prevails to-day. There has been
change but do not think the character Of the change
or the actual state Of feeling in America, is fully under
stood in England or correctly represented In English
be the error except that faith dipo-
macy trust in any settlement which does not rest
begin by admitting that there are Americans who
would like the Indirect Claims withdrawn, mat
ter al what sacrifice Of national pride withdrawn not
merely in substance, but in whatever manner it pleases
the English Government TO insist upon. Who some OF
them are the letter OF your Philadelphia correspondent
published this morning tells u.s. He describes the efforts
made at Washington. by number OF leading Ameri-
cans" to persuade the Government TO abandon these
claims. Who theyi Two are bankers, both dealing
largely in foreign exchange, and one Of them
OF %n tho largest sH OWNERS 81 in the AneAmsrcSn
Telegraph Company and the fourthis the proprietor OF
commercial newspaper published at Philadelphia. They
are all men OF great respectaby, but they neither
troll represent American opinions nor can men whose
exercise great influence on question OF AngoAmeri
can policy. Your correspondent might have spared
word for the equally energetic efforts OF some Of the
owners of Direct Claims who are naturally grieved by
possible postponement of an adjudication on their
sincerely think the Indirect Claims unfounded in law.
President woolsey and Mr. Dana are ursts OF great ab
itv and some influence, but the mass of the American
peopc follow their own judgment on great national or
international question 1t Is OF Importance to find out
Their opinion but IL is not to be sought in the quarters
Indicated by your correspondent In your columns, and
in those of the English press generally, good many
of worthy evidence there has been very little. Such
testimony as exists is to be found for the most part in
American newspapers ana does not Dear out your rep
You saw that "opnions in the States outside the circle
of the Administration, are unanimous that the indreet
Claims ought never TO have been presented, and should
now be Withdrawn; :" and, again, 1--WE are persuaded
that II the Claims were wthdrawn there would be as
much satisfaction IN the States as there w0u1 be here
Then what do you make of the declarations OF the three
|
drawal, one OF which denOunces u as dsereutaDie,
another national humilation and third as an act
demanding the dismissal of Mr. Fish How are protests
SO vigorous these and representing such mass OF
opinion to be reeoneed with your pleasing theory OF
the attempt to reconcile them, and to persuade your
people that ready for greater concession than
we are that tends to make all concession and all settle
| meut impossible
Yet there has been a change, anda change in direct
ion unfavorabe to the Indirect Claims and favorable TO
settlements provided you do not show the stuDD0rness
OF which you have lately been accusing US am henea
TO think 1t true that most Americans now h0ld the pre-
sentation OF the Indirect Claims IN the form In winch
they are stated in the American Case to have been mis-
| would be satisfied with a Judgment which gave
them no money on account OF those Claims H.,
duced to acquesce in an agreement between tile me
| two Governments that they should not De
rangement which should on the one hand give you Sc
| curly against being called on to pay Consequential
Damages and the other, should not require from us
formal withdrawal of any part OF our case MT Bright
in his letter of March to Mr.. Field ntmaed that suen
an arrangement would satisfy the English Government
and people. lie ought TO know yet you assure US ne
not and now we are called upon TO go lnrIer anu m
TO import clause into the Treaty ana 10 require the
ratification OF the Senate. You know already that even
| MT Fish has drawn back before this demand.
am at a loss to conjecture what you base your DeleI
that the American people would yield TO H. You say
Won are willing to take risk involved in its nonrat-
aOn by the senate and that the ss d a yo Pa
alone You make no account OF IhG iaSs o 1 b you o
laon of the Constitution, which would subject nun 10
| impeaehment and which would send him before the
people for reflection staggering under the charge OF
49, ~ p tho En O,,sh neople prides
Al Ie 10 any ' vas o ON its babit OF taking practical
ltseiI, suRPosoui mas U 10 ,,,tc nnestions hv
views OF analrs; oIJuusinH sreas pupo tpa F4'
the standard OF common sense when no snite
all that has been said in and a1s be-
not without fah that t1e s dsne aSot indirect
tent to apply tnat ruie 10 Is ai,PId PId have done A.
Claims, and that the Goyerhnedh' wo eesve defeots
but for the tmidy f 20 ~ ;rin noIcv f ia
and by tie popui Vi ~ .' sRouid he
ineredpie lhat eitaeI n.J "a ~ Tard Russell The
guided Dy tne seInsn - a. "a tnnwn bas offered